Mei Chang, Educational Psychology

The purpose of this micro grant is to develop a professional mentor-ship with an Associate Professor in Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology Department at the University of Maryland.  The ultimate outcome of this grant is for the faculty member to strengthen their niche-development in incorporating multilevel modeling in analysis of secondary data using complex sample designs and succeeding in attaining tenure.  The grant will also include co-presenting with their mentor at a national professional conference with emphasis on multilevel modeling. 

Meredith Clark, Journalism

This micro grant will allow the faculty member to collaborate with an external mentor and will help develop mixed-methods research in techno-cultural studies, writing and publishing her book on Blacks' digital and social media use, and develop course content related to digital-media entrepreneurship.  The grant will also allow the faculty member to attend the Society for Cinema and Media Studies annual conference.  The grant will provide a learning opportunity regarding experiential learning in navigating the tenure process and building a viable research agenda.

Teresa Cooper, Dance and Theatre

The purpose of this micro grant is for the faculty member to visit two dance studios at separate universities in order to observe two distinguished professors who teach ballet to diverse populations in their laboratories at universities with similarities to the program at UNT.  This grant will allow the faculty member to experience best practices in teaching ballet in higher education, specifically teaching ballet students who primarily focus on modern or other forms of dance, in order to incorporate into teaching curriculum of ballet courses at UNT with a more diverse strategy.

Julie Judkins, UNT Libraries

As principal archivist and assistant head of Special Collections,the faculty member will attend a one-week course at the University of Virginia's Rare Book School.  The course provides instruction in the identification of a comprehensive array of illustration processes and techniques.  Hands-on learning is provided in laboratory sessions and the course will provide an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the rare books profession to improve the ability in answering reference questions and provide informed in-class instruction as well as develop professional networks and establish connections that might lead to cross-institutional research projects.

Amelia Kraehe, Art Education and Art History

This micro grant will provide the faculty member the opportunity to research strong urban art education programs at other universities and develop a collaborative relationship with program coordinators at those institutions.  Other intended outcomes with the grant include, producing a manuscript to be presented at a refereed conference based on the information shared by mentors , generating a plan of action and outline for an urban arts and educational studies program at UNT, and helping strengthen the faculty member's skills for their role as program coordinator.

Brian Lain, Communication Studies

This micro grant will support completing research on the Committee on International Discussion and Debate as well as provide the opportunity to visit the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriot Library and meet with an external mentor at the University.  Funding of this grant allows expansion of this preliminary research into a more complete arguement concerning the impact of international debate on the development of communication studies as a discipline and establishes a professional mentor relationship with the current editor of a Tier 1 journal.

Dahila Porter, English

This micro grant will allow the faculty member to complete their second book project as well as enhance their ability to secure external funding for the project.  The grant will allow consultation and feedback from senior scholars who have applied and won specific grants in the humanities.  The grant will also allow the ability to pursue relationships targeted to the faculty member's needs and gain field-specific knowledge from scholars who have been particularly successful in negotiating the profession.

Justin Thomas Trudeau, Communication Studies

This micro grant will support an intensive write-to-publication retreat with a peer-mentoring workshop with several colleagues from different universities throughout the nation who are completing various creative and writing projects.  The specific short-term goals are to write, adapt, and stage a complete cast creative research project in the form of a fully staged performance, complete a paper talking about the production concept and its theoretical and methodological aims for a national conference presentation, and turn the research paper into a manuscript for submission to a highly ranked peer-reviewed journal in the field.