The University of New Orleans awarded more than $330,000 in research grants and awards to 13 faculty members and 90 undergraduate students on Tuesday during its annual Achievements in Research, Creativity and Scholarship awards ceremony held in the University Center’s ballroom.

The awards presentation, hosted by the Office of Research, underscores the power of research and the opportunities that exist for UNO scholars at all levels and areas of the campus, said Matt Tarr, vice president for research and economic development.

“Our Achievements in Research, Creativity, and Scholarship program allows us to recognize students, faculty members and staff members who have contributed to advancing the university’s endeavors in these areas,” Tarr said.

Easels placed around the ballroom held posters highlighting some of those endeavors over the past year. Included among them: the robotic eel engineering camp held on campus last summer for middle and high school students led by engineering professor Brandon Taravella and marketing and management professor Randy Kearn’s research project aimed at improving pediatric emergency care in Louisiana.

“Across all disciplines, we were able to acknowledge past successes and bestow awards to support future projects,” Tarr said. “These accomplishments have impacted students from middle school through graduate school, enhancing UNO’s contribution to education while advancing the state of science and art.”

In total, the awards amounted to $336,097 invested in promising research and scholarship being conducted by UNO students and faculty.

President John Nicklow said Tarr’s office is helping the University build on its rich heritage of research. Research makes professors better teachers, improves student engagement and provides further opportunity, he said.

“I’m proud to say that our campus is quite the determined community of scholars and researchers, including faculty, staff and students, who are innovating and creating new knowledge every day,” Nicklow said. “Their creative output will serve to create a better world.”

Representatives from the University of New Orleans Research Council, which reviews nominees, announced the following awards:

The Faculty Creativity, Research and Scholarship Awards
The most prestigious awards bestowed by the Office of Research are presented to innovative faculty members who have distinguished themselves in their fields and at the University of New Orleans. The awards are divided into two tracks: traditional research and creativity and scholarships. Winners receive a $10,000 career award.

Creativity and Scholarship Focus
• Allan Millett
Research Focus
•Wendy Schluchter

Creative Endeavor Opportunity (CEO): the goal is to provide support for faculty to launch programs of research, scholarship, exhibition or performance that will ultimately result in increased research and creative activity on campus. Winners are required to submit reports at the end of their projects. The budget cap is $10,000.

•    Woohyun Cho
•    Henry Griffin
•    Marc Landry
•    Jeffrey Rinehart
•    Cherie Trumbach

Stimulating Competitive Research (SCoRe): the goal is to equip principal investigators with seed money to apply for external grant opportunities. Winners are required to make a proposal to an outside agency. The budget cap is $15,000.

•    Nicola Anthony
•    Joel Atallah
•    Vincent Xiaochuan Yu
•    Weilie Zhou

Interdisciplinary Grant Development (IGD): the program requires participation from two or more colleges or departments. The aim of the program is to stimulate fundable, interdisciplinary research across substantially distinct disciplines. Winners are required to make a proposal to an outside agency. The maximum funding for this program is $17,500 per investigator with up to three investigators allowed per project.

•    Gianna Cothren and Dimitrios Charalampidis

Tolmas Scholars
UNO offers two flagship programs that introduce undergraduate students to research opportunities: the Privateer Undergraduate Research and Scholarly UNO Experience (PURSUE) and the College of Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (CoSURP).
Through these programs, undergraduates are awarded student worker positions with UNO faculty members. As these programs are generously funded in part by the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, undergraduate students who receive these positions are known as “Tolmas Scholars.”

To view the list of 2020 Tolmas Scholars, visit the Tolmas Scholars website.