Awards & Honors

 

President’s Excellence in Research and Creative Activities Awards

The President’s Excellence in Research and Creative Activities (ERCA) Awards recognize consistently outstanding accomplishments in research and creative activities conducted by UAlbany faculty.  

Faculty members are nominated by their colleagues for this award. Review ERCA nomination instructions.

Additionally, each year, the Provost’s Office submits the top three eligible ERCA recipients for the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship & Creative Activities (ESCA). 
 

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2024 ERCA Awardees
  • Fangqun Yu – Senior Research Faculty, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center
  • Julia Hormes – Associate Professor, Psychology, and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Justin Pickett – Professor, School of Criminal Justice, and Director, SUNY/CUNY Southeast Asia Consortium
  • Matthew Szydagis – Associate Professor, Physics
  • Meredith Weiss – Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Political Science, and Director, SUNY/CUNY Southeast Asia Consortium
  • Ryan Torn – Professor and Chair, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
2023 ESCA Awardees

Rabi Ann Musah, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Mathias Vuille, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences

Yiming Ying, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Arts & Sciences

Faculty Research Award Programs (FRAP)

The Faculty Research Awards Programs (FRAP) provides seed funding for faculty members’ research and creative activities. Awards are separated into two categories: FRAP-A and FRAP-B. 

Faculty members apply for the awards. Review FRAP application guidelines.
 

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2023-2024 FRAP-A Awardees

College of Arts and Sciences 

  • ChangHwan Lee – Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
    “Investigating the molecular mechanisms of stem cell niche aging in vivo”
  • Maksim Royzen – Associate Professor, Chemistry    
    “Temporal control of CRISPR-Cas9 to minimize the off-target effects”
  • Michitake Aso – Associate Professor, History    
    “Medical Doctors, Vietnamese Bodies, and Global Nature: The Politics of Environmental Health during the Cold War, 1952-1991”
  • Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Matthew Ingram – Associate Professor, Political Science    
    “Machine-Learning Detection of Clandestine Graves in Mexico”
  • Jennifer Dodge – Associate Professor, Public Administration & Policy    
    “Intersectional Organizing and Context Shifting in Climate Change Advocacy”
     

School of Public Health

  • Muntasir Masum – Assistant Professor, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
    “Examining the mediating role of racial/ethnic disparities in the contextual determinants of binge drinking during early midlife”
     

School of Social Welfare

  • Angie Wootton – Assistant Professor    
    “Towards the Development of a Novel Mental Health Peer Support Intervention for Sexual Minority Women in New York State”
2023-2024 FRAP-B Awardees

College of Arts and Sciences

  • Samantha Friedman – Professor, Sociology, and Director, Center for Social and Demographic Analysis
    “Historical Redlining and 1940 Census Data: A Pilot Study to Build a Critical Geographic Infrastructure”
  • Gabriel Hetland – Associate Professor, Latin American, Caribbean, and US Latino Studies
    “Breaking With Oil: Can Colombia's Gustavo Petro Save the World?”
  • Simeon Youngmann – Visiting Assistant Professor, Art and Art History    
    “Icons for Alexamenos”
  • Chun-Yu Ho – Associate Professor, Economics    
    “CEO Characteristics and Hospital Pricing in the U.S.”
     

College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering

  • Spyros Galis – Associate Professor, Nanoscale Science and Engineering
    “Solid-state Quantum Sources for Quantum Photonics and Metrology”
     

Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

  • Stephan Stohler – Associate Professor, Political Science    
    “Testing Rights Talk”
  • Zsofia Barta – Associate Professor, Political Science    
    “The consequences of the use of sovereign bonds in financial market innovation for policy”
     

School of Business    

  • Prinkle Sharma – Assistant Professor, Information Security & Digital Forensics    
    “Enhancing Cybersecurity Practices: A Focus on Threat Hunting and Adversarial Emulation”
  • Ethan Sprissler – Clinical Professor, Information Systems and Business Analytics    
    “Enhancing Student Learning through Diverse Avatar Narration in Video-Based Lectures”
     

School of Education

  • Gabriel Schlomer – Associate Professor, Educational and Counseling Psychology    
    “Measures Bias Against Childfree Women”
     

School of Public Health

  • Edward Valachovic – Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    ”The Variable Bandpass Periodic Block Bootstrap Approach for Periodically Correlated Time Series”
     

School of Social Welfare

  • Caroline Sharkey – Visiting Assistant Professor    
    “Storying as Reclamation: Digital Storytelling and Fostering Collective Efficacy Using Arts-Based Participatory Action Research”

Seed Funding Program

Aligning UAlbany Strengths with National Funding Priorities 

The Division for Research and Economic Development’s nonrecurring seed funding programs help UAlbany faculty members and researchers respond to specific thematic opportunities.  

The current seed funding program was launched in Fall 2021 to prepare the University for new funding available under the federal CHIPS and Science Act. Seed funding supports cross-disciplinary teams as they apply for major federal grants ($3 million minimum). 

The selected research projects rely on UAlbany faculty and researchers’ areas, advance novel research in UAlbany’s strategic areas, and address the nation’s most pressing scientific and societal challenges. 

Seed funding may only be used for expenses incurred during the proposal planning and preparation process. Proposals for new projects, to collect preliminary data and to establish feasibility are not eligible for seed funding.
 

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Spring 2022 Seed Funding Awardees

"New York City Urban Integrated Field Laboratories (IFL)" 

Team Leader: Jorge Gonzalez-Cruz – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

Team: 

  • Chris Thorncroft – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

  • Jeff Freedman – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

  • Shao Lin – Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health 

 

"Super-enhancer regulation of cancer metabolism" 

Team Leader: Jason Herschkowitz – Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Center, School of Public Health 

Team: 

  •  Douglas Conklin– Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health 

  • JoEllen Welsh – Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health 

  • Ramune Reliene – Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health 

  • BK Lee – Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health 

 

"Proposal to establish the Institute for Microbial Stress Response" 

Team Leader: Cheryl Andam – Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

Team: 

  • Thomas Begley – Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Alex Valm – Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Marlene Belfort – Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Alexander Ciota – Biomedical Sciences and Wadsworth Center 

  • Nicholas Mantis – Biomedical Sciences and Wadsworth Center 

  • Yanna Liang– Environmental & Sustainable Engineering, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences 

  • Mathias Vuille – Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

 

"Center for Integrated Sensors, Screening, and Security (CIS3)" 

Team Leader: John Petrucelli – Physics, College of Arts and Sciences 

Team: 

  • Alexander Khmaladze – Physics, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Benjamin Yankson – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

  • Brandon Behlendorf – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

  • Carolyn MacDonald – Physics, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • DeeDee Bennett Gayle – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

  • Gary Ackerman – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

  • Igor Lednev – Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Jason D’Cruz – Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Lee Spitzley – Information Security & Digital Forensics, School of Business 

  • Ming-Ching Chang – Computer Science, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences 

  • Petko Bognaov – Computer Science, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences 

  • Sanjay Goel – Information Security & Digital Forensics, School of Business 

Fall 2021 Seed Funding Awardees

"Targeting Senescent Cells for Fibrotic Diseases"  

Team Leader: Melinda Larsen – Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

Team: 

  • Gabrielle Fredman — Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany College of Medicine 

  • Juan Andre Melendez — College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute 

  • Scott Tenenbaum — College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute 

 

"Convergence Science for Extreme Weather Resiliency and Emergency Preparedness" 

Team Leader: Eric Stern – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

Team: 

  • Chris Thorncroft – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

  • Ryan Torn – Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Amber Silver – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

  • Sheila Curran Bernard – History, College of Arts and Sciences 

  • Jorge Gonzalez-Cruz – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

  • Ryan Irwin – History, College of Arts and Sciences 

 

"NSF Institute for Resilient-AI in Crisis Decision-Making (INFORM)" 

Team Leader: Eric Stern – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

Team: DeeDee Bennett Gayle – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

 

"Climate adaptation through process understanding, risk assessment, education, and public dialogue" 

Team Leader: Mathias Vuille – Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences 

Team: 

  • Alandeon Oliveira – Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education 

  • Shao Lin – Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health 

  • Fangqun Yu – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

  • Catherine Lawson – Geography and Planning, College of Arts and Sciences 

 

"NYCAD: New York Center for Analytics in Disasters" 

Team Leader: DeeDee Bennett Gayle – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

Team: 

  • Dola Saha – Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

  • Shao Lin – Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health  

  • Jerald Brotzge – Atmospheric Sciences Research Center 

     

“Artificial Intelligence Institute for Secure and Trustworthy Cyber-Systems" 

Team Leader: George Berg – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity 

Team: 

  • Unal Tatar – College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity  

  • Kajal Lahiri – Economics, School of Business  

  • Pradeep Atrey – Computer Science, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Conference Support Awards

UAlbany provides conference support for new research conferences that are organized and/or endorsed by UAlbany faculty.  

Faculty members apply for the awards. Review Conference Support Award application guidelines.
 

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2023-2024 Conference Support Awardees
  • Heinz-Dieter Meyer – Professor, Educational Policy & Leadership
    “Globalization of Education Governance: Potential, Pitfalls, and Policy”
  • Antun Milas – Professor, Mathematics and Statistics    
    “2024 Fall Eastern Sectional Meeting of the American Mathematical Society (AMS)”
  • Rajani Bhatia – Associate Professor, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
    “12th Annual Capital District Feminist Studies Consortium Conference”

Journal Support Awards

The Journal Support Awards support the publication of scholarly journals in one of the University’s strategic areas of research and scholarship. 

Faculty members apply for the awards. Review Journal Support Award application guidelines.
 

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2022-2023 Journal Support Awardee

Ilka Kressner – Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
College of Arts and Sciences    
“Living in Languages Journal”

Grenander Award for Non-animal Methodologies in Research, Testing & Education

The University at Albany Grenander Award for Non-animal Methodologies in Research, Testing & Education promotes animal rights and the practical implementation of non-animal models by supporting research projects that replace scientific inquiry methods traditionally dependent on animal research with computer simulation, tissue research and other non-invasive field observations.  

Faculty members and active junior researchers  apply for the awards. Review Grenander Award application guidelines.
 

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2023-2024 Grenander Award for Non-Animal Methodologies in Research, Testing and Education Awardee
  • Jon Paczkowski – Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences
    “Developing an air-liquid interface lung airway model to study Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections”

Benevolent Association Research and Creative Activity Grant 

The University at Albany Benevolent Association provides funding for competitive grants up to $500 that support graduate research.   

Graduate students apply for the awards. Review Benevolent Association application guidelines.
 

benevolent
2023-2024 Benevolent Association Research Grant Awardees
  • Karan Bhasin – Economics    
    “Inflation Shocks and Household Inflation Expectations”
  • Taylor Oathout – Criminal Justice
    “Prevalence of Adult Sexual Interest in Children Among the General Population”
  • Soyun Jeong – Public Administration and Policy    
    “Managing Medicaid: The rise of managed care in Medicaid and its impact on health equity”
  • Kimberly Gan – Sociology    
    “Chinese Early Study Abroad Students in the United States: The Child, The Parent, and Everything In-Between”
  • Hyoeun Kim – Public Administration & Policy 
    “Impact of Fiscal Stress on Government Contracting Decisions: The Moderating Effects of Human Resource Capacity and Community Characteristics”    
  • Kaycie Haller – History 
    “‘To Grow Men as well as Trees’: The Making of the Civilian Conservation Corps, American Citizenship, and Environment, 1933-1942”
  • Elie ChingYen Yu – Educational Psychology and Methodology 
    “Effects of Formative Assessment on Students’ Regulation of Learning: A Meta-Analysis”
  • Florencia McDowell – Anthropology
    “”Man as Provider, Woman as Nurturer: Examining the Intersection between Conversion, Migration and Gender Ideologies amongst LDS Latina Migrants”
  • Andrea Miranda – Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino Studies 
    “Panamanian women artists and women cultural producers during the dictatorial regime of Omar Torrijos 1971-1985” 
  • Seulgi Park – Communication
    “Applying the Ecological Model of Medical Encounters to Understand Patient-Centered Communication for Korean Migrants in the U.S.”

Albert Mossin Physical and Life Sciences Endowment Scholarship 

The Albert Mossin Scholarship covers tuition, textbooks and supplies for a full-time UAlbany student who is starting their first year of graduate studies in physics or biology and is pursuing projects that make significant use of mathematical and computational methods.  

Students are nominated annually by their department chairs. 
 

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2024 Albert Mossin Physical and Life Sciences Endowment Scholarship Awardee
  • Andrea Aguanno – Biology
    “Study of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in cardiac hypertrophy”