Funded Projects
| Project Title | Overview of the Project |
|---|---|
| USITT Conference Attendance Nancy Uffner-Elliott Music, Theatre & Dance $500.00 |
The USITT conference is where leadership in educational and professional stage management meets annually to discuss and demonstrate best practices in stage management and the teaching and training of stage management. Though we have a nationally recognized undergraduate stage management program here at UM, which I’ve lead and overseen for 23 years, we have not been involved with the national community. My recent appointment change to full-time clinical faculty will now allow me to fully and physically engage with and learn from the leaders in my field, ultimately becoming one of them. The first step is attending this year’s conference, where I can engage in several continuing education opportunities and meet and engage with the community leaders, members and stakeholders. My goals for attending the conference are to: 1) Increase my understanding of new ideas, technologies, and products in stage management. 2) Brainstorm with other educators about current course content. 3) Brainstorm with other educators about best practices in teaching and mentoring. 4) Attend Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshops presented by the education arm of the organization. 5) Network with other professionals and educators to make connections that will benefit current students and alumni seeking summer and post-graduation employment. 6) Create more understanding nationally about our programming at UM. |
| Facilitating the Publication of a Review Paper written by the MCDB 401 Class $500.00 |
The goal is to publish a review based off the content of a new course I recently developed called MCDB 401 - Building the Synthetic Cell. The journal ChemBioChem has solicited for a Special Issue on Bottom-up Synthetic Biology. The editors agree that their special issue is perfect for a review paper based off this class. The main thrust of the proposed review is to provide an up-to-date report on the most exciting and most recent advances towards the ultimate goal of building a human-made cell. The review will be titled “Building the Synthetic Cell – A Progress Report”. Please find below a an outline of the review. 1. Introduction 2. Genesis - How the first cell was made 3. Confinement - Making the cellular container 4. Division - Splitting the container into two 5. Organization - Partitioning cellular components 6. Central Dogma - Replication, transcription, translation 7. Metabolism - Build, Breakdown, Recycle and Waste disposal 8. Blueprints - Minimal genomes 9. Re-Genesis - How far are we & should we? For the final assignment of MCDB 401, students are responsible for writing one of the sections above. It is very likely that the writing style will vary from section to section. For this reason, I request funds to defray the cost for professional editing services on a near-final draft of the review prior to me submitting it for peer review and hopefully publication. |
| Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program Course: Reading Materials Becca Pickus LSA $479.40 |
The Inside-Out (I-O) Prison Exchange Program brings together equal numbers of "inside" (incarcerated) and "outside" (University-based) students for bi-directional, dialogic learning. In the Winter 2019 semester, I'm teaching an I-O course at Macomb Correctional Facility entitled, "Mass Incarceration and Conscientization: Critical Pedagogy as Resistance." Because inside students’ earn less than $40/month – and because the prison does not allow outside students to bring any materials into the prison for our class sessions – I need to purchase the course texts and have them sent directly to the prison. The books will remain at the prison between semesters and, thus, will support rigorous in-class discussions as well as equitable access to learning for inside and outside students not only during this semester but in future iterations of this course. |
| Bits and Atoms Project Archive Sophia Brueckner Art & Design $500.00 |
The project involves creating an archive of all previous projects from Bits and Atoms and finalizing a project documentation format so the future work of students can be immediately incorporated into the archive. This allows new students to browse previous projects for inspiration as well as to learn about materials and technologies that might be well suited to a project or might be problematic, and it also raises awareness of safety considerations. Most importantly, students themselves are building new knowledge as they experiment with new materials and processes, which then gets incorporated into future courses. This archive will be made available to all students using Stamps' digital fabrication studio and possibly the rest of the university. |
| Incorporating Interdisciplinary Perspectives in an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program: Leveraging Expertise in Education and Engineering in the Development of an Engineering Education Graduate Course on Theoretical Frameworks Shanna Daly Engineering Erika Mosyjowski Education $500.00 |
EER 602, Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Engineering Education Research, is a course being developed this year as part of the new Engineering Education graduate program. The course will be taught in a seminar style, with weekly theoretical and empirical readings and a facilitated discussion on those readings each week. This course provides graduate students interested in engineering education with a grounding in the educational frameworks and literature commonly employed in the field, with the ultimate goal of preparing students to be informed consumers and creators of engineering education research. More specifically, we aim for the course to provide students with a foundational understanding of a number of core theories used in the field and the ways they have been and might be applied in the field of engineering education. As engineering education research draws on frameworks from a range of disciplines, including those in social science and education, we aim to incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives into the development of the course. We propose to support the efforts of an advanced doctoral student in higher education to aid with course development, as she has taken extensive coursework in educational theory and is familiar with these theories as applied in the field of engineering education (through her own research and reading that of others). In addition to the contribution of this graduate student’s perspective to the course, the opportunity to work closely with faculty to develop an entirely new course serves as a valuable learning experience and professional development opportunity for her. |
| Spain Unmoored -- Guest speaker about a new book $500.00 |
This request for funding accompanies a new lecture course, Anthrocul 329 / PICS 385, Encounters: Cultural Difference in the Modern World. Here is the blurb for the course:This course examines cross-cultural encounters in the modern world. Cultural difference has not faded away or disappeared with globalization; rather, the accelerated mobility of people and circulation of commodities have created new forms of interaction and demands for making sense of difference. These encounters take many forms, both within and across national boundaries. Explanations of difference may invoke religious identity, history, politics, ideas about race, and culture itself. This course draws on concepts from political scientists, historians, sociologists, and anthropologists who seek to explain these encounters and the persistence of difference, including nationalism, ethnicity, modernity, race, and culture. It then applies these concepts to a series of thickly-described cultural encounters: between people living in rural Papua New Guinea, the state, and a transnational mining company; Ladinos and Mayans in Guatemala; Muslims and Christians in Spain; people in Cameroon who invoke witchcraft as a contemporary form of politics; and advertisers in Bombay seeking to market commodities by invoking culture. Above all, this course examines the continued significance of culture and difference in a globalizing world. I am seeking funding to bring Prof. Mikaela Rozogen-Soltar, at the University of Nevada, Reno, to class to talk about her recent book, Spain Unmoored, Migration, Conversion, and the Politics of Islam (University of Indiana Press, 2017). |
| Field Trip to the Steinway Piano Factory Robert Grijalva Music, Theatre & Dance Wayne Petty Music, Theatre & Dance $500.00 |
This field trip is intended to provide a unique look at the construction of the world's finest piano, Steinway, at their factory in New York City. Unlike their colleagues in the instrumental world, pianists are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to knowing and understanding the design philosophy and execution of a piano's design. The complexities of the instrument are a barrier for most pianists, and it creates a unique reliance upon a professional piano technician to service and tune their instrument. Students who aspire to become professional pianists need to immerse themselves in piano technology in order to inform their playing, as well as to learn to communicate with their own piano technician. The factory tour is a first step in that immersion experience. Past students who have experienced the factory tour in conjunction with the Intro to Piano Technology class taught by me at the SMTD have expressed how their entire attitude and approach to playing has been transformed. Knowing how the keyboard action is constructed, for example, explains how the feel of individual pianos varies from piano to piano. This is an important factor for a pianist when choosing an instrument for performance, in competition, or as a personal choice during the purchasing process. Learning about the three majors schools of tone currently favored by piano builders around the world gives a pianist an appreciation for the history and development of piano tone. European, American and Asian tone are all different, and their roots are in the histories of music for each region that gave them birth. This can influence the choice of instrument for specific types of piano literature. Steinway is the pre-eminent representative of the American tonal model, the most prevalent in schools and conservatories in the United States, including at the SMTD. Learning about the historical role that Steinway played in creating the American model gives rise to possibilities for appreciating the approaches of the Europeans and the Asians. When a pianist finds out that pianos continue to evolve and change, the stereotype of pianos as static and unchanging is swept away, and leads to a renewed sense of awe and possibilities. In its heyday, during the Industrial Revolutions of Europe and the United States, the piano was considered the most technologically advanced hand-built item in the world. Steinway grew in its pre-eminence as a result of its contributions to the manufacturing environment in the United States. It is fitting that we go there to open our eyes and widen our perspective, investigating up close how an old technology continues to fit in our lives through continuing innovation while cleaving to the past. |
| Resident Sialoendoscopy Training Workshop Paul Hoff Medical School Kevin Kovatch Medical School John Hanks Medical School Kelly Sayre Medical School Jeffrey Stanley Medical School $500.00 |
The field of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has many cutting-edge techniques that residents will need to learn before entering independent practice. Sialoendoscopy is a relatively recently developed practice that allows treatment of salivary gland stones or other pathologies using safe and minimally-invasive techniques with endoscopes. As a leader in the field of Otolaryngology, The University of Michigan adopted this technique early. Still, residents may not be comprehensively trained in this procedure due to a steep learning curve and limited exposure. We are developing a course for residents and medical students, including a series of lectures followed by hands on practice on high-fidelity models and cadaveric heads. The goal of this intervention is to provide accelerated competency, better preparation for operative experiences, and a strong foundation for independent practice following residency. |
| Gender and Health in Literature Course Debotri Dhar LSA $70.00 |
This IDF grant application requests support for a new course I am developing now and during the summer, and which I will teach in the academic year 2018-19 (Fall-Winter.) The approved course Gender and Health in Literature (WS 313: Topics in Gender and Humanities) will address the Women’s Studies’ program’s Gender and Health Concentration through a humanities perspective.Using a transnational, interdisciplinary feminist lens, this course will examine literary articulations of the complex relationship between gender and health, including physical, mental, sexual and reproductive well-being. We will read key literary works across genres - novels, short stories, essays, poetry, memoir – focusing on themes including, but not limited to, themes include, but are not limited to, the impact of gender role expectations on emotional and mental health; gender stereotypes and psychiatric diagnoses; immigrant well-being; racial, sexual, and transgender violence; eating disorders and holistic approaches to health. While I have bought, or borrowed, the bulk of the books needed for course development and use, grant support is requested to purchase the remaining few books. |
| Transgender Writers / Artist Talks: English / Women's Studies 314 Cass Adair LSA $500.00 |
My course, "What is Transgender Literature?" invites students to interrogate the relationship between minority gender identities and artistic forms. The course is based around engaging work by contemporary poets, novelists, graphic artists, and video game designers, all in an attempt to determine who, and what, counts as transgender literature today. As part of this activity, many of the most prominent transgender artists and writers have been invited to join my class for artists' talks using BlueJeans, the videoconferencing software. Towards the end of the course, I intend to capstone these talks with videoconference artist workshops with Kai Cheng Thom, a Chinese-Canadian trans woman novelist, social worker, and poet; Joy Ladin, a trans woman religious scholar, poet, and memoirist at Yeshiva University; and Annie Mok, an Irish-Chinese-Columbian trans woman comic book artist. Both of these artists are producing groundbreaking work in the field, and have agreed to join the course in exchange for a small honorarium. |
| Live performance of Renaissance instrumental music Stefano Mengozzi Music, Theatre & Dance $200.00 |
I seek a small IDF grant to offer a honorarium to four Ann Arbor musicians who will visit my music history class for LSA majors (Musicology 345) on Oct. 25, 2017. |
| Visiting Artist Residency in LHSP 230, "Writing in Motion: Composing with Bodies, Words, and Other Media” Naomi Silver LSA $500.00 |
This grant supports a short residency by Jennifer Harge, a Detroit-based dancer and dance-maker, in my Winter 2018 section of LHSP 230. Titled "Writing in Motion: Composing with Bodies, Words, and Other Media,” the class explores multimodal and multimedia composition processes to ask how dance, video, or other non-alphabetic compositions share similarities with text-based written forms, and how the study and production of these modes and media allow us to broaden our conceptions of what “counts” as writing and to develop our capacities as writers in multiple forms. Students will engage in a range of movement- and text-focused activities designed to help them think about how dances make arguments and tell stories, how texts can provide directions or “scores” for movement, and how working across different modes and media can generate new possibilities for discovery and insight about important contemporary issues and our personal engagements with them, and particularly, texts that ask how composers in various modes and media engage social justice. During the days she is in residence with my class, Jennifer Harge will address these aims by leading activities focused on dance as protest, including teaching students sections of her own composition mourn and never tire, "a movement installation created in response to the U.S. police killings against black bodies. It is a study on labor, lamentation, and protest.” Students will learn about Harge’s own composition processes, and will complete this section of the course by composing a short movement score of their own. |
| Incorporating Digital Technology in the Architecture Classroom Ashley Bigham Architecture and Urban Planning $500.00 |
In Architecture, as in many other fields, digital processes have quickly overtaken analog techniques. Students are now working entirely digital, from early sketch formations to the final drawings completed in an architectural studio course. However, the intellectual transfer of knowledge from faculty member to student still flows best as a series of hand sketches and notes overlaid on digital drawings. This feedback loop often happens in real-time in the classroom, but can also happen through email as a series of back-and-forth sketches. This type of live sketching demonstration can be used in a lecture class where sketching tutorials are projected digitally to benefit all students. To encourage this type of fluid communication between myself and my students, I propose to purchase an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. This technology would allow me to receive drawings from students and offer quick, immediate feedback so that they can continue working through their projects. I plan to use the tablet when I meet with students one-on-one or in small group settings where students can gather together and watch me sketch over their drawings. I can then share the sketches with students digitally, eliminating the costly (and environmentally wasteful) amount of printing required by most architecture studio courses. With this digital tool, I will be able to show students how to create more seamless workflows, work between digital technology and analog techniques, and prepare them with visual communication skills which are required in the architectural profession. |
| Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement Donald Peurach Education $500.00 |
This project is a collaborative effort between the School of Education and the Office of Academic Innovation aimed at leveraging the SOE’s new Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement MicroMasters program to catalyze a world-wide community of professionals committed to engaging educational innovation and improvement as a field of study and a domain of practice. In Winter 2018, we are leading a global cohort of 100 learners in completing curated versions of the two courses that comprise the core of MicroMasters: LeadEd502x -- Designing and Leading Learning Systems and LeadEd503x -- Improvement Science in Education. All courses in the Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement MicroMasters program use an instructional approach developed within the SOE that we call “Self-Directed/Community Supported Learning”. This approach combines video presentations, web-based enrichment activities, scenario-based team practice exercises, and community-wide discussion, with the aim of drawing diverse learners in the US and around the world into a community of discourse and practice. In Winter 2018, for the curated versions of LeadEd502x and LeadEd503x, we are complementing the existing online resources with supplemental instructional guidance, online office hours, guest webinars, and blogging opportunities to enrich learners’ experiences, support their success, and achieve these aims. The goals of this initiative include: (a) supporting learners in developing foundational understandings of the theory and practice that underlie cutting-edge contemporary educational reform initiatives, (b) supporting practicing educators in introducing new visions for innovation and improvement in their schools and systems, and (c) supporting graduate students and faculty members in exploring the design and use of open access instructional resources. |
| Exhibiting Asian Art: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st-Century $500.00 |
see attached document |
| Primrose International Viola Competition "Field Trip" Caroline Coade Music, Theatre & Dance $500.00 |
The Primrose International Viola Competition (PIVC) is the world’s most prestigious viola competition for violists under the age of 30. The week-long competition occurs every 4 years and will be held in June 2018 in Los Angeles, CA at the Colburn School.
In 2014, I was chosen as one of 9 international judges of the Primrose Competition. We judged the 24 Quarter finalists in their performances for nearly a week. The experience was profound. My request for funding from the Instructional Development Fund is to help realize my goal of creating a really phenomenal “Field Trip” to Los Angeles for my 5 violists who applied to PIVC. Regardless of outcome (whether or not any of my 5 are invited to the Quarter finals), I want to have these 5 who applied to PIVC experience the live Primrose Competition. In conjunction with the PIVC is the American Viola Society Festival, which will run Master Classes, Lectures, and Recitals at the Colburn School during that same week in June.. These events will give my students access to the biggest names in our viola world. This will be an incredible networking event for my students. After a week in Los Angeles observing the Primrose Competition and participating in the workshops of the American Viola Society Festival, my students will have insights and knowledge that they could only gain from such an intense concentration of viola-related lectures, recitals, and witnessing the final rounds of the world-renowned Primrose Competition. |
