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JMU Research, Scholarship & Creative Endeavors
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Greetings!
Wow, Research & Scholarship has been on the move these last few weeks. April is a busy month, and we are firm believers that few great things happen sitting behind a desk. JMU's vision is to be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world. As we strive to reach this vision, it is important that we engage with colleagues and institutions throughout the region and beyond.
Since the March newsletter, our Administrative and Financial Manager, Becky Rohlf, accompanied two incredibly bright groups of students to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Asheville, NC, and the Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference, held at the College of William & Mary (summaries and photos in the May edition). We attended a Service Year pitch day hosted by the Aspen Institute in DC, and joined an Integrated Science & Technology professor and student for meetings on Capitol Hill, coordinated through the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Dr. Ken Rutherford, whose recent
With Good Reason interview is featured below, traveled to Croatia on U.S. State Department business. Some of my recent travels led me to Raleigh, NC to attend the Southeastern Universities Research Association's spring meeting, and Gaithersburg, MD for the 2016 Regional Biotech Forum, where we explored ways to develop and sustain public-private partnerships at MedImmune's headquarters. As we hit send this morning on the April recap, staff from our Sponsored Programs Office are on their way to Florida for the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Region III spring meeting.
It has been a wonderful few weeks sharing the JMU story with colleagues and new friends, and I have greatly appreciated learning new models and best practices as we work to enhance opportunities for our faculty and students.
Sincerely,
Yvonne Harris, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research & Scholarship
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JMU to Host Virginia Chapter of the Society of Research Administrators Meeting on June 10th
This year's meeting will focus on "Sharing Solutions - Gaining the Edge." A half day workshop will be offered in the morning, followed by two sets of concurrent sessions. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an intensive workshop on "Implementing Uniform Guidance: Policy and Practice," and concurrent sessions concentrating on Pre-Award, Post-Award, and Hot Topics presented by knowledgeable professionals in research administration.
Register Today!
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JMU on the Hill Reception June 14th
You are cordially invited to the 14th Annual JMU on the Hill Reception, which will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Please join us for light refreshments and an opportunity to connect with old friends, meet new colleagues, welcome student-alumni career workshop participants, and learn about the latest exciting endeavors underway at James Madison University. We hope to see you in DC on the 14th!
Register Here
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NIH and DOE Staff present on Funding Priorities
In order to better inform faculty and students interested in developing proposals to pursue external funding, Research & Scholarship recently hosted staff from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) and the National Institute on Aging, one of the 27 institutes and centers comprising the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Approximately 60 students and faculty from nine institutions attended the presentations, which focused on programmatic and funding priorities, as well as tips and advice on navigating the complex organizational structure of the agencies and the many opportunities offered. Agency visits will become a standard feature of Research & Scholarship programming, and we hope you and your colleagues will consider attending a future event.
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Biology Professor Receives NIH Funding
Dr. Chris Lantz recently received a $445,500 grant from the NIH to fund potentially groundbreaking research into the role of a protein the body produces in response to certain diseases. Lantz will use the new grant to advance his exploration of how Interleukin-3, or IL-3 for short, works in the body's immune system. In 2010, Lantz and students in a lab he was teaching made a startling discovery about IL-3 - it appears to hamper the body's defense against malaria. Read more
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International Landmine Scholar featured on With Good Reason
Director of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery, Dr. Ken Rutherford, was recently featured on With Good Reason, a radio program produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. An internationally recognized scholar in combating landmines and their devastating effects, Dr. Rutherford participated in the February 27th edition - Pathways for Peace:
"My story was not unique, not special. It's a common occurrence that happens 26 times or more a year. It just happens to peasants and herders in developing countries in rural areas, to marginalized populations, and that hit me like a ton of bricks."
Rutherford's efforts led to the founding of the Landmine Survivors Network, and he has been recognized as a leader in the Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition that spearheaded the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the global movement that led to the 2008 Cluster Munitions Ban Treaty. This interview tells Dr. Rutherford's story and discusses the current state of landmine and improvised explosive device (IED) activities around the world. Listen
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Face Processing Study could contribute to Future Autism Research
Using cutting edge eye-tracking technology, the cognitive development lab at JMU is working on a study to examine face processing during the first year of life that could contribute to future research that explores early signs of autism spectrum disorder. The eye-tracking technology triangulates a subject's eyes with cameras and follows them throughout the screen to see where their eyes are drawn first. Eye tracking technology has proven to be useful in testing preverbal infants. Led by Associate Professor of Psychology, Dr. Krisztina Jakobsen, this project includes research opportunities for JMU students. Lily Takahashi, a senior Psychology major, presented her work on the study at the CAA Undergraduate Research Conference and the Virginia Psychological Association Conference in early April.
Read more
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Faculty Publishes Book on Media and Elections
Head of the JMU Washington Semester program and Political Scientist David A. Jones authored the timely new book --
U.S. Media and Elections in Flux. Published in February, Dr. Jones examines a multitude of media outlets, to include more traditional and mainstream channels, opinion-based media, in addition to emerging formats like blogs and comedy programs. The media's impact on American politics is perhaps stronger than ever, and Dr. Jones's exploration of earned, paid, and social media strategies presents a fresh take on the industry of elections.
Read more
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Accounting Professor Receives Educator Award
Paul Copley, the KPMG professor of accounting at James Madison University (JMU), has received the 2016 Educator Award from the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Association of Government Accountants. The award is given in recognition of Copley's significant contributions to the education and training of government financial managers. Copley, who joined JMU's faculty in 2004, has authored six textbooks on governmental and not-for-profit accounting.
Read more
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Taking on Tomorrow
Taking on Tomorrow was created to showcase the expertise, scholarship, and research of faculty in all disciplines at Madison. In this installment, Educational Foundations & Exceptionalities Department Head, Dr. David Slykhuis, discusses the challenges K-12 teachers face (testing accountability, shifting demographics, etc.), and the need to instill a lifelong learning mindset in future educators.
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