The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Fall 2007 - (Page 18) UNI College of Education Excellence in Teacher Faculty Grants Education Project directors Rheta Devries and Betty Zan together with the Regents’ Center for Early Developmental Education faculty continue developing their Ramps & Pathways program to prepare early childhood teachers to teach science in a developmentally appropriate way. The nearly $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation has funded in part a DVD with classroom examples to show teachers how to promote children’s scientific reasoning through active experimentation. Patricia Sitlington, professor of special education, and Sandra Alper, professor of special education, continue as principal investigators for a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant to prepare masters level professionals to work in secondary special education and transition programs for adolescents with low-incidence disabilities. This project was started in 2001. Greg Stefanich, professor of curriculum and instruction, is a lead investigator for the Midwestern Alliance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, funded with a $618,400 grant from the National Science Foundation. The purpose of this Alliance is to increase the number and quality of students with a wide range of disabilities completing college and graduate work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and transitioning to employment. The consortium includes educators, scientists and student disability service providers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWMadison), the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Michele Yehieli, associate professor of health, physical education & leisure services, directs the Iowa Center on Health Disparities, funded by a $337,500 grant from the National Institutes of Health along with funds from state agencies and private foundations. The UNI Center is the state’s leading academic organization conducting research, outreach, and consultation on health disparity issues affecting Iowa. Yehieli and staff are currently working with the Black Hawk County Health Department to determine different infectious disease patterns in the county to prepare for emergencies and public health crises. The Center is also Iowa’s training agency on culturally competent health care and health literacy topics. Sandra Alper, professor of special education, and Deborah Gallagher, professor of special education, continue their $767,500 federal grant from the U. S. Department of Education for a doctoral program to prepare educational leaders for administration in K-12 settings, personnel preparation, and inclusive leisure services programs. Christopher Edginton, professor and head of the School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services, directs the Camp Adventure™ program and is principal investigator of nearly $6.5 million in funding this year. Camp Adventure offers students from UNI and other colleges opportunities to serve children and youth, integrate theory with practice, and develop new knowledge, skills and competencies. The program sends over 600 students to 118 program sites in 16 countries where they offer day and resident camps for youth. Larry Hensley, professor, Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services, directs research on physical activity and nutritional needs of children and adolescents through the Youth Fitness & Obesity Institute. The project started in 2001 with $233,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services / U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hensley received additional federal funding to address the needs of rural youth. Activities include training and assistance for school physical education teachers, development and dissemination of healthy eating and physical activity resource materials for schools, and conducting school needs assessments and behavioral research on physical activity and eating habits of youth. Christopher Kliewer, professor of special education, continues his research to evaluate how best to foster literacy development in young children with significant intellectual disabilities. He is working through a U.S. Department of Education grant of $707,300. Donna Raschke, professor of special education, directs the U.S. Department of Education project for $1.1 million to prepare 25 masters level students and 40 practicing teachers in early childhood/special education to help infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities and their families become integral members of inclusive programs in their schools and community. 18 Fall 2007
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