Research Awards
October 2025
Dr. Jacque Bradford, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Director, was awarded $1,647,267 from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the project “Rural Healthcare PT Pathway Grant.”
Melvyn Harding, Director, TRiO Programs, received $1,361,820 from the US Department of Education for the project “TRiO Student Support Services – Teacher Preparation.”
Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Research, was awarded $409,605 from the U.S. Department of Education for the project “Building Resources for those with Intellectual Disabilities towards Gainful Employment (BRIDGE).”
Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Research, was awarded $291,600 from the Tennessee Department of Human Services for the project “Pre-Employment Transition Services 2025-2027.”
Dr. William Thompson, Associate Professor of French in the Department of World Languages and Literatures, Director of the International and Global Studies Program, was awarded $245,000 from the Tennessee Department of Education for the project “Governor’s School for International Studies.”
Daniel Schaffzin, Associate Professor in the School of Law, and Director of the Neighborhood Preservation Clinic, received $175,913 from the City of Memphis for the project “City of Memphis Neighborhood Preservation Clinic.”
Dr. Sabya Mishra, Professor of Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, received $150,000 from the National Science Foundation for the project “Center: IUCRC Phase I The University of Memphis: Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT).”
Dr. Latrice Pichon, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the School of Public Health, received $141,667 from Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the project “Implementation of Rapid HIV Testing and Linkage to HIV Treatment or Prevention Among Vulnerable Populations in Tennessee.”
Dr. Satish Kedia, Associate Dean for Administration & Faculty Affairs and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the School of Public Health, received $224,234 from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the projects “SAMHSA MAT 2021 MHI TBD” and “SAMHSA MAT 2021 BVI TBD.”
Dr. Ricky Leung, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division in the School of Public Health, was awarded $100,000 from National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the project “Advancing AI-ML Research to Address Inequities in Substance Use: Establishing the University of Memphis AI Health Equity (UM-AIHE) Lab.”
Dr. Richard Bloomer, Professor and Dean of the College of Health Sciences, received $97,803 from Innosupps for the project “Impact of the Inno Cleanse Dietary Supplement.”
Dr. Mohammed Yeasin, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received $49,500 from National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the project “Machine Learning Prediction of 1-Year Mortality and Recurrence after Ischemic Stroke Using Enriched EHR data.”
Dr. Eraina Schauss, Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Research received $43,736 from Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MBLH) Incorporated for the project “Le Bonheur Hurt2Healing Contract 2026.”
Dr. Ashish Joshi, Distinguished Professor and Dean of the School of Public Health, received $34,830 from Tennessee Department of Health (TDoH) for the project “Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure ECHO (BOLD ECHO).”
Dr. Jeffrey Marchetta, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received $5,000 from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Condition (ASHRAE) for the project “ASHRAE: Acquisition of a Fluke ii905 Acoustic Imager.”
Dr. Jamie Brunsdon, Assistant Professor of Physical Education Teacher Education in the College of Health Sciences, received $5,000 from the Association for Moral Education (AME) for the project “Coaching with Character.”