UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Below are the most recent active external research grants awarded to faculty in the Penn State College of Education.

• Hollie Kulago, associate professor of education (curriculum and instruction), is principal investigator (PI) of a two-year project, “Enhancing Navajo Nation Youth Academic Achievement Through Diné Character Education,” that has been awarded $268,646 from Brady Education Foundation. This project builds upon an existing partnership between the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education and Penn StateUniversity that supports curriculum development for Diné Character. The research focuses on the process of partnering and the processes of building, implementing and scaling up Diné-centered curriculum that supports Diné self-determination and sovereignty. Logan Rutten (representing Hammel Family Humans Rights Initiative) is co-PI. The Key Community Collaborator is Dorthea Litson, Office Diné School Improvement, Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education.
• Francesca Lopez, Waterbury Chair in Equity Pedagogy and professor of education, is PI of a one-year project titled “Research to Practice and Policy Collaborations: Leveraging Evidence in Pursuit of Equity in Education” that has been awarded $200,000 from New Venture Fund. This project will draw on empirical research focused on student belonging to develop resources for school leaders and policymakers and practice actors that will be shared by leveraging Penn State University’s and Aspen Institute Education & Society Program’s networks. The Aspen Institute is co-PI.
• Kelly Rosinger, associate professor of education (education and public policy), is PI of a two-year project, “Building Capacity for More Equitable State Higher Education Funding Policies” that has been awarded $250,000 from the Lumina Foundation. The project will contribute to understanding of how states fund public colleges and universities and the implications of these approaches for racial and economic equity through two components: 1) examining how equity metrics in funding formulas relate to funding (in)equities across institution types and student outcomes, and 2) updating three InformEd States data sets for higher education researchers, state higher education systems, and state policymakers. Co-PIs are Justin Ortagus (University of Florida) and Robert Kelchen (University of Tennessee, Knoxville). Student team members are Penn State Education Policy doctoral students Muhammad Kara and Annie Everett.

Information about external grant awards is provided by the College of Education Research Office. Click here for information about all active research projects in the college.