WMU reels in more than $700,000 in grants in a single month

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University raked in more than $700,000 in grants during April, WMU trustees learned at their June 7 meeting. The awards pushed the University's year-to-date grant total to more than $18 million.

Research grants led the way and came in at $452,823, with notable awards coming from the Nissan Technical Center North America and The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation.

The Dow Foundation grant, totaling nearly $300,000, went to Dr. Steven Ziebarth, acting chair of the Department of Mathematics, to develop and implement a professional development model designed to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics in grades four through six. The Nissan center grant was for $124,226 and was awarded to Drs. Dae Shik Kim and Robert Wall Emerson, assistant professor and professor, respectively, of blindness and low vision studies, and Koorosh Naghshineh, professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering. That grant will be used to examine sound level patterns at intersections and the affect of vehicle noise on street crossing decisions by blind pedestrians.

Public service awards totaled $254,944 and were led by a grant of $120,000 from the University of Michigan to Dr. Kay Palan, dean of the Haworth College of Business, to connect Michigan businesses and industries to critical University assets to enhance business growth and productivity as part of the Michigan Corporate Relations Network. Another public service award, a $60,000 grant from the Michigan Department of State Police, went to Drs. Valerian Kwigizile and Jun-Seok Oh, assistant professor and associate professor, respectively, of civil and construction engineering. The grant will develop standards for implementing and evaluating traffic safety programs undertaken by state agencies receiving highway safety funds.