TWU Faculty, Staff Receive Grants

10/22/02

DENTON — A number of Texas Woman's University faculty and staff have been awarded grants.

• Dr. Ron French, professor of kinesiology, has received a five-year award from the U.S. Department of Education for a project titled "Preparation of Special Physical Educators/Consultants for Students with Low-Incidence Disability: A Model." The yearly revenue anticipated from the award is $287,000, and the total award is projected to be $1,446,432. The project will provide assistance to a minimum of 17 promising graduate interns, particularly from historically underrepresented populations, in special physical education each year of the grant. It will enable the interns to complete coursework and practical teaching experiences that will lead to a master's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in special physical education.
• Dr. Judith Bean, assistant vice president for academic affairs, has been awarded $226,105 from the U.S. Department of Education from Oct. 1, 2002 to Sept. 30, 2003 for a project titled "TWU McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program." The program's goals are to improve the academic preparedness of low-income, first generation TWU students and underrepresented TWU students so they become competitive for admission into graduate schools, and to increase the number of those students who make a successful transition from undergraduate to graduate studies leading to a doctoral degree.
• Dr. Linda Marshall, associate professor of sociology and social work, and Peggy Ables, instructor of sociology and social work, have been awarded $190,050 from the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services for the period from Sept. 1, 2002 to Aug. 31, 2003 for a project titled "The Social Work Program's Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Project at TWU—A Partnership Between TWU and the State of Texas for Child Welfare Training of Bachelor of Social Work Students." This is the second year of funding for this project.
• Carolyn Kacena, director of libraries, has been awarded $150,505 by the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board from Aug. 31, 2002 to Aug. 31, 2003 to develop a mobile, hands-on classroom to support the library's Internet literacy program and install wireless network technology within the library. The project will allow students to borrow library laptops and access the wireless network within the library. The general public visiting the library also will be able to access the network on personal laptops equipped for wireless. Another focus of the project will be on providing services to K-12 summer camps.
• Dr. Judith McFarlane, professor of nursing-Houston center, has been awarded $77,914 on a subcontract from the University of Texas-Houston Medical School on a grant from the National Institutes of Health from Sept. 1, 2002 to Aug. 31, 2003 for a project titled "Treatment Outcomes for Abused Women in Public Clinics." The project will be used to design, implement and test the efficacy of nurse case management and group education for African-American, Hispanic, Caucasian and Asian abused women attending inner city primary care clinics.
• Dr. Elizabeth Protas, associate dean and professor of physical therapy-Houston center, has been awarded $11,226 on a subcontract from the VA Center of Excellence-Houston on a grant from VA Washington from Oct. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2002 for a project titled "Supported Treadmill Ambulation Training after Spinal Cord Injury." The purpose of the project is to test a new approach to gait training with patients who have had a spinal cord injury and who are undergoing rehabilitation training for walking.
• Dr. Charles Riggs, professor of chemistry and physics, has been awarded $6,500 from the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation from Sept. 1, 2002 to Aug. 31, 2003 for a project titled "Laundry Testing for Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation." TWU will provide qualified personnel, supplies, materials and equipment required to provide laundry-testing services to MHMR sites located throughout the state.
• Dr. Lene Symes, assistant professor of nursing-Houston center, and Dr. Kathryn Tart, assistant professor of nursing-Houston center, have been awarded $5,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the period from Sept. 1, 2002 to Aug. 31, 2003 for a project titled the "Professional Nursing Incentive Grant Program." The goals of the project are to increase student retention with a nurse tutor who will guide students to learning strategies that enhance the likelihood they will learn pre-clinical course material, and to provide an experienced professional nurse mentor so that students will have an understanding of the professional nurse's role in health care before they enter clinical courses.

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For Further Information Contact:

Roy Kron
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: rkron@twu.edu