1. Art and Diseño

Office of Sponsored Programs
Spring 2015
Christopher Newport University
CNU Potential for Discovery
and Creativity
EPA comes to CNU
By Michelle Gooding
Special points of interest:
Christopher Newport University was fortunate to
have been visited on Octo Spring 2015 Brown Bag
ber 15th and 16th of 2014
Series is here!
by Nicholas DiPasquale,
 Sponsored Programs has
Executive Director of the
a new handbook!
Environmental Protection
 PI Orientations are now
Agency’s Chesapeake Bay
available for new award- Program, and Samantha
ees
Watterson, CNU class of
2013 and Environmental
 Faculty Orientations are
available for those new to Management Fellow.
CNU or sponsored proThe first stop of their
grams
packed schedule was a
lunch hosted by the Office
 Upcoming OSP –
sponsored visitors!
of Sponsored Programs
followed by a poster
presentation session attended by several of
CNU’s Faculty and their
students who wished to
discuss their important
Inside this issue:
work with the EPA representatives. Many connecCNU Alum back for EPA 2
tions were made and intervisit
disciplinary ideas contemFaculty Impressions of 3
plated.
EPA visit
The second stop on their
schedule was to Center for
Student impressions of 4
EPA Visit
Career Planning for a
presentation entitled,
Dominion sponsors
6
“Careers with the EPA &
Green Grants for CNU
the Chesapeake Bay Program.” There, Nick and
Recent Proposals
7
Samantha treated students
to a discussion about the
various opportunities
within the environmental
community for all types
of disciplines taught here
at CNU.
The third stop on their
schedule was the Gaines
Theater for the year’s first
Dean Parks Colloquium
Nicholas DiPasquale
series entitled, “The Mul- - Photo courtesy of
CNU Communications and
tidisciplinary Nature of
Public Relations
Environmental Leadership.” This informative
lecture detailed the Ches- Chesapeake Bay watershed. This presentation
apeake Bay Program’s
difficult task of garnering was sponsored in part by
cooperation and support
(Continued on page 2)
from all six states within
the
Nicholas DiPasquale and Samantha Watterson getting a laboratory
tour from Faculty members Tarek Abdel-Fattah and Gary Whiting.
- Photo courtesy of Anne Pascucci.
CNU Potential for Discovery and Creativity
EPA Visits CNU (continued)
Cape Charles overlooking the
Chesapeake Bay — Photo
courtesy of Anne Pascucci
the Dean Parks Colloquia Committee and the
CNU Green Team.
The next stop on their
tour allowed someone
else to talk. Drs. Tarek
Abdel-Fattah, Gary
Whiting, and Russ
Burke were gracious in
giving Nick and Samantha a fantastic tour of
their laboratories in
Forbes hall. There they
were able to demonstrate the wonderful ca-
pabilities of CNU’s
newest laboratory facilities.
The final stop on their
tour was to lecture in
two of Dr. Benjamin
Redekop’s Environmental Leadership classes.
There, Nick talked about
his role at the agency
and Samantha talked
about how she as a new
college graduate and
CNU alum landed her
role within the organiza-
tion.
Upon leaving the campus, Nick and Samantha
both expressed their
genuine affinity for our
campus, our faculty, our
students, and our hospitality. There is even
word of making this an
annual event! How
lucky CNU is to have
such ardent supporters
and fans.
CNU Alum returns for EPA visit
CNU is a special
place where young
people are taught to
thrive and to lead
lives that can impact
the world for good.
Chesapeake Bay from Saxis
Island — Photo courtesy of
Anne Pascucci
Page 2
By Samantha Watterson
CNU has a unique way
of preparing its alumni
to confidently enter into
the professional world
equipped with a liberal
arts degree and empowered by varied experience from strong campus activity programs.
As a member of the
class of 2013, I was
overjoyed to come back
to my beloved alma
mater and share insight
with current students on
the influence of my
CNU experience on my
early career in environmental management.
I currently work as an
Environmental Management Fellow at the
Chesapeake Bay Program, a regional partnership of state agencies, federal agencies,
local governments, nonprofit organizations, and
academic institutions that
leads the restoration and
protection efforts of our
precious Chesapeake Bay.
It is a joy to invest my early
career in such meaningful
work, and in many ways,
my CNU experience prepared me well to enter into
the world of environmental
management.
Graduating college with a
major in Biology and a minor in Leadership Studies, I
feel very well equipped
with a balanced academic
background in both natural
and social sciences. However, more importantly, my
experience at CNU taught
me how to seek to live a life
of significance and fill my
time with impactful work.
Reflecting on the varied
experiences that I had at
CNU, from involvement
in the Biology department and the President’s
Leadership Program to
Greek life to personal
appointments at the
Center for Career Planning, it is clear that
CNU is a special place
where young people are
taught to thrive and to
lead lives that can impact the world for good.
It was a pleasure to visit
with students and professors and see that faculty members are enthusiastic about empowering students to make
meaningful contributions to the world, especially in the fields of
environmental science
and public policy.
Spring 2015
Faculty Impressions of EPA visit
By Heather Harwell
Nicholas DiPasquale’s visit
to CNU this fall provided an
exciting,
multidisciplinary
opportunity for CNU students
and faculty alike to learn
more about the mission and
direction of the Environmental
Protection
Agency’s
Chesapeake Bay Program.
During a luncheon and poster
session sponsored by OSP,
faculty members were afforded a chance to explore the
research interests of colleagues, uncover commonalities, and identify potential
avenues for future collaborations. Students at both the
undergraduate and graduate
levels involved in environmental research across different departments were given a
unique opportunity to gain
experience presenting and
communicating their research interests and findings
with other students and scientists. This informal session was an ideal venue for
first-time presenters like
Rebecca Hennenlotter, a
junior biology major working with Dr. Heather Harwell to evaluate speciesspecific extinction risk in the
fishes of the Gulf of Mexico.
Rebecca is in the beginning
stages of her work, and feedback from participants will
help refine her research project as she moves forward,
and will prepare her for future, formal conference
presentations. Further enhancing the experience was
the presence of CNU alum
and Environmental Management Fellow Samantha Watterson, who provided a shining example of the proficient
leadership and communication skills honed after four
years of hard work and dedication as a CNU student.
Director DiPasquale and Ms.
Watterson also readily offered
invaluable career advice to
students, particularly with
respect to science and public
policy administration, an area
of increasing student interest.
The career session, in particular, was well-received by students across disciplines, especially those considering enrollment in the new Environmental Studies program on
campus.
Another view of the Chesapeake Bay from Saxis Island—
Photo courtesy of Anne Pascucci
More Faculty Impressions of EPA visit
Nick DiPasquale and Samantha Watterson visited my
Environmental Leadership
classes on October 16, and
together they spoke for about
half an hour in each class.
Nick provided background
on the Chesapeake Bay Program, how it is organized,
and his role in it as Director.
Students got an excellent
introduction to the complex
organizational structure and
varied set of stakeholders in
Bay issues. Nick shared
some of the leadership and
managerial challenges that
arise when trying to get so
many different stakeholders
to agree on measures to restore the Bay. One thing he
Page 3
has learned is to be
patient in forging
agreements with diverse stakeholders.
Sometimes it takes
time to listen and hear
what people are really
trying to say, in order
to find common
ground, according to
Nick. Once you understand the underlying factors, it is easier
to achieve consensus,
which is the decisionmaking model that
Nick uses.
Samantha talked
about her role in the
program and how she
got her job, which is
By Benjamin Redekop
to help organize and facilitate the negotiation process
among Bay stakeholders. As
a CNU alumna - and a former PLP student - Samantha
provided a vivid example of
successful transition into the
workforce, doing meaningful work. It was impressive
to have them here together,
and that Nick was able to
take time out of his busy
schedule to talk with us
about the program and how
to get involved. It was real
privilege to have a seasoned
environmental leader in our
midst to share his insights
and answer questions.
As a CNU alumna and a former PLP
student - Samantha
provided a vivid example of successful
transition into the
workforce.
Sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy
of Shutterstock.
CNU Potential for Discovery and Creativity
Student Impressions of EPA visit
By Andrew Kirkpatrick Student
It was nice meeting someone
that recently graduated from
CNU and is working with the
EPA. Samantha’s information
was very helpful. She gave
advice and opportunities that
they’re having next summer,
so that helped a lot. There
was a fair amount of overlap
between the three programs.
My favorite part was the oneon-ones, but I enjoyed the colloquium as well. Even though
I knew a lot about the Bay,
there was some information
presented that was new to me. It
was great talking to someone
that was so close to this area,
and he made me feel better, because he discussed his journey
to the EPA. He was very enthusiastic. It was nice meeting
someone that recently graduated
from CNU and is working with
the EPA. Samantha’s information was very helpful. She
gave advice and opportunities
that they’re having next summer, so that helped a lot. There
was a fair amount of overlap
between the three programs. My
favorite part was the one-onones, but I enjoyed the colloquium as well. Even though I knew
a lot about the Bay, there was
some information presented that
was new to me. It was great
talking to someone that was so
close to this area, and he made
me feel better, because he discussed his journey to the EPA.
He was very enthusiastic.
OSP has a new Handbook !
Please visit
http://cnu.edu/
sponsoredprograms/ today
for your electronic copy!
Hard copies are available
at OSP offices - Forbes
1047 & 1048!
Page 4
Office of Sponsored Programs
Wordle of the Semester
Wordle of Dr. Brash’s NSF Proposal - Courtesy of Ed Brash and wordle.com
Attention New Faculty and New Investigators:
If you are new to CNU or have recently received an award, please contact
[email protected] to schedule an orientation.
Sponsored Programs is ready to assist you with:





Claiming your Pivot Profile and beginning your search for grants and other opportunities
Identifying the most relevant grant opportunities for you
Finding collaborators, mentors, and anonymous reviewers for proposal submissions
Negotiating and setting up your award
Helping you navigate the administration of your grant from start to finish
Any questions, contact us...we are happy to help!
Page 5
CNU Potential for Discovery and Creativity
Dominion Power gives support
for a “greener” CNU
By Matt Hettche
Made possible by the generous support of Dominion Power and its 2014 Educational Grant,
CNU is delighted to announce the inauguration of its Green Grants Program: a student initiatives
fund that aims to foster the culture and practice of sustainability on CNU’s campus and local
community. The program aims to identify meaningful student-led projects that will have a
lasting impact and that promote at least one form of sustainability in an ecological, social, or
economic context. Eligible grant proposals are reviewed by a committee of students, faculty,
staff, and
community
partners and
are awarded
funds based
on the merit and
feasibility
of the
proposed
project. Current
proposals
that have
emerged
from studentfaculty
workshops in
the
fall include
a CNU and City
of Newport
News partnership that
will sponsor an
e-waste collection
drive on
Earth Day 2015;
a studentled investment
fund that
will identify
sustainable
companies and
industries and support student scholarships; an on campus ‘green tips’ and ‘best living practices’ education initiative , coalition building among CNU’s Green Team and other environmentally conscious university student groups from around the state of Virginia, and an international ethnographic
research project that focuses on sustainable agriculture and alternative energy. The Green Grants
Executive Committee is currently hard at work reviewing project proposals and anticipates having its
first around of award announcements at the end of January 2015.
Page 6
Office of Sponsored Programs
Recent Proposals
Wiens, Katie
Com Health Res Board
198,402.00
Mitrano, Darlene
Com Health Res Board
99,360.82
Hall, Tom & Shuck-Hall, Sheri National Park Service
44,277.00
Sprague, Marsha
VA Dept of Education
26,904.25
Weins, Katie
Bright Focus Foundation
238,232.00
Sherwin, Rick
Spring Valley Wind TAC
126,582.00
Puaca, Brian
Spencer Foundation
120,800.66
Abdel-Fattah, Tarek
Natl Sci Fdn - IUSE
58,000.00
Brash, Ed
Natl Sci Fdn
Silverman, Eric
Biola University
DeJong, Anna
NIA / NASA
2,551.31
Doolittle, Dorothy
Assoc for Psych Science
3,675.00
Ruane, Lauren
US Fish & Wildlife
Lattanzio, Matthew
Am Soc for Mass Spec
35,000.00
Burke, Russell
VA Environ Endowment
31,595.00
916,416.00
35,000.00
176,463.00
Best of Luck to all who submitted…
we hope to hear fantastic news soon!
Those interested in submitting proposals, contact OSP today!!
Page 7
Calling all Faculty Musicians
Christopher Newport University is fortunate to have multi-talented
faculty. Rumors abound that some of those faculty are already having jam sessions in tucked away places on CNU campus and the
surrounding community. If you’d like to lower the walls between
disciplines and rock out with your CNU colleagues, contact OSP
and we will have our people call your people!
Coming soon:
to Sponsored Programs
David Bearinger
Director of Grants and Community Programs
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
Will be visiting CNU on January 29, 2015