Franklin College Multidisciplinary Seed Projects Program funds six research projects

For the second consecutive year, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Seed Grant Program has funded two new tracks of collaborative research projects: Rapid Interdisciplinary Proposals (RIP) and Innovation in Interdisciplinary Instruction (I-Cubed). The seed grant program responds to the need for new paradigms that shape future research, life-long learning, public discourse, service, and dynamic entrepreneurship. $50,000 in seed funding from college philanthropic resources was announced today to support the following projects:

On the I-Cubed Track, the program awarded funding to Sarah Shannon (Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies) and Steven Soper (History) to develop new courses, Sociology of Prisons (SOCI 4510/6510) and Incarceration in the United States (HIST 3850).

On the RIP Track, the program awarded support to five proposals:

• Work on the Spectrum. Lead PI: Brian Hoffman (Department of Psychology). Co-PIs: Melissa Robertson (Department of Psychology), Ashley Harrison, (Department of Educational Psychology, Mary Frances Early College of Education), and Hamida Jinnah (Institute on Human Development, College of Family and Consumer Sciences)
• FLOW Lab: Facilitating Learning and Optimal Wellbeing Laboratory. Lead-PI: Mira Kallio-Tavin, (Lamar Dodd School of Art). Co-PIs: Ari Schlesinger, (School of Computing, College of Engineering), Dax Ovid (Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine), and Kimberly Lyle (Lamar Dodd School of Art)
• Understanding PTSD and AD through AI: – PI: Rongjie Liu (Department of Statistics). Co-PIs representing the department of Statistics, the school of Computing, the department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, the Regenerative Medicine, Regenerative Bioscience Center and the department of Animal and Dairy Science
• Decoding SERS Spectra in Complex Media via Artificial Intelligence Models – PI: Yiping Zhao, (Department of Physics and Astronomy) Co-PIs: Ping Ma (Department of Statistics), Xianyan Chen (Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, College of Public Health)
• AI as Common Friend or Common Foe  – PI: Jeffrey Olenick (Department of Psychology). Co-PIs: Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Department of Advertising & Public relations

“These collaborations expand our research into critical areas that matter to Georgians. These teams are harnessing the power of AI, data, neuroscience, psychology, art, and new instructional pedagogy to address questions relevant to society,” said Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletics Association Distinguished Professor and Franklin College Associate Dean. "Our new Multidisciplinary Seed Grant programs are catalysts for innovative team research as well as course instruction. Our breadth and depth of expertise enables pace-setting scholarship and societally-relevant collaborations within the college, university and beyond.”

 An exemplar of the Franklin College's commitment to academic innovation, the FLOW lab team will explore new strategies in improving emotional intelligence, enhance learning, and build self-regulation skills to support college students’ academic success and emotional well-being.

“I am excited to see the generous support of our donors aligned with these creative projects in our research labs and classrooms,” said Anna Stenport, University of Georgia Foundation Professor of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Franklin College. "We are inspired by the variety of disciplines and colleges represented in all the proposals, and that our investigators are providing a spark for team collaborations at UGA."

Image: Photo from the FLOW lab project