Twelve Texas Woman’s University faculty will participate in the first Chancellor’s Fellows Program, established this academic year by TWU Chancellor Ann Stuart. The program’s goal is to match faculty members with a strong potential for obtaining external research grants — proteges — with faculty who have a successful track record of research productivity and external funding — mentors. Proteges are past recipients of Research Enhancement Program awards from TWU, but who have not secured major external funding.
Twenty-seven faculty applied for the protege component of the Chancellor’s Research Fellows Program; there were 20 mentor applicants. Award recipients are:
- Dr. Kyle Biggerstaff, kinesiology, who will be mentored by Dr. Charlotte (Barney) Sanborn, Institute for Women’s Health
- Dr. V. Bruce Grossie Jr., nutrition and food science, mentored by Dr. James Johnson, chemistry and physics
- Dr. Camelia Maier, biology, mentored by Dr. Patti Hamilton, nursing
- Dr. Huanbiao Mo, nutrition and food sciences, mentored by Dr. Sarah McIntire, biology
- Dr. Sharon Olson, physical therapy-Houston, mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Protas, physical therapy-Houston
- Dr. Philip Yang, sociology and social work, mentored by Dr. Melinda Holt, mathematics and computer science
A protege-mentor team of Dr. Ann Malecha, nursing, and Dr. Judith McFarlane, nursing, were selected as first alternates in the event that one of the proteges is unable to participate.
“It’s exciting to see the concept of a mentoring program happen at TWU in research,” said Dr. Sondra Ferstl, associate dean for research and grants. “These fellows were selected as proteges and mentors in a spirited competition. It was thrilling to see how many TWU faculty were interested in the program and applied. Many of those who were named Chancellor’s Research Fellows for this year have told me how honored they were to have been chosen.”
Proteges and mentors will receive $6,000 and $5,000, respectively, for individual research needs. Proteges will create a research development plan with a timeline, submit a proposal for the Research Enhancement Program during the fellowship year, present research conducted during the fellowship year at a professional meeting, and submit at least one proposal for external funding, if possible, during the fellowship year or the following academic year. Mentors will coach proteges in building a research program and obtaining external funding and participate in roundtable discussions on how they developed a research program and obtained funding.
The Chancellor’s Research Fellows Program Committee, composed of representatives from the Research Advisory Committee, the Graduate Council’s Research Committee, the Research Support Committee, the Council of Chairs and the academic deans, reviewed applications and selected the Fellows.
-- Roy Kron
