Arcadia Nets More Than $1 Million in Grants

January 30, 2019 • Jennifer Retter

Dr. Augusto Macalalag working with STEM students.

During the 2018-19 academic year, faculty and staff earned grants for sexual violence resources, STEM training, network improvements, and scholarly research. The funding will enhance campus life, academic offerings, and research opportunities for the Arcadia community.

DOJ grant supports sexual violence resources

Arcadia was awarded a three-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to support victims of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking. Arcadia was one of only 57 higher education institutions across the country, and only three in Pennsylvania, to receive this grant.

The grant will help Arcadia improve survivor resources and outreach, offer training to community members, and enhance communication between Public Safety, law enforcement, and victim services. The University will start by surveying students to assess existing strategies and hiring a grant coordinator, whose salary will be covered by the funding.

STEM grant funds teacher training

A $1.32 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant—split between schools and universities linked to the Philadelphia Regional Robert Noyce Teacher Partnership Scholarship Program—will improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teaching programs on campus.

Arcadia was awarded $178,249 to support educator certifications and professional development for 11 Mathematics or Biology students throughout the five-year grant cycle. When students complete the program, they will receive a bachelor’s degree, a Master of Education, and a teaching assignment in a high-need area of the School District of Philadelphia.

“This program will put more teachers in underserved communities,” said Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Augusto Macalalag. “We hope to improve opportunities for School District of Philadelphia graduates by enabling students to start at Community College of Philadelphia and finish at Arcadia.”

Funding supports new campus network

Interim Chief Information Officer Leslie Margolis and Dr. Vitaly Ford, assistant professor of Computer Science and Mathematics, were awarded a $352,500 NSF grant to provide new, high-speed networking resources on campus for technology-driven science and education applications and research.

Supported by a team of faculty, staff, and administrators, the project will improve large dataset sharing and cloud-based education, eliminate technical barriers for faculty, support engagement with other institutions, enable innovative research projects, and upgrade Arcadia’s network.

Dr. Ford develops cybersecurity platform

Dr. Ford also created GenCyberCoin Incentive System, a web platform for middle and high school students to explore cryptocurrency, social engineering, bug bounty, and web security. With approximately $16,370 in funding from the NSF and National Security Agency (NSA), Dr. Ford will customize the platform for GenCyber, a hands-on summer camp that guides students to cybersecurity careers.

Dr. Tevald to study lung transplantation

Dr. Michael Tevald, associate professor of Physical Therapy and director of Post-professional PT Programs, received a $40,000 Acute Care Research Grant from the Foundation for Physical Therapy to study “Early Impact of Lung Transplantation on Skeletal Muscle.” His research will enable the development of evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for acute care physical therapists to address the effects of surgery, hospitalization, and illness on physical function.

Dr. Kantak receives funding for stroke research

Our dependency on using both hands—from putting on socks in the morning to pulling up our bed sheets at night—motivated Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Shailesh Kantak to help stroke victims recover functionality through bimanual therapies and virtual reality strategies.

Dr. Kantak’s research will be supported by a five-year National Institutes of Health grant, totaling approximately $1.9 million. Arcadia received a sub-award of $274,281 from the total grant.

19wsfaculty expertsresearchsponsored research

  Augusto MacalalagLeslie MargolisVitaly FordMichael TevaldShailesh Kantak