Noteworthy: Research grants, awards and publications

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 31, 2024) — The latest developments on University at Albany faculty and staff who are receiving research grants, awards and other noteworthy attention.

• UAlbany has received a Catalyst Grant from Second Nature, a higher education network focused on climate action and solutions. The $7,500 grant will support the EarthQuest game, part of the Urban Café Day initiative, which engages undergraduate students and local youth from underserved communities in climate resilience efforts through game-based learning and tree planting projects, while promoting environmental justice and sustainability.
• John Forsyth, professor of psychology, co-authored several chapters in a newly published book about managing stress and anxiety. Calm in the Chaos: A Quick-Relief Guide for Managing Anxiety & Overwhelm in Loud & Uncertain Times (New Harbinger Publications) offers research-based tools for triaging stress, with recommendations for how to make healthy lifestyle changes to improve mental health and increase resilience.
• Max Lifchitz, professor in the Department of Music and Theatre, was honored by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine with a proclamation declaring Oct. 6, 2024, Max Lifchitz Appreciation Day, in recognition of his contributions to the city. The proclamation cited the composer’s work as artistic director of North/South Consonance, a nonprofit that promotes and provides a platform for composers throughout the Americas and sponsors an annual concert series in the city. It was awarded at a recital held Oct. 6 at OPERA America’s National Opera Center in Manhattan.
• The New York Times recently quoted work by Nancy Newman, associate professor in the Department of Music and Theatre, in a story titled, “Circe and Muse No Longer: A New Opera Reconsiders Alma Mahler.” The story cites Newman’s 2022 article for the Journal of the American Musicological Society titled, “#AlmaToo: The Art of Being Believed,” which offered a feminist reexamination of the life of legendary and controversial composer Alma Mahler.
• Caroline Sharkey, visiting assistant professor in the School of Social Welfare, received the Journal of Social Work Education's 2024 "Best Note" Award for her 2021 article titled "Field Note — Creating Trauma-Informed Library Spaces: Lessons Learned From a Pilot Program." Sharkey accepted the award at the annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education in Kansas City, Mo., last week, where she presented a roundtable session on trauma-informed university-community collaboration and youth participatory action research, and an e-poster on using information and communication technologies in social work education.
• Melonie Walcott, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior, received over $1.3 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for her study titled "Pre-exposure prophylaxis for Women In-charge of Sexual decision-making and Engagements (PrEP-WISE)." The four-year study seeks to develop and pilot a theory-driven contextually relevant intervention to increase uptake of PrEP — a medicine taken to prevent HIV — among cisgender Black women in New York. The work will be community-centered and include interdisciplinary collaborators with integrated expertise in HIV prevention. 
• Several scientists from UAlbany's Center for Human Services Research presented at the annual meeting of the American Evaluation Association in Portland, Oregon, Oct. 21-26. Research Scientist Holly Meredith Torres and CHSR Director Margaret Gullick participated in a roundtable on “Balancing Amplification with Anonymity: A Discussion on How to Protect Participants’ Identities While Sharing Their Experiences.” Senior Research Scientist Tom LaPorte shared a poster on “Leveraging Existing Data Sources to Amplify Underrepresented Voices and Promote Equity in Program Evaluation.” Research Scientist Griffin Lacy and LaPorte presented a session on “Empowering Patient Voices: An Innovative Toolkit for Measuring Patient Involvement in Quality Improvement.”