East Stroudsburg University Faculty Awarded Grants

Members of ESU’s faculty have been awarded two grants, both with the long-term goal of improving the quality of life for both students and the community at-large.

Clare Lenhart, Ph.D., associate professor, health studies; Christine Fisher, Ph.D., assistant professor, health studies; and Kelly Varcoe, DNP, assistant professor, nursing were awarded a $400,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to study the function and efficacy of Child Death Review Teams across all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, with the goal of helping children and families lead healthier lives and prevent child deaths. Working closely with the Bureau of Family Health, a division of the PA Department of Health’s Child and Adult Health Services, the team will focus on systematically tracking the causes of child deaths and looking at methods of prevention. “Our project is going to be working with Child Death Review groups across the state to determine what they are doing in terms of data collection, and hopefully get us to a place where data is collected more robustly,” Dr. Lenhart said. “We’ll be looking at all kinds of child deaths, then inform child education based on the statistics,” Dr. Varcoe mentioned.

Besides providing an opportunity for the university to work closely with entities focused on public health and early childhood education throughout Pennsylvania, the grant will also offer an ESU student a hands-on research opportunity. “We’ll have a full-time graduate assistant working with us,” Lenhart said. “We always try to find opportunities to support students. These projects help students get more tangible skills. Some students who have worked on research projects have gone on to medical school, or have robust careers in public health. Working so closely with the students is really the fun part of the job.” Dr. Fisher is looking forward to getting started. “We’re doing more planning—the assessment piece is still in process. Getting out and meeting with people in the community will be a great opportunity. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The grant is the latest in a history of awards that ESU’s health sciences department has received over the years. “We’ve gotten funding in the past for multiple initiatives,” Lenhart explained. “This is another part of our health sciences faculty getting experience in the field and being active in the community. Once we get going, it will be lovely.”

Another recent grant focuses on student success. Beverlyn Grace-Odeleye, Ph.D, assistant professor and director of the R.E.A.C.H. advising program in the department of academic success, was awarded a $36,000 grant from the Weiler Family Foundation to help students whose GPAs are 2.0 or less. Student success will be measured in two ways—equipping them with the tools they need to succeed, and meeting with them regularly to assess their progress. “We try to encourage students to believe in themselves and their ability to be successful by working on their self-efficacy,” Dr. Grace-Odeleye explained. “We want to get students back into academic good standing.” Grant monies will be used to purchase supplies like laptop computers, and basic supplies like notebooks, writing implements, and backpacks. “Some of the students who are below a 2.0 lose their financial aid, and they have to appeal. Even if they appeal, there may still be a shortage of funds. They may need laptops or money to help with books and other supplies. Many of these students have to work to help their parents some lost jobs during the last two years of the pandemic. Much of the research in the area of self-efficacy and working with students in academic jeopardy supports the premise that students oftentimes do not have books and supplies that they need in order to be successful in classes.

Grace-Odeleye said the funding will be used for 20 students initially; the assistance will be extended into next fall. The students will be meeting biweekly with Grace-Odeleye and Eric Lee, academic success coach, and have access to peer educators for additional assistance with assignments. “By reviewing their grades, meeting with peer educators, and meeting with us, we have an opportunity to impact student success,” Grace-Odeleye said.

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