University Research Awards
Each year Western Carolina University presents internal awards to recognize the outstanding work being done by our faculty. Faculty are invited to attend the Faculty Scholarship Celebration, held annually in March.
University Research Awardees
The Office of the Provost provides monetary support for research in the form of the Provost Scholarship Development Award (PSDA) and Faculty Research Mentoring Program (FaRM).
PSDA: The awarded funds are intended to generate preliminary data or activity that leads to external funding or expand the scope of a currently funded project, enhance the competitiveness for resubmission proposals considered highly meritorious but previously unfunded, support junior faculty and established investigators in the pursuit of new research or creative scholarly inquiry, support cross-disciplinary teams of faculty in their efforts to prepare competitive proposals for multi-investigator grants, and to positively impact teaching and student learning.
FaRM: These awards incentivize faculty collegiality and mentorship by supporting faculty-to-faculty mentoring, pairing a faculty mentor with a faculty mentee. The focus should be on proposal and budget development, ultimately leading to a proposal submission.
Dr. Andy Hansen and Dr. Sarah JacksonCriminology and Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences A Geospatial Analysis of Wrongful Conviction Claims in North Carolina $14,971
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Dr. Emily WagerPolitical Science and Public Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences Confederate Monuments and Civic Belonging in the American South $15,000
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Dr. Ike Webster, Dr. Matte O’Brien, and Mr. Ethan KingSchool of Stage and Screen, David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts Peter & I: Cast Album Development as Practice-Based Scholarship and External Funding Catalyst $15,000
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Dr. Jeonghyeon AhnSchool of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences Developing Low-Cost Airborne Microplastic Samplers and Data-Driven Models for Inhalation Health Risk Assessment $11,100
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Dr. Solomon Beyene and Dr. Keith GibbsGeosciences and Natural Resources, College of Arts and Sciences Resilience Across Diverse Forested Watersheds: Linking Disturbance, Growth, Composition and Management to Carbon and Nutrient Dynamics $15,000
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Dr. Zhikai Gao and Dr. Andrew ScottMathematics and Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences Understanding Human Tutoring Interactions and Help-Seeking Behaviors: A Data-Driven Pilot Study at WCU $14,917
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Million Dollar Circle
The Million Dollar Circle Award is to recognize the accomplishments of WCU faculty and staff that have received a cumulative total of $1 million in competitive grant funding and contracts through the University, as Principal Investigator.
Ms. Wendy Cagle – Business – 2016
Dr. Shawn Collins – Health and Human Sciences – 2016
Dr. Linda Comer – Health and Human Sciences – 2016
Dr. James Costa – Arts and Sciences – 2016
Dr. Pat Morse – Health and Human Sciences – 2016
Mr. Todd Murdock – Education and Allied Professions – 2016
Dr. Judy Neubrander – Health and Human Sciences – 2016
Dr. Billy Ogletree – Health and Human Sciences – 2016
Dr. David Westling – Education and Allied Professions – 2016
Dr. Robert Young – Arts and Sciences – 2016
Dr. Tamera Pearson – Health and Human Sciences – 2017
Dr. Jayne Zanglein – Business – 2017
Dr. Kae Livsey – Health and Human Sciences – 2019
Dr. Patrick Gardner – Engineering and Technology – 2022
Dr. R. Turner Goins – Health and Human Sciences – 2022
Dr. Cathy Grist – Education and Allied Professions – 2023
Dr. Brett Riggs – Arts and Sciences – 2023
Dr. Paul Yanik – Engineering and Technology – 2023
Dr. Heidi Von Dohlen – Education and Allied Professions – 2024
Dr. Debra Burke – Business – 2025
Dr. Sloan Despeaux – Arts and Sciences – 2025
Dr. Brian Byrd – Health and Human Sciences – 2025
Dr. Bora Karayaka – Engineering + Technology – 2025
Dr. Karena Cooper Duffy – Professor, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Allied Professions – 2026
Mrs. Kristin Daiber – Director, Office of Student Retention – 2026
Mrs. Wesley Satterwhite – Director, Office of Accessibility Resources – 2026
Dr. Sara Snyder Hopkins – Associate Professor, Anthropology and Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences – 2026
Dr. Martin Tanaka – Professor, School of Engineering & Technology, College of Engineering and Technology – 2026
Hunter Scholar Award
The Hunter Scholar Award promotes and supports faculty research integrating Hunter Library’s resources and services. The award winner may choose release time, a graduate assistant, and other support for their proposed research; use of the graduate assistant and course release are highly encouraged, but not required. Applications that forgo one or both of these incentives will be fully evaluated. The Hunter Scholar Award winner is announced in early spring, with the research project being completed the following fall and spring semesters. This award is jointly provided by Hunter Library, the Graduate School and Research, and the Office of the Provost.
The 2026-2027 Hunter Scholar Award goes to Dr. Amber Vermeesch
College of Health and Human Sciences
University Scholar Award
The University Scholar Award is designed to recognize research and creative activities. This award is given to a faculty member who has achieved a position of prominence in his or her discipline through creative research activities. Examples of distinguished achievements include art exhibitions, works of art, fine arts performances, literary works, research, publications, and grant receipts.
The 2026-2027 University Scholar Award goes to Dr. Ron Laboray
David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts
research.wcu.edu
