FY2012 Funded Proposals

Biological pretreatment of agricultural wastes with biochar amendment prior to solid-state anaerobic digestion
Briones | Assistant Professor, Plant, Soil & Entomological Sciences
During investigations using biochar (charcoal for soil application) as an amendment during composting of a mixture of dairy manure, food waste, paper and wood pellets, we developed conditions that stably (from 100 to more than 500 hours) and reproducibly maintained microbial consortia dominated by diverse genera and species of Clostridia.
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Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure and Potato Culls
Lide Chen | Assistant Professor, Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Rising energy prices, broader regulatory requirements, and increasing concern over greenhouse gas emissions and interest in producing renewable energy have led to a broader interest in the anaerobic digestion (AD) of dairy manure and other organic wastes.
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French Modern Art and "Indochina": Aesthetics and Cultural Politics, 1880-1940
Marco Deyasi | Assistant Professor, Art & Design
Although France's colonial involvement in Southeast Asia (primarily Vietnam and Cambodia) lasted nearly 100 years, very little art-historical research has been published on the influence of Asia on French art.
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An Investigation into American Piano Repertoire of the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries
Kristin Elgersma | Assistant Professor, Music
I propose to research and compile the American classical piano repertoire of the late 20th and early 21st century, with an emphasis on music suitable for study by undergraduate music majors.
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A Student-Based Science Outreach Program
Karen Harpp | Assistant Professor, Geological Sciences
Progressively fewer students are pursuing careers in science-related fields, creating a pressing need to foster interest in the sciences from the elementary to the college level.
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The Path to a Better Integration: Idaho Refugee’s Housing Situation in Their Early Resettlements
Dr. Xiao Hu | Assistant Professor, Architecture & Interior Design
During the last six years Idaho has seen the fastest growth of annually resettled refugees in this country, from 263 in 2003 to 1,183 in 2009. Since 1983, more than 14,000 foreign refugees have settled in Idaho.
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WikiLeaks and 21st-Century Democracy: An Ethical Analysis
Graham Hubbs | Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy
WikiLeaks, the self-described “media organization” that since 2007 has publicly revealed well over a million classified documents, poses a variety of challenges to present-day democratic states.
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Actinide Speciation and Coordination Chemistry in Room Temperature Ionic Liquids and Supercritical Fluids
Sofie P. Pasilis | Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel with recycling of fissile isotopes is necessary to optimize energy extraction from actinide resources and to minimize waste product production.
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Recording Project: Twentieth Century Master Piano Sonata by Bartok and Prokofiev
Rajung Yang | Assistant Professor of Piano
The objective of this project is to record two Twentieth century master piano sonatas by Hungarian composer Bela Bartok and Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Both composers succeeded in presenting new musical concepts in a very traditional framework.
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The Face in the Mirror is Not Your Own: A Memoir
Brandon R. Schrand | Assistant Professor, Director, MFA Program in Creative Writing
This project will uncover the story of my biological father-a man I'd never met-who died fourteen years ago of heart failure. He was a repeat felon and drug addict with a history of armed robbery and possibly even murder.
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Seeing through the water
Daniele Tonina | Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Center for Ecohydraulics Research
The study and application of music pedagogy are fundamental to high-quality university music departments. They provide significant research opportunities for faculty and diverse professional experiences for students.
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Physical inactivity, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome risk factors in young women
Chantal A. Vella | Assistant Professor
There is nearly a three-fold increase in prevalence of overweight and obesity as women age from adolescence to young adulthood. Concurrent with this rise in obesity is a rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
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String Instruments for the Lionel Hampton School of Music Preparatory Division
Miranda Wilson | Assistant Professor
The study and application of music pedagogy are fundamental to high-quality university music departments. They provide significant research opportunities for faculty and diverse professional experiences for students.
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