GRANT & CONTRACT AWARDS Diane Bessel, PhD, LMSW, CNM, Associate Professor and Chair of Social Work & Sociology, MSW Program Director, Director of the Institute for Government and Nonproft Innovation, Training and Evaluation (IGNITE) Project Director • US Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, fve-year grant to increase local capacity to address behavioral health needs and provide MSW scholarships, June 2025 Contract Awards • Journey’s End Refugee Services, strategic planning contract, November 2024 • Go Local! Comprehensive Transportation Needs Assessment for Seniors, November 2024 • Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, strategic planning contract, February 2025 • Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, social system mapping and social network analysis project for the Health Leadership Fellows Program, 2024–2026 Laura Edsberg, PhD, Professor of Natural Sciences Principal Investigator • National Science Foundation Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S-STEM), six-year grant to increase retention and graduation rates of low-income academically talented students in STEM programs, April 2025 • Co-Principal Investigators: Caitlyn Montross, PhD, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Diane Ramos, PhD, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Matthew Ward, PhD, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Grace Huf, DBA, CPA, CGMA, Assistant Professor of Accounting Project Director • Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), subaward with the United Way of Bufalo & Erie County to provide free tax preparation for low-income households, October 2024 Dan Shanahan, MA, Associate Professor and Chair of Visual & Performing Arts Project Director/Grantee • National Endowment for the Arts, awarded to Torn Space Teater for a digital arts performance series with the Bufalo audiovisual collective Groupwork, August 2024 NEWS & UPDATES 20
