In This Issue

Meet CSU's Faculty

Charles McElroy, Information Systems

Dr. Charles McElroy is an Assistant Professor in Information Systems at Cleveland State University. Professor McElroy earned his PhD in Information Systems at Case Western Reserve University in 2017. His research focuses on a variety of topics in data science, machine learning and immersive data visualizations.

Dr. McElroy pursued postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology Center for Data Driven Discovery with support from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). He then received a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research in cybersecurity at Oxford University, UK. Upon his return to Caltech, he continued his research and won an ODNI design competition in the area of truth assessment. Since his arrival at CSU, he led a team that won the Dean’s Cornerstone Challenge, a competition that seeks to promote student professional development while promoting outreach to the local business community.

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Featured Student Researcher

BME Student Shaye Tiell Selected for NSF GRFP Award

Congratulations to Applied Biomedical Engineering (BME) graduate student Shaye Tiell, who was selected to receive a Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Ms. Tiell is a PhD candidate working with advisor Dr. Brian Davis, Associate Dean of the Washkewicz College of Engineering and a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (MCE).

The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who demonstrate potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. Ms. Tiell received support for her GRFP application through a targeted workshop offered by CSU's Office of Research and led by Dr. Shawn Ryan (Mathematics and Applied Statistics).

Research Funding

Schwartz Library Awarded NEH Grant for Special Collections

The Michael Schwartz Library has been selected as one of 200 libraries nationwide for a Humanities Grants for Libraries award, an emergency relief program to assist libraries that have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Ms. Mandi Goodsett, Performing Arts & Humanities Librarian, will lead CSU’s activities. The library will use the grant funds to hire a graduate student to process, digitize, and promote two collections from their Special Collections. To learn more about the Michael Schwartz Library’s plans for the grant, please visit the library website.

Humanities Grants for Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

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Inspired Creativity

Toby Bercovici’s Adaptation: The Gentle Villainy Of Richard III, Troubler Of The Poor World's Peace

Toby Vera Bercovici, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Theatre & Dance, will direct her adaptation The Gentle Villainy Of Richard III, Troubler Of The Poor World's Peace April 21-May 1 at the CSU Allen Theatre Complex in Playhouse Square. This production is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Richard III, which situates the story of power-hungry Richard as a cautionary bedtime tale told by Queen Margaret to the audience shortly after the death of her husband and son.

Shows will take place in the Outcalt Theatre – show times and a ticket purchase link can be found here.

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News from the Technology Transfer Office

Invention Disclosure Filing

An invention disclosure was submitted by Dr. Anthony Berdis, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, and Professors Mark Sutton and Brian Tsuji from the University of Buffalo, titled “Artificial nucleosides that combat antibiotic resistance.” Antibiotic resistant bacteria are an urgent, global health threat. In the United States alone, approximately 3 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur. More than 35,000 individuals die as a result of these infections.

The invention discloses that combining artificial nucleosides with existing antibiotics produces a strong cytotoxic effect against drug-resistance bacteria. This combination also adversely affects the viability of bacterial persisters. Collectively, this unique drug combination provides a novel approach to combat drug resistance in highly infectious microbial species.

Commercialization: TeCK Fund

The TeCK Fund, a joint technology commercialization and startup fund co-managed by Cleveland State University and Kent State University, is now accepting Letters of Intent for the opportunity to submit a full proposal. A successful full proposal will require the approval of the Selection Committee to whom the PI will have to present. The TeCK Fund provides faculty pursuing applied research projects with up to $100,000 to assist with commercialization activities including prototype creation, third-party validation, and market research, which are required to successfully spin off technologies. Applicants who have participated in the I-Corps@Ohio program are given priority.

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Scholarship of Note

Research and Scholarship News from Across Campus

Dr. Debbie Jackson, Dr. Elena Andrei, and Dr. Joanne Goodell from the Department of Teacher Education and clinical associate professor Diane Corrigan from the Department of Curriculum & Foundations (pictured, l-r) have been selected to receive a $249,687 Educator Workforce Shortage Grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Awards will help to address immediate needs within the profession, targeting populations that could enter the workforce within one or two years and awardees that will collaborate with community college partners to recruit candidates for educator preparation programs.

Dr. Girish Shukla, a professor in the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BGES) and a member of the Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD), has been selected to receive the 2022 Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR) award among outstanding Indian American cancer scientists in the USA. SAASCR is a nonprofit organization of more than 5,000 scientists from Asia who are working in the U.S. and Canada in the field of cancer research. All SAASCR members are also members of American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

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