UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University today (June 4) announced the recipients of its inaugural Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA), a new program designed to support faculty and students working on research projects that directly benefit the community.
The program, funded with a total of approximately $700,000 from Penn State Chancellor Neeli Bendapudi's Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Penn State's Evidence to Impact Collaborative, will recognize and support teams of two to four faculty members and their graduate or undergraduate students from Commonwealth campuses who are already conducting research with community partners to benefit their communities. The awards will provide up to $10,000 per faculty member in summer support (up to a maximum of $40,000) and $3,500 per student on the team.
The university’s partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Transforming Evidence Funders Network will provide assistance in applying for additional external funding.
“Penn State's Commonwealth campuses are uniquely positioned to partner at the local level and conduct research activities that make a difference in the communities we serve,” Bendapudi said. “The Presidential Public Impact Research Awards program recognizes the important research being conducted by faculty and researchers on our campuses while investing the University's resources to enrich communities and empower residents across Pennsylvania. As a leading research university committed to public service, Penn State is proud to advance public impact research across the Commonwealth.”
After receiving an incredibly large number of competitive proposals and overwhelming support from the administration, two cohorts from 11 Commonwealth campuses have been selected, one for the 2024-2025 term and one for the 2025-2026 term.
The 2024-2025 Faculty Award recipients are:
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Jill Felker (University of Pennsylvania, Berks), Shirley Clark (University of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg), Tami Mysliwiec (University of Pennsylvania, Berks), and Lisa Emili (University of Pennsylvania, Altoona) collaborate on “Research and Public Awareness of Microplastic Pollution in the Delaware River Basin, Reading, Pennsylvania” (Partner: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation)
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“Community Impacts of Toxic Reduction Vending Machines” by Jennifer Murphy (University of Pennsylvania, Berks) and Brenda Russell (University of Pennsylvania, Berks) (Partner: Council on Chemical Abuse)
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“Strengthening Nonprofit Cybersecurity Preparedness through Collaborative Research and Innovation” by Mariam Roshanaei (Penn State Abington), Jennifer Breeze (Penn State Greater Allegheny University), and Brian Gardner (Penn State Schuylkill) (Partner: Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations)
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“Data-Driven Responses to the High Impact of Opioid Abuse: Leveraging Machine Learning, AI, and Health, Social, and Economic Determinants” by Nonna Sorokina (University of Pennsylvania, Scranton) and Dusan Ramljak (Penn State Great Valley College) (Partner: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
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“The Transition to Green Jobs in Pennsylvania” by Michelle Tantardini (Penn State Harrisburg), Goktoo Molchol (Penn State Harrisburg) and Mohammed Ali (Penn State Harrisburg) (Partner: South Central Workforce Development Board)
The 2025-2026 Faculty Award recipients are:
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“Exploring Community Mental Health and Wellness Needs: Focus Group Proposals” by Richard Harnish (Penn State New Kensington), Joy Krummenacker (Penn State New Kensington), and Jennifer Croyle (Penn State Greater Allegheny) (Partner: Wesley Family Services)
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“Understanding the Effectiveness of New Approaches: A Behavioral Intervention Program Evaluation in the Steelton-Highspire School District” by Daniel Mallinson (Penn State Harrisburg), Sarah Imanpour (Penn State Harrisburg), and Patricia Aguilera Hermida (Penn State Harrisburg) (Partner: Youth Counseling Services, LLC)
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“Empowering Families for Energy Reduction (EFER)” by Joseph Ranalli (Penn State Hazleton), William Ury (Penn State Hazleton) and Bhanu Babaiaghari (Penn State Hazleton) (Partner: Hazleton Integrated Project)
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“Identifying Risk and Protective Factors for Rural Cyberbullying Behavior Using Machine Learning Analytics” by Juyoung Song (Penn State Schuylkill), Joseph Squillace (Penn State Schuylkill), and Hakan Can (Penn State Schuylkill) (Partners: Pottsville Area High School, Schuylkill Haven Area School District)
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Luna Yang (Penn State Brandywine), Anna Sigmon (Penn State Brandywine), Ahmed Nouriyeh (Penn State Abington), and Kristin Allen (Penn State Brandywine) discussed “Developing the Science Workforce to Support Economic Development and Talent Retention in Southeast Pennsylvania” (Partners: Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Mainline Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Chapter of the American Chemical Society, and Delaware County Workforce Development Board).
All awardees will incorporate experiential learning opportunities for students as well as directly engage with and support local partners, including nonprofits, school districts, chambers of commerce and workforce development organizations.
As a public land-grant institution, Penn State's faculty, staff, and students have always conducted research that benefits society as a whole. The PPIRA program is part of Penn State's broader commitment to research that has public impact. Now, by committing to the PPIRA program, the university aims to provide more support to researchers and students across the Commonwealth Campus who are conducting impactful research that benefits their communities and improves the well-being of local residents.
“The PPIRA program works closely with broad engagement with national and international partners who seek to connect scholarship to real-world impact and address important community needs,” said Max Crowley, director of Penn State's Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative, the organization that has led the program's development. “We're excited to advance support for 10 outstanding research proposals that emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, truly involve community partners, and meaningfully incorporate student engagement in the research process. Ultimately, we hope Penn State's investment will equip our beneficiaries to be competitive in attracting external funding from foundations and federal and state agencies.”
