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Past University Research Council Awardees

2023-24 URC Awardees

Kelly Goedert
College of Arts & Science
“Essential Cognitive Science for Ethical and Effective Data Visualization”

Nicole Hansen
College of Human Development, Culture and Media
“Secondary Social Studies Teachers’ Attitudes and Practices when Teaching About Disability History: A Mixed Methods Approach.”

Amy Hunter
College of Arts & Sciences
“The Influence of Course Syllabi on Student Perceptions of Faculty Members, Belongingness, and Engagement.”

Karen Gevirtz
College of Arts and Sciences
“The Apothecary’s Wife: The Hidden History of Medication and How it Became a Commodity.”

Zhen Wang 
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
“Diagnosing the Deep Roots of Social Divisions in the United States.”

Mark Svenvold
College of Arts and Sciences
“Sky People and the Big Exit: Toward the Completion of Books Two and Three.”

Randall Clemens 
College of Human Development, Culture and Media
“A Culturally Responsive Approach to Trustworthiness.”

Edmund Adjapong
College of Human Development, Culture and Media
“Exploring Teachers’ Application of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices in STEM Classroom.”

Eric Johnston
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
“Before Vatican II: A Conciliar Interpretation of Modernity.”

Ellen Scully
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
“The Hermeneutical Problem of Perceived Hersey in the Case Study of Gregory of Nyssa’s Mixture Christology.”

2021-22 URC Awardees

Margarita Balmaceda
Diplomacy and International Relations
"Contested Sovereignty as a Resource:De facto States, Borders, Natural Resources and Conflict Protraction"

Jason Burns
Education Leadership Management and Policy
"School Turnaround in New Jersey Under the Every Student Succeeds Act"

Gregory Glazov
Biblical Studies
"Scripture Citations in 100 Jewish and Christian Theological Reflections on the Holocaust"

Sean Harvey
History
"Colonialism and Capital: Albert Gallatin and Political Economy from Atlantic Revolutions to Manifest Destiny"

Patrick Manning
Pastoral Theology
"Harvesting the Treasures of Contemplative Christianity for Contemporary Catholic Education"

Robert Pallitto
Political Sciences and Public Affairs
"Whistle Stop: Kenny Dorham's American Journey"

Mehmet Sahiner
Physics
"Next Generation Thin Film Solar Cells: Improving Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency by Nanoparticle Inclusions"

Mitra Shojania-Feizabadi
Physics
"Modelling of Drug Resistance Incorporating the Role of a Biomarker"

Hongfei Tang
Finance
"Tracking Performance of Crypto Currency Funds"

Katie Smith
Education and Human Services
"Women's Engineering Identity and Advancement Through the Internship Experience"

Travis Timmerman
Philosophy
"Not to Be: On the Badness of Death"

2020-21 URC Awardees

Cara Blue Adams
Department of English
"Removal: A Novel"

C. Lynn Carr
College of Arts and Sciences
"Shiva in Jewish Reconstructionist Community"

Paul Christiansen
College of Communication and the Arts
"Translation of Pavel Haas: A Works Catalogue"

Alexandra Freidus
College of Education and Human Services
"Youth Activism, Civic Learning, and Educational Policymaking in New York City"

Benjamin Goldfrank
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"The Paradoxical Decline of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil"

R. Joseph Huddleston
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"Independent Diplomacy"

Zinaida Miller
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"Transitional Justice and Racial Inequality in the United States"

David Reid
College of Education and Human Services
"Planning for the Unplannable: How School Principals Navigate the Unknown"

Joseph Rice
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
"Ecology as a key to marriage and the family"

Katie Smith
College of Education and Human Services
"Women's Engineering Identity and Advancement Through the Internship Experience"

Jeffrey Togman
College of Arts and Sciences
"Mayor Mohamed"

Denise Vigani
College of Arts and Sciences
"Dismantling the Paradox of Moral Education"

Kangzhen Xie
Stillman School of Business
"Evaluating Systematic Risk of Bond ETFs"

2019 URC Awardees

Pamela Adams
Stillman School of Business
"Linking Vertically Related Industries"

Edmund Adjapong
College of Education and Human Services
"Utilizing Hip-Hop to Support the Development of Science Geniuses"

Nabeela Alam
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"Extended Family and Women's Household Autonomy"

Dawn Apgar
College of Arts and Sciences
"Examining Social Workers' Interest in and Commitment to Macro Practice: Learning from the Next Generation of Professionals"

Timothy Fortin
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
"The Metaphysics of Sexual Difference"

Suzanne Gantar
College of Arts and Sciences
"Centrome Clustering in Cancer by Aurora Kinase C"

Karen Gevirtz
College of Arts and Science
"The War for Drugs: Men, Women and the Birth of Big Pharma, 1650-1740"

Phyllis Hansell
College of Nursing
"A Pilot Intervention Study to Improve Functional Health Status in Women with HIV"

James Kimble
College of Communication and the Arts
"The Conflicted Origins of the New Deal"

Debasmita Roy
College of Arts and Sciences
"Understanding the Regulation of Stem Cells by Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinase Using C. elegans"

Ellen Scully
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
"New Narratives for Old: Reading Early Christian Theology Using the Historical Method"

Mitra Shojania-Feizabadi
College of Arts and Sciences
"Dynamic Specifications of Breast Cancer Microtubules Interacting with Tau protein and Taxol"

Gregory Wiedman
College of Arts and Sciences
"Exploration of Lipid-Flippases as New Antimicrobial Targets" 2016 URC Awardees

2018 URC Awardees

Matthew Corrigan
College of Arts and Sciences
"Known Instrument Construct Validity Test for the Adolescent Domain Screening Instrument for use with an Anti-Social Population"

Jessica Cottrell
College of Arts and Sciences
"The Effect of Multiple Myeloma Treatment on Bone Homeostasis in a Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Bone Model"

James Hanson
College of Arts and Sciences
"Designed Polymer Materials for Ball Sealers: Controlled Solubility and Biodegradability"

Jonathan Kraszewski
College of Communication and the Arts
"Route 66: Understanding the Series as a Television Milestone"

Minsun Lee
College of Education and Human Services
"Let’s Talk about Race: The Experience of Race Talk for People of Color in Psychotherapy"

Jeffrey Morrow
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
"Toward a Theology of Work and Rest: Jewish and Catholic Contributions"

Penina Orenstein
Stillman School of Business
"Developing a Digital Mapping Platform to Identify Supply Chain Network Structure, Evolution and Performance"

Matthew Pressman
College of Communication and the Arts
"Tabloid Journalism and Right-Wing Populism: The New York Daily News in the Mid-20th Century"

David Sabatino
College of Arts and Sciences
"Silencing the Glucose Regulated Chaperones in Cancer"

Andrew Simon
College of Arts and Sciences
"Employee and Organizational Resilience"

Travis Timmerman
College of Arts and Sciences
"Are Moral Obligations Determined by Actual or Possible Free Choices?"

Denise Vigani
College of Arts and Sciences
"Defending an Aristotelian Ideal of Practical Reasoning"

Zheng Wang
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"Taiwan and the South China Sea Disputes: The 1947 Map and the 2016 Arbitration"

2017 URC Awardees

Cosimo Antonacci
College of Arts and Sciences
"Targeting Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV) Early Genes as a Novel Anti-MCV Strategy"

Daniel Nichols
College of Arts and Sciences
"Targeting Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV) Early Genes as a Novel Anti-MCV Strategy"

Gerald Buonopane
College of Arts and Sciences
"Effect of Cold Plasma Processing on Sweet Basil and the Biochemistry of its Essential Oils"

Patrick Fisher
College of Arts and Sciences
"Not Enough Representation: The Demographic Disconnect between Congress and Its Citizens"

Fanli Jia
College of Arts and Sciences
"Are Environmental Issues Moral Issues? Moral Identity as an Impetus for Protecting the Natural World"

Nathaniel Knight
College of Arts and Sciences
"The Ethnographic Tradition: Science, Empire and Ethnicity and Tsarist Russia, 1725-1870"

Cecilia Marzabadi
College of Arts and Sciences
"Are We Ignoring History? An Analysis of Citations in Recent Chemistry Articles"

Lisa Rose-Wiles
University Libraries
"Are We Ignoring History? An Analysis of Citations in Recent Chemistry Articles"

Zinaida Miller
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"Transition Time: International Law, Justice, and Post-Conflict Reconstruction"

Joseph O’Mahoney
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
"India's 1974 Nuclear Explosion and the Global Nonproliferation Regime"

Monika Raj
College of Arts and Sciences
"Synthetic Protease: Protein Degradation as a Therapeutic Strategy"

Jason Reynolds
College of Education and Human Services
"Names and Identity for Transracial Korean Adoptees: A Cross Cultural Comparison of Identity Management"

Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
College of Education and Human Services
"The Role of Community-Based Organizations in Guilding Families' School Choices"

Courtney Starrett
College of Communication and the Arts
"Data Materialized: A New Body of Installation Art"

Xiaoqing Eleanor Xu
Stillman School of Business
"The Impact of Real Estate as a New Equity Market Sector"

2016 URC Awardees

Cara Blue Adams
Department of English
"You Never Get It Back: Stories"

Tin-Chun Chu
Department of Biological Studies
"Development of a Sensitive and Rapid Method to Detect and Quantify Harmful Cyanotoxins in New Jersey’s Freshwater Bodies"

Jessica Cottrell
Department of Biological Studies
"Determination of the Role of COX-2 in BMP-2 Directed Chondrocyte Maturation"

Anca Cotet Grecu
Department of Economics and Legal Studies
"The Effect of Mandatory Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs on the Use of Medical Care for Prescription Drug Abuse and on Health Outcomes"

Jeff La Marca
Department of Educational Studies
"Evaluation of Artifact-Controlled Electroencephalographic (EEG) Training: A Pilot Study"

Maxim Matusevich
Department of History
"Journeys of Hope: African American Travelers in Quest for the Soviet Dream”

Robert Mayhew
Department of Philosophy
"Allegorical Interpretation in Aristotle’s Lost Homeric Puzzles"

Sara Moller
Department of Diplomacy
"Coalition Warfare in the 21st Century"

Rhonda Quinn
Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work
"Reconstructing Past Human Diets and Environments in East Africa with Stable Isotopic Analyses of Enamel"

Gabriella Romani
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
"Italian Jews and the Formation of a National Culture in Post-Unification Italy"

David Sabatino
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
"A Combination Approach to Cancer Therapy"

Ellen Scully
Department of Theology
"Physicalist Soteriology of Marius Victorinus"

Kwok Chuen (Terence) Teo
Department of Political Science and Public Affairs
"Trusting a Dictator: The Mystery of Investment in Dictatorships" 2012 URC Awardees

2015 URC Awardees

Sean Harvey 
College of Arts and Sciences

Karen Gevirtz
College of Arts and Sciences

Anca Cotet-Grecu
Stillman School of Business

Margarita Balmaceda  ***University-wide winner***
School of Diplomacy and International Relations    

Sona Patel
School of Health and Medical Sciences

Vincent DeBari
School of Health and Medical Sciences

Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
College of Education and Human Services

Thomas Healy
Seton Hall School of Law

Judith Lucas
College of Nursing

Gregory Glazov
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology

2014 URC Awardees

Margarita Balmaceda
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
“Chains of Value, Chains of Power: Russian Energy, Value Chains and the Remaking of Social Relations from Vladivostok to Brussels”

Raymond Capra
College of Arts and Sciences
“The Greeks of Emprion 600-50BC (Emúries, Spain)”

Marta Deyrup
University Libraries
“Publishing Activities of the Italian Minority Population in Croatia and of the Italian Dalmatian in Émigré Communities in Italy”

Robert Kelchen
College of Human Development, Culture, and Media
“A Longitudinal Analysis of Student Fees: The Roles of States and Institutions”

Vanessa May
College of Arts and Sciences
“Teaching Mothers: Gender, Education, and Poverty in Post-WWII America”

Daniel Nichols
College of Arts and Sciences
“Identification and Characterization of Molluscum Contagiosum Virus Immuno-Modulatory Proteins”

Joseph O'Mahoney
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
“Denying the Spoils of War: The Politics of the Nonrecognition of Aggressive Gain”

David Sabatino
College of Arts and Sciences
“A Cancer-Targeting Gene Therapy Approach”

Kirsten Schultz
College of Arts and Sciences
“Reason and Experience, Chapter 3 of From Conquests to Colonies: Authority Knowledge and Difference in the Portuguese Empire, ca. 1700-1760”

Donovan Sherman
College of Arts and Sciences
“Second Death: Theatricalities of the Soul in Shakespeare”

Zheng Wang
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
“Teaching the Violent History: History Education and Current Conflict Between China and Japan”

2013 URC Awardees

Tin Chu ***2013 University-wide co-winner***
College of Arts and Sciences

Nathan Oates
College of Arts and Sciences

Kurt Rotthoff ***2013 University-wide co-winner***
Stillman School of Business

Benjamin Goldfrank
School of Diplomacy & International Relations

Anthony Koutsoftas
School of Health and Medical Sciences

Jihad Slim
School of Health and Medical Sciences

Rong Chen
College of Human Development Culture and Media

Marcia Gardner
College of Nursing

Jeffrey Morrow
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology     

2012 URC Awardees

Brady-Amoon, Margaret
College of Education and Human Services
An Exploration of the Influence of Cultural Identity Development, Academic Self-beliefs, and Adjustment on At-risk Middle School Students' Cognitive and Academic Performance

Chu, Tin-Chun
College of Arts and Sciences
Black Tea Polypheneols

Glenn, Marian
College of Arts and Sciences
Monitoring Animal Biodiversity in a Regenerating Forest Ecosystem

Jones, Edmund
College of Arts and Sciences
Linking a First-Year Writing Course to a Disciplinary Course to Enhance Knowledge Transfer

Kim, Eunyoung
College of Education and Human Services
Traveling Through Understanding Experiences of Immigrant College Students

Kraszewski, Jonathan
College of Arts and Sciences
Multiracialism, First-Person Digital Media, and the Redefinition of Race and Citizenship 21st Century America

Lee, Gemma
Stillman School of Business
Executive Compensation and Payout Policy

M’Cormack-Hale, Fredline
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Post-Conflict Societies: Occupational Choice and Social Mobility in Sierra Leone

Quinn, Rhonda
College of Arts and Sciences
Cannibalism in the South Pacific: Stable Isotopic and Bioarchaeological Evidence

Rzeznik, Thomas
College of Arts and Sciences
The Life and Death of Catholic Healthcare: Saint Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center, 1849-2010

Wang, Zheng
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
The South China Sea Disputes: A Case Study on Conflict Resolution

2011 URC Awardees

Bunnage, Leslie
College of Arts and Sciences
Internet-Based Social Movement Membership and Leadership

Chen, Rong
College of Education and Human Services
Beyond Access: Do Financial Aid Programs Promote College Students Success in the United States

Feizabadi, Mitra
College of Arts and Sciences
The Interaction of Coupled Tumor-Normal Cell Dynamics with the Immune System

Fisher, Patrick
College of Arts and Sciences
Gapology

Huang, Yanzhong
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Domestic Health Policy Process and Global Health Governance

Murphy, Ann Marie
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Viruses, Vaccines, and Global Health Security: Contesting the World Health Organization's Influenza Regime

Rice, Joseph
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
Conscience, Consciousness, and Persons: 'A Trans-Phenomenological' Approach to Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity

Rose-Wiles, Lisa
University Libraries
Evaluation of Seton Hall Libraries Science Resources

Sirota, Theodora
College of Nursing
Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Nursing Educators

Wang, Weining
College of Arts and Sciences
Studies on Work Function Dependence of Open-circuit Voltage of Organic/inorganic Solar Cells

Wright, Joyce
College of Nursing
A Pilot Study: the Effects of an Aerobic Dance program on Body Mass Index, Isometric Muscle Strength and Balance in Down syndrome Adolescents/Young Adults

2010 URC Awardees

Chu, Tin-Chun
Biological Sciences
Identification of Cyanobacteria Related to Harmful Algal Blooms in New Jersey’s Freshwater Ecosystems

Klaus, Angela V.
Biological Sciences
Investigation of Factors Affecting Sperm Maturation and Motility in Fruit Flies

Orenstein, Penina
Computing and Decision Sciences
Data Mining in the Healthcare Industry: A Case Study Approach

Gokcekus, Omer
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Impediments to Trade Across the Cyprus Green Line: The Role of Classic Barriers and Trust

Goldfrank, Benjamin
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Community Councils in Venezuela: Participatory Democracy or New Clientelism?

M’Cormack-Hale, Fredline
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Women, Politics and Policy Making in Post-War Sierra Leone

Wang, Zheng
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Introducing the Field of Conflict Resolution into China

Tienken, Christopher & Eunyoung Kim (Collaboration)
Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy
Factors that Inhibit or Facilitate Postsecondary Attendance of Students in Salem City, NJ

Gevirtz, Karen
Department of English
Mr. Newton Writes a Novel: Science and the Invention of Literary Omniscience, 1650-1750

Stark, Judith C.
Department of Philosophy
Environmental Education and Sustainability Studies: Philosophy, Public Policy, and Curriculum Development

2009 URC Awardees

Rong Chen
College of Education and Human Services
Education, Leadership Management & Policy A Multilevel Analysis of State Financial Policy Influences on College Degree Attainment

Rebecca D. Cox
College of Education and Human Services Education, Leadership Management & Policy College Transition Project

Alexander Y. Fadeev
College of Arts and Sciences
Chemistry and Biochemistry Preparation and Stabilization of Drug Polymorphs by Encapsulation in Nanosilicas

Yinan He Whitehead
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Diplomacy and International Relations Selective Othering: Chinese National Identity Formation and Attitudes to Japan

Nathan W. Kahl
College of Arts and Sciences
Mathematics and Computer Science An Analysis of the Weight Measurements of the Guantanamo Detainees

Dena Levine
College of Arts and Sciences
Art, Music and Design Elucidating Musical Scholarship Through Recorded Material

Marianne E. Lloyd
College of Arts and Sciences
Psychology Memory Development in Childhood

Jesse Russell Whitehead
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Diplomacy and International Relations Waxing and Waning Factors in Exchange Rate Regime Choice

John T. Saccoman
College of Arts and Sciences
Mathematics and Computer Science Making Connections in Chemical Graph Theory

Mehmet A. Sahiner
College of Arts and Sciences
Physics High Efficiency Solar Cells for Future Energy Solutions: Synthesis and Electrical Characterization

Yui Suzuki Whitehead
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Diplomacy and International Relations Sovereign Risk and Procyclical Fiscal Policy in Emerging Market Economies

Heping Zhou
College of Arts and Sciences
Biological Sciences Postnatal Development of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Response

2008 URC Awardees

Margarita M. Balmaceda
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Understanding the Comparative Management of Energy Dependency in the Former USSR: the Case of Belarus

Carolyn S. Bentivegna
College of Arts and Sciences, Biology
Developing Hemoglobin Protein in Chironomid as a Biomarker of Environmental Quality

Tracey L. Billado
College of Arts and Sciences, History
The Politics of "Evil Customs" in Western France, 950-1150

Allan D. Blake
College of Arts and Sciences, Biology
Somatostatin Control of Immune Cell Function

Costel Constantin
College of Arts and Sciences, Physics
Zinc Oxide and Scandium Nitride Semiconductors: Possible Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors

Howard Eissenstat
College of Arts and Sciences, History
Adnan Menderes and the Shape of Republican Turkey

Robert A. Mayhew
College of Arts and Sciences, Philosophy
The Aristotelian PROBLEMATA

Elizabeth Ann McCrea
Stillman School of Business, Management
Employee Perceptions of Strategy: Implications for Corporate Entrepreneurship

Mark Molesky
College of Arts and Sciences, History
Book Project: This Gulf of Fire: The Great Lisbon Earthquake and the Forging of the Modern World

Mary F. Mueller
College of Education and Human Services, Educational Studies
Teacher Interventions in Promoting Mathematical Reasoning and Understanding

Wyatt Rorer Murphy, Jr.
College of Arts and Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Preparation and Structures of Chromium (III)-Nucleic Acid Complexes

Mehmet Alper Sahiner
College of Arts and Sciences, Physics
Pulsed Laser Deposition and Structural and Electrical Characterization of Colossal Magnetoresistive Materials

Lewis Z. Schlosser
College of Education and Human Services, Professional Psychology & Family Therapy
One Nation Under Whose G-d?: Understanding Christian Privilege in the United States

Yufeng Wei
College of Arts and Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Recognition and Regulation of Membrane Proteins by Phospholipids

Abe Zakhem
College of Arts and Sciences, Philosophy
Ethical Decision Making in Business: A Discourse Theoretical Approach