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$5,000 resarch fellowships awarded to five area profs

Posted 3/2/12

POTSDAM -- Five area professors were awarded fellowships by the SUNY Potsdam for approximately $5,000 each this year for research projects. The T. Urling and Mabel Walker Research Fellowship Program …

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$5,000 resarch fellowships awarded to five area profs

Posted

POTSDAM -- Five area professors were awarded fellowships by the SUNY Potsdam for approximately $5,000 each this year for research projects.

The T. Urling and Mabel Walker Research Fellowship Program encourages faculty from the region's 11 institutions of higher education to undertake research on critical issues confronting North Country communities, and to make recommendations for possible solutions.

"The College continues to be very fortunate and honored to be able to support extensive research that directly benefits the environment and economy of the North Country through the Walkers' generous endowment," said SUNY Potsdam Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Margaret Madden.

Dr. Jennifer Ball, visiting assistant professor of history and Dr. Sandra Fisher, an associate professor of consumer and organizational studies at Clarkson University, will receive funding for their project, "Value U: Promoting Prosocial Behavior through Culturally-Sensitive Bystander Intervention and Media Literacy Training." The professors will measure the effectiveness of "Value U.," a program they created to focus on cultural barriers surrounding gender inequity, sexual health, dating and bullying. The program utilizes group workshops and community-oriented conferences to promote safe and healthy behaviors among college students.

Dr. R. Danielle Egan, a professor and coordinator of gender and sexuality studies at St. Lawrence University, was awarded a Walker Fellowship for her project, entitled "Native American Girls make Meaning and Media." The funding will allow the professor to work with girls between the ages of 8 and 14 from the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club to better understand how they think about gender, media, body image and their identities. Dr. Egan will encourage gender-positive media literacy and draw on empowerment models to teach the girls how to express themselves.

Dr. Heather Sullivan-Catlin, an associate professor of sociology at SUNY Potsdam, will receive funding for her project, "St. Lawrence County Community Food Security Assessment." It will be the first comprehensive community food security and hunger assessment for the county, and will be undertaken in collaboration with GardenShare. The study will be based on the USDA Community Food Assessment methodology.

Dr. Clifford S. Rossiter, an assistant professor of chemistry at SUNY Potsdam, will also receive funding for his project, "Treatment of Bovine Mastitis with Essential Oils." Mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, is considered the most costly cow disease for North Country farms. The average cost of care for farmers is around $200 per cow, including treatment and lost milk production. Dr. Rossiter will research new, cheaper treatment therapies using mineral oils.

Partner institutions for the Walker Fellowship include: Adirondack Community College, Clarkson University, Clinton Community College, Jefferson Community College, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, North Country Community College, Paul Smith's College, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton, SUNY Plattsburgh and SUNY Potsdam. Full- or part-time teaching and non-teaching faculty from the 11 institutions are eligible to apply.

The program is designed to promote greater community-academic cooperation. Funding for this program comes from the Campaign for the T. Urling and Mabel Walker Research Fellowship Program, which is administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

For more information about the Walker Fellowship program, visit www.potsdam.edu/faculty/research/walkerfellowship.cfm.