To provide non-tenure-track faculty access to funds for research and scholarship, the Office of the Provost annually allocates $10,000 to be distributed to full-time participating faculty for research activities, a result of the work of the Participating Faculty Task Force.
Four participating faculty research projects were funded for the 2023-24 academic year:
Dr. Andrew Schopieray, teaching assistant professor of mathematical and statistical sciences in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences
Project title: “Conductors of Modular Tensor Categories”
Aiming to understand patterns and symmetry, Schopieray’s research will explore mathematical physics and quantum computation in the hopes of uncovering and classifying mathematical objects. Most of the project will take place in Banff, Canada, and explores unique areas of mathematical physics that many scholars are unlikely to pursue.
“Mathematicians in this field are generally pessimistic toward the existence of undiscovered examples, despite continual evidence to the contrary,” Schopieray says.
Upon receiving the award, Schopieray says he was honored and appreciative that Marquette is celebrating non-tenure-track faculty research.
Zaid Badr, clinical assistant professor and director of the Technological Innovation Center in the School of Dentistry
Project title: “Fracture resistance of monolithic and multi-yttria-layered CAD/CAM zirconia crowns milled at different disk locations.”
Badr’s hopes for the project are to guide dentists in selecting the most appropriate materials and protocols to improve the longevity and performance of dental prostheses.
“I’m currently focusing on examining the durability and strength of novel zirconia materials in dental crown forms,” Badr says.
Badr says he is humbled and honored to receive this award and he believes that serving and contributing to Marquette’s mission has been a rewarding experience.
Dr. Daniel Collette, teaching assistant professor of philosophy in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences
Project title: “Pascal’s Skeptical Solutions to Doubt and its Humean Reception”
Collette’s research aims to connect David Hume’s philosophical ideas to French philosopher Blaise Pascal, who is commonly seen as his anthesis by many in the field. Collette will analyze Hume’s personal correspondence for evidence of Pascal’s influence.
“It still feels like a dream to get to hold and read letters, hundreds of years old, written by the hands of such influential thinkers,” Collette says.
Collette is overjoyed to use the award money for travel to the Hume archives in Edinburgh’s National Library of Scotland, he says.
Dr. Michele Sheehan, clinical assistant professor and doctoral capstone coordinator in the College of Health Sciences
Project title: “Fostering independence and successful transition to community living through Occupational Therapy programming for neurodivergent Marquette students”
Marquette’s Department of Occupational Therapy aims to study the effectiveness of their transition guide, which provides step-by-step support to neurodivergent students who are adjusting to off-campus, community living. This cross-campus, multidisciplinary research project has been active since 2020.
The transition guide looks to build skills necessary for community-based living for students. Sheehan hopes to eventually publish the transition guide across the country. These funds will help the team extend the project’s reach to a national level.
“Without these funds, our students who have been instrumental to this program would not have the opportunity to participate in sharing our project at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference,” Sheehan says.
