The Wrap-Up: August/September
Amanda Bentley Brymer, assistant director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, and David Gorchov, professor of Biology, received the 2025 Friends of Water Quality Award from the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District.
Jennifer Heston-Mullins, associate director of research and research scholar for the Scripps Gerontology Center, received $868,366 from the Ohio Department of Aging for a project entitled "2025-2026 Ohio Family Satisfaction Survey."
Qihou Zhou, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received $703,703 from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled "Revitalization of the Arecibo Incoherent Scatter Radar Data: Contemporary Analyses, Database Expansion, and Multi-Variable Studies of Travelling Ionosphere Disturbances and Gravity Waves."
Katherine Abbott, executive director of the Scripps Gerontology Center, received $636,000 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education for a project entitled "Long-Term Care Research."
Amy Yousefi, professor of Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering, Paul James, professor of Biology, and Jing Zhang, professor of Statistics, received $430,152 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for a project entitled "A Stand-alone Simulation Platform for Designing Tissue Engineering Scaffolds to Serve as Bone Graft Substitutes."
Tiana Washington, university partnership program coordinator, and Sherrill Sellers, associate dean for undergraduate education, innovation, and technology, in the Department of Family Science and Social Work, received $396,000 from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, with pass-through funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for the project entitled "UPP-University Partnership Program at Miami."
Matt Omasta, professor and chair of Theatre, received $300,000 from Imagination Stage for the project entitled "Imagination Stage / Kaiser Permanente Touring Theatre Program Assessment."
Tori Myles, Regional director of the Tutoring and Learning Center, received $272,364 from the U.S. Department of Education for a project entitled "TRIO 2025."
Peter Nencka, assistant professor, Riley Acton, assistant professor, and Carla Nietfeld, associate teaching professor, in the Department of Economics, received $267,811 from the National Science Foundation for the project entitled "Collaborative Proposal: Inclusive Introductory Course Material to Broaden Participation in College Majors: A Randomized Curriculum Intervention."
Paul Flaspohler, professor of Psychology and affiliated with the Center for Human Development, Learning and Technology, received $219,671 from the Department of Defense for a project entitled "On Site Installation Evaluation Research Director."
Yang Zhang, assistant professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering, received $299,999 from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled "Collaborative Research: OAC Core: Mitigating Artifacts in Scientific Data Compressors with a Learning-Driven Framework."
Mark Scott, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Muhammad Jahan, associate professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Xianglong Feng, assistant professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Meenakshi Narayan, assistant professor of Engineering Technology, and Mohammad Mayyas, chair and professor of Engineering Technology and associate dean for Strategic Initiatives, received $325,000 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education for a project entitled "Electrical Power Conversion in Manufacturing Space." Scott, Narayan, and Mayyas, with Chi-Hao Cheng, professor and chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, also received $244,777 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education for a project entitled "Developing Resources and Innovation for Vehicle Electrification (DRIVE) Education."
J.D. Wulfhorst, director of the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability and professor of Geography, received $97,673 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the project entitled "Adaptation to Annual Grass Invasion in the Great Basin."
Paul Larson, professor of Mathematics, received $80,000 from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled "Set Theory of the Real Line and Its Subsets."
Cory Rusinek, assistant professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, received $65,000 from TerraPower LLC for a project entitled "Statement of Work - Delta WBS4: Miami University Molten Salt Electrochemistry and Spectroelectrochemistry."
Riley Acton, Jim Flynn, and Jiee Zhong, assistant professors of Economics, received $50,000 from the Russell Sage Foundation for the project entitled "Access to Family Planning Services and Inequalities in Education and Labor Market Outcomes."
John Bowblis, professor and research fellow in the Scripps Gerontology Center, received $49,558 from the University of Minnesota, pass-through funds from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, for a project entitled "Addressing Racial Disparities in Nursing Home Care for People with Serious Mental Illness and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias."
Beth Rimer, director of the Ohio Writing Project in the Department of English, received $18,000 from Community Initiatives, pass-through funds from the U.S. Department of Education, and the American Institutes for Research, for the project entitled "2025-26 NWP Coach Teach Write." Rimer also received $24,500 from Community Initiatives for the project entitled "NWP Network Support Grant 2025-26."
Cara Dillon, assistant professor of Educational Psychology, received $13,217 from the Society for the Study of School Psychology for the project entitled "Piloting Artificial Intelligence as an Intervention Fidelity Measurement Tool."
Andrew Sommers, professor, and Giancarlo Corti, associate professor, of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, received $14,302 from Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc., pass- through funds from the Department of Defense, for a project entitled "Research and Development of Advanced Propulsion-Driven Technologies: Novel Engine Mechanism."
Patti Liberatore, director of the Performing Arts Series, received $25,145 from the Ohio Arts Council for the project entitled "25-26 Performing Arts Series Season."
Mohammad Mayyas, chair and professor of Engineering Technology and associate dean for Strategic Initiatives, received $26,000 from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, pass-through funds from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, for a project entitled "Southwest Tech Prep Regional Service Center Agreement Between Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Miami University."
Anthony Sterns, associate research scientist in the Scripps Gerontology Center, received $15,000 from Beckley Clinical or a project entitled "Beckley Clinical Research Evaluation."
Anne Whitesell, associate professor of Political Science, received $10,000 from the Public Religion Research Institute, pass-through funds from the Mellon Foundation, for a project entitled "Public Knowledge of Abortion Laws."
Jeff Kruth, assistant professor of Architecture and Interior Design, received $5,000 from the Haile Foundation for the project entitled "Storefronts Community Arts Collaborative."
