Paying it forward: Award recipients’ research benefits students and beyond

3D artificial tissue design, gold nanoparticles, environmental justice among projects made possible

June 24, 2024 - University of Wisconsin-River Falls faculty members who received grant awards for the 2023-24 school year have used that funding for innovative research projects that are furthering product development and have created high-impact student learning opportunities.

Faculty initiatives have included such projects as launching a rocket to take images of the ground below, creating gold nanoparticles, developing environmental justice practices, devising a video game music curriculum, and others.  

Those efforts were made possible by the Paul B. and Robert Dykstra Faculty Excellence Award, the Keith Wurtz Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Manley Olson Instructional Academic Staff Professional Development Award. UWRF faculty were chosen for the awards based on research proposals and innovative teaching methods. The awards were announced in August 2023. 

The following faculty members were selected to conduct research through those grant award programs:

Paul B. and Robert Dykstra Faculty Excellence Award

Michelle DeBoer, animal science associate professor, said the award enabled her to continue research on best methods for winter blanketing on horses. Her work involved evaluating temperature and humidity under winter horse blankets in various weather conditions. She said her study allows her to provide better blanketing recommendations for horse owners. 

“Considering funding for horse-specific research is very difficult to find, the support I received to get this work done has been extremely meaningful to me,” DeBoer, of Roberts, said. “Additionally, this research is very exciting and has received a lot of attention in the equine community.”

Physics Department Chair Glenn Spiczak said receiving the Dykstra award allowed him to work with students to successfully launch a rocket used for ground imaging. The rocket was designed, built, and tested for this year’s 2024 NASA Collegiate Rocket Launch competition. 

“Your generosity enabled me to fund my continued engagement with students in research and in the classroom,” Spiczak, of River Falls, wrote in a thank you letter to donor Paul Dykstra. “Thank you for your ongoing support of faculty excellence at UWRF. It is heartening to see individuals like you making a difference in so many ways!”

Funding through the Dykstra award allowed Sam Alvarado, inorganic chemistry associate professor, to purchase chemicals to make gold nanoparticles. He worked with a student to image those nanoparticles with a scanning electron microscope, with the goal of linking them together to make a film that can be studied for its electrical properties. In addition, Alvarado, of River Falls, used funding to purchase a new microwave reactor for the Chemistry Department which will facilitate a variety of research efforts. 

“This award has helped me to develop my own research plans as well as find new ways to collaborate,” he said, “and I anticipate that the chemicals and equipment that I have purchased will lead to new discoveries on the UWRF campus.”

Keith Wurtz Award for Teaching Excellence

Shawyn Domyancich-Lee, social work associate professor, expressed gratitude for being selected as a Wurtz award recipient. The program allowed Domyancich-Lee, of New Hope, Minn., to continue to develop a teaching method that incorporates environmental justice and sustainability into existing social work courses and to develop new environmental justice classwork. Award funding also enabled Domyancich-Lee to increase teaching resources, attend trainings and conferences, and build community partnerships with environmental organizations that will benefit students. 

“Caring for the environment is a personal passion and I have been very fortunate to have the support of faculty and staff to incorporate that into my work,” Domyancich-Lee said.  

Through the Wurtz award, Rebecca Haley, assistant chemistry professor, was able to analyze the effectiveness of oral exams on the confidence of her chemistry students. That work, she said, helped boost students’ confidence and reduced their anxiety. She also used award funding to create new lecture videos for her organic chemistry students. 

“Receiving this award has profoundly impacted my professional development,” Haley, of Maplewood, Minn., wrote in a message to donors. “Thank you so much for supporting trailblazing efforts in the classroom.”

Timothy Lyden, anatomy and physiology professor and director of the UWRF Tissue and Cellular Innovation Center, used Wurtz award funding to support development of 3D bioprinting to custom design artificial tissues to study disease and normal development processes. Using award dollars, Lyden, of Spring Valley, purchased a 3D bioprinter that will allow for greater cutting-edge research and collaboration. 

“The impact of this award has already been immeasurable and will continue into the future for my teaching, research and collaboration efforts and for the students associated with each of these,” he wrote in a message thanking donors.  

Manley Olson Instructional Academic Staff Professional Development Award

Funding made possible by the Manley Olson Award furthered the creation of a new video game music course to be offered at UW-River Falls. The funds paid for Music Lecturer Casey Palbicki and two of his music composition students, to travel to GameSoundCon, the world’s largest game audio convention, to study technologies used to create video game music. They met and learned from some of the genre’s biggest names. 

“My trip to GameSoundCon was a great success!” Palbicki, of River Falls, wrote to donors. “I plan to make this trip to GameSoundCon an annual event for UWRF students.”