Faculty and Staff Grants December 2025

Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Hemorrhagic Stroke – V

• Daniel Paredes, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging
• Funder: Restricted
• Abstract: Intracerebral hemorrhage is the most severe form of damage to the brain’s small blood vessels, and genetic studies show it shares common causes with other small-vessel brain diseases like small strokes and cognitive decline. This research suggests that problems in how the body processes natural chemicals called polyamines—leading to toxic byproducts—may drive this disease, and the study will test this by measuring these chemicals and brain changes in patients and matched healthy controls.

Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD Study

• Kevin Morris, Graduate School of Social Work
• Funder: Mae Philanthropies
• Abstract: The service dogs for veterans with PTSD will use clinical data from the veterans, behavioral data from their dogs, and deep proteomic analysis of blood samples, all collected within a longitudinal design over one year to assess how service dogs reduce PTSD symptoms. The practical goals are to identify biomarkers of clinical progress and potential novel drug targets in the veterans and new biomarkers for tracking the health and well-being of their service dogs.

Morgridge College of Education Grow Your Own Initiative: GYO-Denver Educator Corps

• Maria Salazar; Morgridge College Of Education
• Funder: I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation
• Abstract: The objective of Morgridge’s Grow‑Your‑Own Denver Educator Corps Teacher Initiative is to build on best practice in residency programming, culturally relevant teaching, and culturally relevant college knowledge and access practices to provide FirstGen and Students of Color with pathways to pursue college and careers in teaching and STEM. GYO‑DEC engages high school students from underrepresented communities with the aim of increasing their interest in pursuing college and careers in teaching and STEM.

Human–Animal Interactions and Equity

• Kevin Morris, Graduate School of Social Work
• Funder: Humane World for Animals
• Abstract: The overarching aim of the proposed project is to measure and understand the effects of Adopters Welcome programming on increasing adoptions in historically marginalized communities served by animal shelters.

Academic Research Collaboration

• Pilyoung Kim, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea (subaward Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea)
• Abstract: This project advances a multidimensional understanding of human–robot interaction (HRI) by examining how people perceive and interpret robots’ appearance and responsiveness, and how they respond to and process affective dimensions of HRI such as trust, empathy, fear, and attachment.

Evaluation of Agape's Guaranteed Income Program

• Yunying (Annie) Le, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• Funder: Washington Park Research & Evaluation, LLC
• Abstract: This evaluation will assess the implementation, outcomes, and participant experiences of Agape Child and Family Services’ Guaranteed Income (GI) Project. The goal is to generate actionable insights about the program’s impact on financial stability, well‑being, and family resilience among participants, as well as to inform potential scaling or replication.

Newlywed Couples' Health in Early Marriage

• Nicholas Perry, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• Funder: American Psychological Foundation
• Abstract: This project will examine the newlywed period for changes in health outcomes and accompanying risk and resilience factors.

Collaborative Services Support

• Alissa Rausch, Morgridge College Of Education
• Funder: University of Southern Mississippi
• Abstract: MECIC and Children’s Center staff learn to problem solve logistics of collaborative teaming including strategies, relationship‑building, etc. Families have a guide to understanding collaborative services and strategies to advocate for collaborative and inclusive services for their child. MECIC and state partners use survey data about barriers to build supports.

Newman Center Proposal to Aaron Copland Fund

• Aisha Ahmad-Post, Newman Center for the Performing Arts
• Funder: The Aaron Copland Fund
• Abstract: The $5k request to the Aaron Copland Fund for Music is for project support to present jazz composer Darcy James Argue's artist fee. This project supports performing and presenting organizations whose artistic excellence encourages and improves public understanding of contemporary concert and jazz music by American composers.