March 11, 2019
Four Oakland University faculty members will be paired with prestigious professors from universities across the nation this month as part of OU’s PI Academy mentoring program.
“We are very fortunate to have these four esteemed PI Academy Mentors on campus this month,” said Dr. David Stone, chief research officer at Oakland University. “In each case, they will be assisting our faculty to be competitive on a national and international level. The added bonus is that our students and our faculty colleagues will also benefit from their presence on our campus.”
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| Matthew May |
On Wednesday, March 13, the program will pair Matthew May, an assistant professor of sociology at Oakland University, with Lisa Pierce, a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill whose research focuses on family dynamics from adolescence through the transition to adulthood.
“Dr. Lisa Pearce is one of the most respected scholars in my field,” May said. “She has received more than $8 million in federal funding as the PI or Co-PI on multiple research projects, and her work has appeared in all of the premier journals in my field. I'm excited to get Lisa's feedback and advice on some of my own projects and learn more about the grant writing process from her when she visits OU.”
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| Sharon Berry |
On Tuesday, March 19, Sharon Berry, a special instructor in the Department of Philosophy at Oakland University, will be mentored by Harty Field, a professor of philosophy at New York University who specializes in metaphysics, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of logic, and philosophy of science.
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| Christopher Cooley |
The PI Academy program will also pair Jeffrey Rhoads, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University whose research interests include mechanics and vibrations, nanotechnology, and solid mechanics, with Christopher Cooley, an assistant professor in the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Oakland University.
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| Anyi Liu |
Also this month, OU faculty member Anyi Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, will be paired with Peng Liu, a professor of cybersecurity at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology.
In addition to their roles as mentors, Pierce, Field, Rhoads and Liu will also be presenting a series of special lectures on OU’s campus on the following dates:
• Wednesday, March 13: Professor Lisa Pearce will present a seminar titled “Intersecting Social Contexts as Sources of Risk and Resilience for Kenyan Orphans” from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Room 318 of Pryale Hall.
• Tuesday, March 19: Professor Hartry Field will present a seminar titled “Naïve properties” from 5-7 p.m. in Room 168 of the Mathematics and Science Center.
• Thursday, March 21: Professor Jeffrey Rhoads will present a seminar titled "Research at a Technical Intersection: Energetic Materials and MEMS" from 11 a.m. to noon in Room 135 of Dodge Hall.
• Thursday, March 28: Professor Peng Liu will present a seminar titled “Insecurity Analysis of the Android System Services” from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 254 of the Engineering Center.
The lectures are free and open to OU faculty, staff and students, as well as the general public.
More information about the events, as well as the PI Academy, is available on the Research Office website at PI Academy.
About the PI Academy for Research and Engagement
The PI Academy provides professional development in research and engagement to a cohort of 30 non-tenured, tenure-track faculty members from across campus. The program includes training sessions, workshops, and other activities intended to enhance their abilities as principal investigators. Academy participants are also matched with an external mentor to further develop their skill set and career network. The PI Academy offers a great opportunity for interdisciplinary connections to be made between faculty of all disciplines. The program helps attract, support, and retain productive and engaged faculty, and grows research at OU.