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Faculty Researchers Recognized At 'Sponsored' Luncheon
April 24, 2014
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
Story By: Andrew Devey
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs hosted the third annual Sponsored Awards Luncheon on April 16 in honor of the achievements of Sam Houston State University researchers that brought in approximately $4.3 million in funding during the 2013-14 fiscal year.
Seventy-four researchers were recognized for awards that have funded a variety of projects across the disciplines at the SHSU.
SHSU Provost Jaimie Hebert congratulated the honorees and thanked them for the many hours of work and service they give to help build the reputation of the university.
“The amount of time put in by you on research is to be applauded,” Hebert said. “Each one of your research projects helps build the reputation of Sam Houston State University and shows the public that we are committed to furthering the education of our students.”
“There are times that the best way to teach our students is to give them hands-on experience,” said SHSU President Dana Gibson. “That is why research is such an important part of the student and learning experience and why we are committed to it at SHSU.”
Special recognition was given to four faculty and staff who have brought significant research dollars to the university. They include Scott Chapman, mathematics; Qingzhong “Frank” Liu, computer science; Anne Stiles, nursing; and Brandy Peacock, College of Health Sciences.
Scott Chapman
Chapman joined SHSU mathematics faulty in 2008 as a scholar in residence after spending 21 years at Trinity University in San Antonio.
This past fall, he received $388,000 from the National Science Foundation to fund a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Mathematics program.
A nationwide search will select 12 undergraduate students who will spend nine weeks over the summer immersing themselves in the life of a mathematical researcher and refining skills that will put them among the elite in the nation. The program also looks to include females or members of other under-represented groups.
Chapman created and organized a similar program while at Trinity, which received more than $800,000 from the National Science Foundation during the nine years it ran. Students went on to pursue graduate degrees at Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley, among others.
Chapman has authored or co-authored more than 90 publications, co-edited two books and is currently the editor of The American Mathematical Monthly, the most widely read mathematics journal in the world
Qingzhong “Frank” Liu
Liu is an assistant professor in the computer science department. He came to SHSU from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 2010, where he was a senior research scientist and adjunct faculty.
Liu’s research focuses on the manipulation of technology to detect forgeries and hidden information in images and audio files via steganography, or messages that are covered or concealed by digital files and can remain undetected. His work and area of expertise are important to the future of protecting public safety and enhancing national security.
This past year, Liu received a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to continue research in digital forensics and involve undergraduates in his research. The grant makes it possible for him to create original coursework for computer science students that will give them hands-on experience in a new multimedia lab and the chance to explore using an undetectable steganographic in media streams over smartphones.
Anne Stiles
Stiles, chair of the department of nursing in the College of Heath Sciences, has a passion for helping others through education and service.
In the past, she has worked as a Red Cross disaster nurse, Medical Reserve Corps volunteer and a member of the Court Appointed Special Advocate board of directors. She also has worked to develop international relationships and student opportunities with nursing schools in China, Costa Rica and Thailand.
Earlier this school year, the department of nursing became an accredited program, in large part because of Stiles’s direction.
She was the principle investigator for grants received this past fall totaling more than $1.1 million from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which will help fund new positions, materials and opportunities for its students. It will also help the nursing program maintain accreditation, increase the number of nurses in East Texas and beyond, and put SHSU graduates among the elite in the nursing field.
Brandy Peacock
Peacock recently joined SHSU as an administrative assistant to the dean of the College of Health Sciences, bringing with her more than 10 years of experience in grant writing, annual fundraising, and event planning.
This year, Peacock helped identify and secure more than $1 million in funding awards earned by the college.
Prior to coming to SHSU, she worked at the Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital Cancer Center where she held the position of senior program analyst, assisting faculty and researchers with grant applications.
She has also worked for the City of McAllen as a grant development specialist and spent seven years with Colorado State University’s College of Natural Sciences as the assistant director of development, assisting the dean with annual fundraising efforts, foundation and corporation grant solicitations, event planning, and scholarship opportunities for the college.
Other faculty and staff recognized included:
- From the College of Business Administration: Robert Barragan;
- From the College of Criminal Justice: Gaylene Armstrong, Jeffrey Bouffard, Leana A. Bouffard, Vivian Carlson, Douglas Dretke, David Gangitano, Andrea Hoke, Larry Hoover, Sheree Hughes-Stamm, Sarah Kerrigan, William King, Dennis Longmire, Cecelia Marquart, David Pyrooz, Rita Watkins, Vince Webb, and William Wells;
- From the College of Education: Helen Berg, Erin Cassidy, Stacey Edmonson, Ann Holder, Daphne Johnson, Joyce McCauley, Melinda Miller, Diana Nabors, Kelly Stuckey, and Holly Weimar;
- From the College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Deborah Andrist, Robert Cramer, Furjen Deng, Colter Ellis, Bill Fleming, Craig Henderson, Adam Schmidt, Gene Theodori, and Christopher Wilson.
- From the College of Sciences: Gary Acton, Sibyl Bucheli, Max Coleman, Brian Cooper, Peter Cooper, Barry Friedman, Luis Garcia, Rebecca Garcia, Chad Hargrave, John Harris, Melina Holt, Stanley Kelley, Brian Loft, Aaron Lynne, Scott Miller, Richard Norman, Timothy Pannkuk, Dwayne Pavelock, Ilona Petrikovics, Christopher Randle, Kenneth Smith, Edward Swim, David Thompson, Doug Ullrich, Justin William, Darren Williams, Jeffrey Wozniak, and Faruk Yildiz;
- From the College of Health Sciences: Michael Lacourse and Jack Turner;
- From Graduate Studies: Lydia Fox;
- And from the Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies: Autumn Smith-Herron and William Lutterschmidt.
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