Funding History

Le Dinh ’27, a psychological science and educational studies major, has received a Picker ISI Scholar award for the project “Intersubjective Engagement in Minimally-Speaking and Non-Speaking Children with Autism.”

Ray Ou ’28, a psychological science and economics double major, has received a Picker ISI Scholar award for the project “The Hidden Costs of Strategic Secrecy.”

Richelle Gao ’27 has been awarded a Picker ISI Scholar award for her research project, “Biomarker-Driven Diagnostic Modeling to Complement Urine Cytology in Urothelial Carcinoma.”

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Noah Apthorpe has received a $5,000 Picker ISI Interdisciplinary Training Workshop Grant for a workshop on “AI-Powered Machine Learning for Research Across the University.” The workshop will introduce Colgate faculty and students to practical machine learning techniques for research data analysis, including data preparation, model training, and results assessment.

Raab Family Chair and Professor of Biology Damhnait McHugh has received an interdisciplinary training grant of $4,300. She will spend several weeks during her sabbatical leave in fall 2026 working with experts in the NSF-funded ancient biomolecular lab at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City to become proficient in ancient DNA analyses of marine shelled organisms.

Karen Harpp, professor of earth and environmental geosciences at Colgate University; Andrew Bell, senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh; Peter LaFemina, professor doctor of geophysics at the University of Bremen; and Mario Ruiz, director at Escuela Politécnica Nacional, have received a Picker ISI Minor Grant award of $29,990 for their project, “Understanding Volcanic Island Evolution in the Galápagos: A Pilot Implementation of a Small, Multi-Parametric Geophysical Network.”

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Gongfang Hu and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Stephanie E. Sanders have received an award of $62,117 for their project “Sunlight-Driven Carbon Dioxide Conversion with Cost-Effective Metal Compounds.”

Ewa Galaj, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience, and Jacob Goldberg, associate professor of chemistry, have received an award for $70,000 for their project “Investigating the Role of Zinc in Heroin Addiction.”

This project, conducted in collaboration with the Ho Tung Visualization Lab (directed by Joseph Eakin), combines methods from archaeology, computer-generated imagery, and astronomy to test how astronomical alignments structured ceremonial behavior and shaped the ways people moved through and experienced monumental space.

Karen Harpp, professor of earth and environmental sciences and peace and conflict studies, and Val Finlayson, assistant research scientist in the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland, have received an award for $30,000 for their pilot project, “A Reconnaissance Study of Tungsten Isotopic Ratios in the Galápagos Mantle Plume.”