2016 Faculty Grants
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded a grant to biologist Chris Grant to study, “Assessing Streams for the Presence
of Wild Brook Trout II (PA)”
Amount: $11,000
Project Director: Christopher Grant, Assistant Research Professor
The National Science Foundation has awarded funds to biologist Gina Lamendella to study, “GBET - Characterizing Biodegradable
and Recalcitrant Distillates used during Hydraulic Fracturing: Rates, Risks and Microbial
Metabolic Processes.” The study is a collaboration with Paula Mouser at Ohio State
University.
Amount: $11,943
Project Directors: Regina Lamendella, Assistant Professor of Biology, and Paula Mouser,
Assistant Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering
The International Healthspan Institute has awarded a grant to biologist Jason Chan to study, “Development and application
of genetic tools to examine healthspan in C. elegans.”
Amount: $6,000
Project Director: Jason Chan, Assistant Professor of Biology
The International Healthspan Institute has awarded a grant to biologists Jason Chan and Gina Lamendella to collaboratively
study, “Expression Profiling of the Gut Microbiome And its Relationship to Host Healthspan
in c. elegans.”
Amount: $6,000
Project Directors: Jason Chan, Assistant Professor of Biology, and Regina Lamendella,
Assistant Professor of Biology
The International Healthspan Institute also awarded a grant to biochemist Dan Dries to investigate “Healthspan and the non-cognitive
symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: a mouse model.”
Amount: $6,000
Project Director: Dan Dries, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
A Subaward from Juniata County Conservation District, funded by a larger National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant, was awarded to Chris Grant.
Amount: $27,772
Project Director: Christopher Grant, Assistant Research Professor
The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds awarded a grant to biologists Chris Grant and Gina Lamendella to investigate the
research question, “Can passive treatment of abandoned mine drainage be used to mitigate
mercury levels?”
Amount: $20,000
Project Directors: Chris Grant, Assistant Research Professor, and Regina Lamendella,
Assistant Professor of Biology
A subaward from Duquesne University, funded by a larger National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education grant, was awarded to Gina Lamendella to study,
“Expanding and Refining the Application Based Service Learning Pedagogy.”
Amount: $14,918
Project Director: Regina Lamendella, Assistant Professor of Biology
The Merck Investigator Studies Program awarded a grant to biologist Gina Lamendella to study, “What Are the Comparative
Effects of Metronidazole, Vancomycin and Fidaxomicin on Host Associated Gut Microbial
Communities?”
Amount: $24,757
Project Director: Regina Lamendella, Assistant Professor of Biology
2016 Institutional Grants
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women provided Juniata College with a violence prevention grant.
Amount: $299,950
Project Director: Dan Cook-Huffman, Interim Dean of Students
The Scott Electric Foundation provided Juniata with an energy management grant.
Amount: $25,000
Project Directors: Tristan delGiudice, Director of Facilities Services, and Dave Coder,
Architectural Trades Supervisor
The George I. Alden Trust provided Juniata with a grant to fund and name the Integrated Media Arts classroom
in Juniata’s new Arts Building.
Amount: $125,000
Project Director: James A. Troha, President
The Pennsylvania Partners for the Arts funded Juniata’s Mud Mobile project with a grant.
Amount: $1,560
Project Director: Bethany Benson, Associate Professor of Art
Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 provided Juniata with a grant to enhance summer teacher professional development.
Amount: $77,254
Project Director: Randy Bennett, Professor of Biology
The National Science Foundation Noyce program awarded Juniata College a grant to enhance “Energizing STEM Teaching
Across Rural Schools (E-STARS).”
Amount: $1,009,000
Project Directors: Kathy Jones, Associate Professor of Education, Jamie White, Book
Professor of Physics, and Leslie Leckvarcik, Outreach Director for Science in Motion
The Keystone STARS: Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources, and Support Program provided Juniata with a grant for “Merit and Education & Retention Awards (MERA)”
for the College’s Early Childhood Education Center.
Amount: $19,420
Project Director: Christine Breene, Director or the Juniata College Early Childhood
Education Center
The National Institutes of Standards and Technology awarded Juniata a grant to send two undergraduate researchers to their facility to
undertake paid research internships for summer 2015.
Amount: $19,000
Project Directors: Jamie White, Book Professor of Physics, Adam Anthony, undergraduate
student, and Sarah Roberts, undergraduate student
The German Embassy awarded Juniata College a grant to present a film series.
Amount: $3,565
Project Director: Judith Benz, Associate Professor of German
The II-VI Foundation awarded Juniata a grant to assist with the replication of Summer Science Splash Camp.
Amount: $2,000
Project Director: Leslie Leckvarcik, Outreach Director for Science in Motion
Anchorage Enterprises awarded the College a grant to assist with our High School Dual Enrollment program.
Amount: $2,000
Project Director: James A. Troha, President of Juniata College
Juniata College Science in Motion received a grant from the Academy of Applied Science, which helped to fund a junior science and humanities symposium.
Amount: $11,500
Project Director: Briana Benson, Outreach Coordinator for Science in Motion
The College would also like to thank the following companies who invested in Juniata’s programs through the Earned Income Tax Credit program: D.C. Goodman and Sons, First National Bank, Anchorage Enterprises, and Lititz Mutual Insurance Company.
2015 Faculty Grants
The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds has provided a grant to biologist Chris Grant for a project titled “Marcellus shale
and Mercury: Assessing impacts of natural gas extraction on aquatic ecosystems.”
Amount: $10,000
Project Director: Christopher Grant, Assistant Research Professor
International Healthspan Institute provided a grant to biochemist Dan Dries to investigate “Misregulated genes in the
white matter of adult brains with neurological disease”
Amount: $5,000
Project Director: Dan Dries, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has provided a grant to biologist Chris Grant to take on the project of “Assessing
streams for the presence of wild brook trout”
Amount: $21,624
Project Director: Christopher Grant, Assistant Research Professor
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has provided a grant to biologist Vincent Buonaccorsi to investigate “Identification
of Quantitative Trait Loci to Improve Aquaculture Outcomes for Yellowtail, Seriola
lalandi.”
Amount: $30,000
Project Director: Vincent Buonaccorsi, Professor of Biology
The U.S. Department of Energy/Joint Genome Institute has granted funds to biologists Chris Grant and Gina Lamendella to research “Systems
Biology Approach to Fracking for Environmental Monitoring”
Amount: $300,000
Project Directors: Chris Grant, Assistant Research Professor, and Regina Lamendella,
Assistant Professor of Biology
The California Walnut Foundation has provided a grant to biologist Gina Lamendella to explore “Gut Microbiome and
Walnuts”
Amount: $11,300
Project Director: Regina Lamendella, Assistant Professor of Biology
The Persbacker Foundation has granted education professor Kathleen Biddle a grant to enhance her “K-12 Reading
Education Program”
Amount: $5,000
Project Director: Kathleen Biddle, Associate Professor of Education
The Society for Analytical Chemists awarded a grant to chemist Ursula Williams for her study, “Electrochemical analysis
of the redox flexibility of tripodal iron coordination compounds.”
Amount: $10,000
Project Director: Assistant Professor of Chemistry
The Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh granted funds to chemist Amber Helsel-Ickes for the acquisition of polarimetry equipment.
Amount: $6,000
Project Director: Amber Helsel-Ickes, Laboratory Teacher-Coordinator
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation granted biologist Chris Grant funds to research unassessed waters.
Amount: $11,000
Project Director: Chris Grant, Assistant Research Professor
Penn State Hershey Medical Center provided a subaward from their National Institutes of Health R21 grant to biologist Gina Lamendella to study the mouse gut microbiome.
Amount: $6,470
Project Director: Regina Lamendella, Assistant Professor of Biology
2015 Institutional Grants
The Hearst Foundation provided Juniata with a grant for student scholarships.
Amount: $75,000
Project Director: James A. Troha, President of the College
The II-VI Foundation provided a grant to Juniata to fund the 2015 Summer Science Splash Camp.
Amount: $108,000
Project Director: Leslie Leckvarcik, Outreach Director for Science in Motion
The Keystone STARS: Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources, and Support Program provided Juniata with a merit award for the College’s Early Childhood Education Center.
Amount: $17,065
Project Director: Christine Breene, Director or the Juniata College Early Childhood
Education Center
The Scott Electric Foundation provided Juniata with a grant for interior and exterior campus lighting.
Amount: $75,000
Project Directors: Tristan delGiudice, Director of Facilities Services
The Pennsylvania Department of Education provided Juniata with a grant for the Science in Motion program.
Amount: $72,222
Project Director: Leslie Leckvarcik, Outreach Director for Science in Motion
Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 provided Juniata with a grant for high school teacher science certification.
Amount: $81,513
Project Director: Randy Bennett, Professor of Biology
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Juniata with a grant to explore “Using assessment to inform the liberal arts
and redefine Juniata College's self-vision as a Liberal Institution of Higher Education.”
Amount: $100,000
Project Directors: Lauren Bowen, Provost, and Kathryn Westcott, then-Interim Provost/now-Professor
of Psychology and Chair of the Psychology Department
The National Science Foundation Campus Cyberinfrastructure - Infrastructure, Innovation,
and Engineering Program awarded Juniata College with a grant to begin “Upgrading the Juniata Collaborative
Science Infrastructure.”
Amount: $349,924
Project Directors: Jill Keeney, David K Goodman '74 Endowed Chair in Biology; Loren
Rhodes, Endowed Chair of the Information Technology Department; and Anne Wood, Assistant
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
The College would also like to thank the following companies who invested in Juniata’s programs through the Earned Income Tax Credit program: D.C. Goodman and Sons, Lititz Mutual Insurance Company, Kish Bank, First National Bank, Northwest Savings Bank, Weis, PNC Investments LLC, and PNC Town & Country Leasing LLC.