The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Mary A. Durlak

Members of the campus community who secured funds for research or sponsored programs were honored Monday during the 12th annual Research Foundation Recognition Reception, held in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The college currently boasts 73 project directors, more than half of whom are faculty members with the School of Natural and Social Sciences.

The event also recognized those who support the mission of the SUNY Research Foundation at Buffalo State College as members of foundation committees such as the Research and Creativity Council, the Institutional Review Board, and the Institutional Animal Care Use Committee, as well as undergraduate research fellowship recipients and their faculty mentors.

In 2006, the Research Foundation introduced the Million Dollar Club to recognize individuals who have received a total of more than $1 million since 2000. This year’s inductees to the Million Dollar Club are Margaret Shaw-Burnett, associate vice president for continuing professional studies, and Theresa M. Janczak, assistant professor of exceptional education.

Shaw-Burnett is the principal investigator and project director for Head Start Hispanic/Latino Services Partnership, a five-year, $1.5 million grant. “The program is part of an effort to professionalize Head Start personnel,” explained Shaw-Burnett. By 2013, at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers in center-based programs should have a bachelor’s or advanced degree in early childhood education.

The Head Start grant is just one of many sponsored programs that Shaw-Burnett has achieved. Others include the Area Health Education grant ($2.6 million); a Department of Education music grant to train music teachers ($250,000), the Chase Financial Literacy Grant ($25,000); the Oishei Foundation Self-Sufficiency Calculator Development Grant ($50,000); the Healthcare Mentoring Project–Buffalo Workforce Investment Board ($192,259); and the Music Education Grant in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools ($250,000).

Janczak received a $1.5 million contract to fund the Buffalo State–based New York State Response to Intervention (RTI) Technical Assistance Center, which will oversee a pilot program to assist students in grades K–4 who are at risk of academic failure. “Given adequate instruction,” she explained, “80 percent of children will attain average proficiency in literacy. This program addresses the needs of the remaining 20 percent by intervening before they fail.”

Janczak had strong words of praise for the Research Foundation. “Without them,” she said, “we never would have received the funding.” A member of the statewide consortium exploring initial RTI efforts, Janczak decided to pursue funding when the anticipated lead institution declined to do so—just five days before the deadline for submitting the proposal.

“I really wanted to do it,” she said, “but I wasn’t sure we could make the deadline. Carol Darstein [pre-award and contract services coordinator with the Research Foundation] assured me we could, and she was instrumental in securing the grant. I was so impressed with the Research Foundation staff’s competence, efficiency, and support. They are great to work with.”

In his opening remarks, Dennis Ponton, Buffalo State provost and operations manager of the Research Foundation, said, “We are here to celebrate—and we have a lot to celebrate. For fiscal year 2008, we had $51.6 million in funded programs.”

Buffalo State College ranks fourth in the entire SUNY system for funded program activity, behind three university centers. The college also accounts for 60 percent of funded-program dollars among SUNY’s comprehensive colleges. Ponton recognized Robert Spaner, chief administrative officer for the Center for Development of Human Services, which accounts for 82 percent of Buffalo State’s funded programs.

“Not only is this the largest group of guests we’ve ever had,” said Edgar H. “Ted” Turkle, director of the Research Foundation. “This year, we also have the largest number of undergraduate recipients awarded the 2009 summer undergraduate research fellowship.” Twenty students received the highly competitive fellowship, and Turkle noted that the fellowship program plays a key role in fulfilling the research mission of the college.

Jill Singer, professor of earth sciences and science education and director of the Undergraduate Research Office, introduced the 20 students who, with their mentors, received the undergraduate research fellowship. Since the fellowship program began in 1999, 132 fellowships have been granted for a total of more than $500,000.

Singer, whose long-time championing of undergraduate research has earned her national renown, expressed her gratitude to Turkle for his support of undergraduate research. She also thanked Ponton and President Muriel Howard, noting that during Howard’s tenure, formal undergraduate research programs have become institutionalized at Buffalo State. The 11th annual Student Research and Creativity Celebration will be held on May 1 and 2.

Turkle also recognized the following employees of the Research Foundation for their years of service: Sherrie Manka (20 years), Sharon Bessinger (15 years), Jessica Berg and Susan Maerz (10 years), and Dale Bessinger (five years).

“When I came here 12 years ago,” said Turkle, “there was no established mechanism for recognizing sponsored program activity. So we started this reception to honor everyone who takes part in seeking funding for research and sponsored programs. Since then, it just keeps getting bigger.”