Spectrum - Volume 20 Issue 20 February 12, 1998 - Outreach division awards first series of grants

A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor , a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

Outreach division awards first series of grants

By Catherine Doss

Spectrum Volume 20 Issue 20 - February 12, 1998

Virginia Tech's Outreach Division has awarded its first series of REACHOUT grants for projects designed to help foster innovative, university-sponsored outreach programs. Thirty-nine projects were selected from 129 proposals for grants totaling approximately $300,000.
"We were both delighted and overwhelmed by the number of applicants who responded to our call for proposals," said Dixon B. Hanna, interim vice provost for outreach. "The scope and quality of proposals was outstanding. This tremendous response reflects the university community's recognition of the importance of outreach to a land-grant institution such as ours."
Proposals were submitted from each college as well as information systems, libraries, outreach, administration, research and graduate studies, and several research centers. Winning proposals were selected by the university's Outreach Council, a 15-member group comprised of representatives from each college and other divisions within the university. In selecting winners, the council was charged with evaluating each proposal's potential for: significantly advancing the outreach mission of the academic unit sponsoring the project; building sustained partnerships and collaborations with external groups; obtaining financial sustainability beyond the grant period; increasing Virginia Tech's visibility in Virginia; and contributing to economic development and/or quality of life in the state.
Winning proposals represent a wide variety of projects including those aimed at community development, education, technology, training, and information transfer. Target audiences of the winning proposals range from economic developers, business and industry personnel, and local government representatives to educators, health-care workers, and non-profit organizations.
Each winning proposal was awarded a grant of up to $7,500 with the stipulation that the project be launched this semester. Later in the spring, several grant recipients will be invited to compete for full implementation grants of up to $40,000 over two to three years.
The winning proposals were received from Eluned Jones, "Managing for Success: Virginia's Tobacco Farm Families"; Lori Marsh, Kathleen Parrott, J.C. Gordon, "Development of State-Certified Lead-Based Paint Courses"; Michael Weaver, "Initiation of a Distance-Learning Strategy to Offer Pesticide Safety Education Courses to Virginia Pest Control Businesses"; Glenda Rose Scales, "The VIRGINIA TECHnology Educational Program"; Mehdi Setareh, "Development of the Architect Registration Examination Seminars in Building Structures"; Joseph Rees, "The First Annual Virginia Tech General Assembly Policy Briefing"; Elizabeth Gilboy, "Streetscapes of Virginia"; Lee Skabelund, Elizabeth Gilboy, "The Jackson Ward Electronic Charrette: A Prototype for New Urban Planning and Design Collaborations at Virginia Tech's Community Design Assistance Center"; James Bohland, "Extending Geographic Information Technology to Health Care Organizations in Southwest Virginia"; Nancy Metz, Tamra Oliver, "Interactive Web Pages Outreach Proposal"; Catherine Dennison, "Reaching Out with the On-line Writing Lab"; Judith Shrum, Antonio Fernandez, Eddie Watson, "Foreign Language Electronic Immersion Saturdays"; Susan Eriksson, "Electronic Access to Inquiry-Based Learning on Natural History Collections"; Sharon Scott, "Sharing the Vision"; Ralph Badinelli, "Initiating the Computer-Based Education for Manufacturers Library"; Y.A. Liu, "Chemical Engineering Partnership between Virginia Tech and Alliant Techsystems"; Clifford Randall, "Transfer of Biological Nutrient Removal Wastewater Treatment Technology"; George Ioannou, Subhash Sarin, "Development of Production-Related Training Material for Insteel Co."; C.R. Fuller, "A Proposal for Industry Outreach at the Virginia Tech Vibration and Acoustics Laboratorie at VCES, Hampton, Virginia"; Audrey Zink, "Wood Magic Science Fair"; J. Daniel Dolan, "Survey for Continuing-Education Needs in Housing"; Robert L. Smith, A.L. Hammett, "Assessing the Forest-Based Educational Needs of Virginia's Economic Development Community"; Roberta Minish, "Development of Graduate-Level Outreach Methods Course"; Mary Landon-Moore, "VT-Career Connect"; Octavia Madison, "Teaching Strategies within the Multi-Cultural Context"; Doris Kincade, Valerie Giddings, "Technology Update (Internet Marketing) for Virginia Apparel and Textile Firms"; Mark Sanders, "The Virginia Technology Education Electronic Publishing Project"; Cathy Jacobs, "ParentLink: Bringing Education Home"; Virginia Young, "Cholesterol Awareness Web Site"; Jyl Smithson, "Increasing Virginia Tech Visibility through the Virginia Forum for Excellence 1998"; Sally Hamilton, "Women's Leadership: Gender Equality in El Salvador"; Charlotte Reed, "The Virginia Travel and Tourism Institute"; Pamela Teaster, "An Initiative on Elder Abuse Education"; Theodore Koebel, "Outreach to Improve Management of Assisted Housing"; Ian Loomis, Carl Zipper, "Virginia Energy Patterns and Trends Internet Site Development"; Holly Bender, "Reaching out to Veterinary Practitioners through Diagnostic Pathology Imaging"; Blair Meldrum, "Prevention of Plant Poisonings in Livestock and Pets"; Robert B. Duncan Jr., "Veterinary Biopsy and Cytology Electronic Interactive Interface"; Robert Martin, "Development of an Electronic Publication for Veterinary Orthopedic Surgery."