St. Vincent Stain Glass

Faculty Research Consortium

The Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) is comprised of a select group of interdisciplinary St. John’s University faculty who have demonstrated teaching, research, and scholarly expertise in areas related to community service, civic engagement, and social responsibility. As part of the Office of University Mission, the FRC is responsible for community-based outcomes research conducted across all elements of the Mission sector, with a particular emphasis on those programs within the Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA). VISA was established in 2008 to increase the visibility of the St. John’s Catholic and Vincentian mission, including opportunities where faculty and students can explore issues of poverty and social justice. The FRC promotes research by supporting the recruitment of qualified University professors who serve as research mentors for students, offering internal faculty research grant opportunities and formally recognizing faculty excellence in mission-aligned research. The FRC also develops research initiatives through programs and community partnerships within the Mission sector. 

Apply for the Richard and Camille Sinatra Grant! Apply for the FRC Grant!

"Funding opportunities offered by the Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) have been critical for developing my sustainable research program centered around social justice and audiology. I highly encourage all St. John’s University faculty members to consider applying to the FRC sponsored grant opportunities. They certainly have been a foundation for meaningful, community-centered research." -Dr. Shruti Deshpande, Associate Professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders, St. John's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Consortium Membership

John Conry

John M. Conry, Pharm.D., Chair, FRC
Clinical Professor, Department of Clinical Health Professions
Senior Vincentian Research Fellow, Vincentian Center for Church and Society    Director, The Urban Institute College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

 

 

Elissa Brown

Elissa J. Brown, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
Founder and Executive Director, Child HELP Partnership
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

 

 

 

Profile photo for Robert K. Eschenauer, Ph.D.

Robert Eschenauer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Counselor Education
Senior Vincentian Research Fellow, Vincentian Center for Church and Society
School of Education

 

 

Edrex Fontanilla headshot

Edrex Fontanilla, MFA
Associate Professor, Collins College of Professional Studies
Director, Game Development and Emerging Media

 

 

 

Profile photo for Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D.

Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D.
Henry George Chair in Economics and Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, Henry George Chair in Economics
Senior Vincentian Research Fellow, Vincentian Center for Church and Society
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business Senior Vincentian Research 

Roberta Hayes

Roberta L. Hayes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Institute for Core Studies
Coordinator, Scientific Inquiry Core
St John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 

 

 

 

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

The Journal of Vincentian Social Action (JoVSA) is a biannual peer reviewed scholarly publication engaging the local, national and global community on issues of poverty and social injustice. As a community, St. John’s is engaged in research and direct service to those in need. We seek insight into the causes and consequences of poverty to help alleviate suffering. The journal focuses on studies evaluating solutions to social injustice, with implications for public discourse and policy, and macro-program development. We welcome position papers on contemporary topics.

 

Kevin Rioux, Ph.D.
Editor
St. Augustine Hall, Room 408-J
[email protected]
718-990-1458

Kara James
Senior Department Assistant
VISA Office, Sullivan Hall, Room 107
[email protected]
718-990-5947

 

Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant

The Office of University Mission is proud to partner with the Sinatra family to strengthen its mission of providing an academic platform where faculty and students can explore issues of poverty and social injustice, as well as provide potential recommendations through research. The goal of the endowment is to promote outcomes-based research in the community. For almost 40 years, Dr. Richard Sinatra served as an associate dean, chair, faculty member, and program director in the School of Education.  He also served as the Chair of the Faculty Research Consortium for the Vincentian Institute for Social Action from 2008 - 2015. Dr. Sinatra has long been an advocate for systemic change. This endowment is an example of his continued commitment to education and the development of research at the University.

The Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant ($2,500)

This grant supports community-based outcomes research for full-time junior (tenure-track) faculty at St. John’s University. Through outcomes research, quantitative methods are used to evaluate community-based interventions. These interventions may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of improving the areas of poverty and social justice.  

Max Freeman Accepting Award and Posting for Picture
Recipient NameYear AwardedResearch TopicCollegeCampus
Max Freeman, PhD, Assistant Professor2022Does Clay-based Language Stimulation Enhance Children's Vocabulary and Syntax?St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens

Seunghyun Park, PhD, Assistant Professor

2021Efficient Roles of Vlogs to Improve Social Inclusion in Tourism for the DisabledCollins College of Professional StudiesQueens

Max Freeman, PhD, Assistant Professor

2020Language Outcomes for Children’s Use of Creativity through Open-Ended Materials during Language StimulationSt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens
Gary E. Martin, PhD, Assistant Professor2018Girls with Intellectual Disability: Communication Skills in an Underrepresented Research PopulationSt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesStaten Island
Shruti Deshpande, PhD,  Assistant Professor2017A Sustainable Hearing Conversation Project for Liberty Partnership’s Program’s High School Students Implemented by Audiologists and Audiology Students Through Academic Service-Learning: A Symbiotic ImpactSt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens
Elizabeth Brandolo, PhD, Professor2017Discrimination and Depression: Testing a Social Cognitive ModelSt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens
William Reisel, PhD, Professor2016Developing a Pilot Study for Expanding an Ongoing AS-L Community Partnership with Central Family Life Center of Staten Island. The Peter J. Tobin College of BusinessStaten Island
Christine Chim, PharmD,                        Clinical Assistant Professor2016The Impact of a Pharmacist and Pharmacy Students Engaging with Northwell Health’s Communities via Home VisitsCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesQueens
John W. McKenna, PhD, Assistant Professor2015Qualitative Study of Teacher Preparation and Provision of Special Education ServicesSchool of EducationQueens
Michael Downton, PhD, Assistant Professor (with Judy Chen, EdD, SOE)2015A community of reflective teachers: Cultivating reflective practice to impact student teacher’s self-efficacySchool of EducationQueens

 

 

Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant

For almost 40 years, Richard Sinatra, Ph.D., served as an Associate Dean, Chair, Program Director, and Professor in The School of Education. He also served as the Chair of the Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) for the Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA) from 2008 to 2015. Dr. Sinatra has long been an advocate for systemic change. This endowment is an example of his continued commitment to education, the development of research at the University, and generous mentorship of junior (tenure-track) faculty. 

VISA is proud to partner with the Sinatra family to provide an academic platform where junior (tenure-track) faculty can explore issues of poverty and social injustice, as well as provide potential recommendations/solutions through community-based outcomes research. 

Purpose of Grant

The purpose of this grant is to support junior (tenure-track) faculty who are planning to develop or replicate interventions and test their efficacy. This research may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of directly addressing mission-related poverty and/or social justice problems. These interventions can be educational, psychological, economic, etc. Given the complexity of intervention research, this may be an opportunity to collect pilot data for a larger trial.  

The FRC particularly welcomes applications from junior faculty who have developed a community partner collaboration and who are now looking to embed/enhance an outcomes evaluation to address a clearly articulated research question(s). The FRC will place grant award priority on applications that identify a sound research question and appropriate methodology to address the question during the grant period. Lastly, the role of the FRC is to provide guidance to grant awardees, including guidance with enhancing research methodology and plans for statistical analysis.

Eligibility

Full-time junior (tenure-track) faculty at St. John’s University are eligible to apply for this grant. Applicants can be individual or collaborative, but the principal investigator must be tenure-track faculty. 

Grant Award Amount (Grant period: 1 Year

$2,500

Application Deadline

February 23, 2024

Questions

For any questions on this grant opportunity, please contact Kara A. James, Senior Secretary, at [email protected] or 718-990-5947.

Award Notification Date

The Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant is a competitive, application-based award. 

Criteria for Grant Proposals
  • Empirical question being asked is related to intervention outcomes

  • Proposal must clearly outline the specific aims and hypotheses, research design, participants, measures, intervention, and statistical methods including power analysis/sample size, timeline, and budget

  • Show feasibility (e.g., by including a letter of commitment from community partners) 

  • Include description of current internal/external funding for the project (if applicable) 

To be considered for the grant, submit the following information and documentation through this form

  • Cover page
     

  • Abstract
    Summary of the proposed project in 200 words or less
     

  • Proposal
    In 3-5 pages, provide specific information on the proposed research project. Please include the following sections: 

     1.  Background and significance (i.e., theory and/or previous research)
     2.  Specific aims and hypotheses
     3.  Research design
     4.  Participants (including power analysis when relevant)
     5.  Measures (including description of reliability and validity)
     6.  Proposed intervention
     7.  Statistical methods
     8.  Projected dissemination of outcomes
     9.  Timeline (including IRB submission)
    10. Detailed budget (including personnel, supplies, equipment, conference presentation travel only, etc.)
     

  • Funding Guidelines
    Grant recipients must conform to the University guidelines on purchasing when using funds.  Grant funding cannot be used for transportation, donations, contribution to existing programs or gifts, or anything not specified in the approved application or pre-approved by the FRC. 
Grant Recipient Responsibilities
  • Provide a report each semester for the duration of the project (a template will be provided to endowment grant recipients) for review by the FRC

  • Participate or present during St. John’s University Research Month (April 2025)

  • Submit a final report upon completion of the project (September 1, 2025)

  • Submit an article for publication to VISA’s Journal of Vincentian Social Action (http://scholar.stjohns.edu/jovsa/) or an appropriate journal to the researcher’s discipline (December 1, 2025)

  • Acknowledge the support of the Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant through the Vincentian Institute for Social Action at St. John’s University in all papers and presentations relating to this project. 

 

Faculty Research Consortium Grant

The Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) is comprised of a select group of interdisciplinary St. John’s University faculty who have demonstrated teaching, research, and scholarly expertise in areas related to community service, civic engagement, and social responsibility. As part of the Office of University Mission, the FRC is responsible for community-based outcomes research conducted across all elements of the Mission sector, with a particular emphasis on those programs within the Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA). VISA was established in 2008 to increase the visibility of the St. John’s Catholic and Vincentian mission, including opportunities where faculty and students can explore issues of poverty and social justice. The FRC promotes research by supporting the recruitment of qualified University professors who serve as research mentors for students, offering internal faculty research grant opportunities and formally recognizing faculty excellence in mission-aligned research. The FRC also develops research initiatives through programs and community partnerships within the Mission sector. 

Guided by the FRC, the FRC Grant supports community-based outcomes research for full-time tenured faculty at St. John’s University. This research may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of improving the areas of poverty and social justice.

Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) Grant ($5,000)

Recipient NameYear AwardedResearch TopicCollegeCampus
Shruti Deshpande, PhD, Assistant Professor2023Play it by Ear: An Intervention Program to Enhance Hearing Health Access and Equity for Young Children from Diverse CommunitiesSt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens
Elizabeth Brandolo, PhD, Professor2020Evaluating Strategies for Disseminating Scientific Information about the Mental Health Effects of DiscriminationSt. John’s College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens

Robert Fanuzzi, PhD and William Reisel, PhD

2019

Academic Service Learning as a College Readiness Strategy: Creating an Assessment Dashboard for  St. John's University SI Campus "Difference Makers Program"

St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Staten Island

Smita Guha, PhD

2019

Health and Nutrition for Homeless Mothers and Children

School of Education

Queens

 

Picture of 2 Certificate Awards

Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) Grant

Established in 2019, the FRC Grant supports community-based outcomes research for full-time tenured faculty at St. John’s University. This research may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of improving the areas of poverty and social justice.

Purpose of Grant

The purpose of this grant is to support tenured faculty who are planning to develop or replicate interventions and test their efficacy. This research may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of directly addressing mission-related poverty and/or social justice problems. These interventions can be educational, psychological, economic, etc. Given the complexity of intervention research, this may be an opportunity to collect pilot data for a larger trial.  

The FRC particularly welcomes applications from tenured faculty who have developed a community partner collaboration and who are now looking to embed/enhance an outcomes evaluation to address a clearly articulated research question(s). The FRC will place grant award priority on applications that identify a sound research question and appropriate methodology to address the question during the grant period. Lastly, the role of the FRC is to provide guidance to grant awardees, including guidance with enhancing research methodology and plans for statistical analysis.

Eligibility

Full-time tenured faculty at St. John’s University are eligible to apply for this grant. Applicants can be individual or collaborative; the principal investigator must be a tenured faculty member.    

Grant Award Amount (Grant period: 1 Year

$5,000

Application Deadline

February 23, 2024

Questions

For any questions on this grant opportunity, please contact Kara A. James, Senior Secretary, at [email protected] or 718-990-5947.

Award Notification Date

The FRC Grant is a competitive, application-based award.

Criteria for Grant Proposals
  • Empirical question being asked is related to intervention outcomes

  • Proposal must clearly outline the specific aims and hypotheses, research design, participants, measures, intervention, and statistical methods including power analysis/sample size, timeline, and budget

  • Show feasibility (e.g., by including a letter of commitment from community partners) 

  • Include description of current internal/external funding for the project (if applicable) 

To be considered for the grant, submit the following information and documentation through this form

  • Cover page
     

  • Abstract
    Summary of the proposed project in 200 words or less
     

  • Proposal

    In 3-5 pages, provide specific information on the proposed research project. Please use the areas below to guide your submission: 

    1.     Background and significance (i.e., theory and/or previous research)

    2.     Specific aims and hypotheses

    3.     Research design

    4.     Participants (including power analysis when relevant)

    5.     Measures (including description of reliability and validity)

    6.     Proposed intervention

    7.     Statistical methods

    8.     Projected dissemination of outcomes

    9.     Timeline (including IRB submission)

    10.  Detailed budget (including personnel, supplies, equipment, conference presentation travel only, etc.)
     

  • Funding Guidelines
    Grant recipients must conform to the University guidelines on purchasing when using funds. Grant funding cannot be used for transportation, donations, contribution to existing programs or gifts, or anything not specified in the approved application or pre-approved by the FRC.  
Grant Recipient Responsibilities
  • Provide a report each semester for the duration of the project (a template will be provided to grant recipients) for review by the FRC 

  • Participate or present during St. John’s University Research Month (April 2025)

  • Submit a final report upon completion of the project (September 1, 2025)

  • Submit an article for publication to VISA’s Journal of Vincentian Social Action (http://scholar.stjohns.edu/jovsa/) or an appropriate journal to the researcher’s discipline (December 1, 2025)

  • Acknowledge the support of The Faculty Research Consortium Grant through the Vincentian Institute for Social Action at St. John’s University in all papers and presentations relating to this project. 

VISA Reception and Research Forum

The Faculty Research Consortium is proud to host an Office of University Mission Faculty Reception and Research Forum every fall and spring semester.

This event provides a platform to promote faculty dialogue across disciplines that have participated in, or are interested in, FRC programs. St. John’s faculty members have participated in VISA programs which include Academic Service-Learning, the Ozanam Scholars Program, faculty research/service at community partner sites, and VISA-funded research projects.  These meetings provide an opportunity to showcase faculty research and scholarly accomplishments.

 

2021's Event was held virtually.  Please click on the link below to view!

https://sju.webex.com/sju/ldr.php?RCID=d30387f862f146f3840218cc013a97fb

 

2022 Fall Faculty Luncheon!

3 faculty members talking
2 faculty members talking
Fr. Griffin Speaking at Podium
Max Freeman Presenting in Front of Room with PP

 

 

The Faculty Excellence Award in Community-Based Outcomes and Poverty Research

The Faculty Excellence Awardin Community-Based Outcomes and Poverty Research has been developed by the Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) in an effort to annually identify an exemplar from the full-time faculty at St. John’s who best exhibits excellence in community-based outcomes and poverty research. Nominations are solicited from the deans and chairs of various schools/colleges of the University. The FRC reviews all nominations from the University community and selects one award.  The recipient is recognized at the annual Office of University Mission's Reception and Research Forum.  The award recipient also receives a plaque commemorating this award.

 

Recipient NameYear AwardedCollegeCampus
Regina Ginzburg, Pharm.D., CDCES, BC-ADM2023College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesQueens
April Rodgers, MD, MPH, MBA2022The Collins College of Professional Studies Queens
Shruti Balvalli Deshpande, Ph.D., CCC-A2022St. John's College of Liberal Arts and SciencesQueens

Abraham Stefanidis, Ph.D.,  Assistant Professor

2021The Peter J. Tobin College of BusinessQueens
Manouchkathe Cassagnol, Pharm.D., BCPS, AACC Clinical Professor2020College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesQueens
Christine Chim, Pharm.D., Associate Professor2017College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesQueens
John William McKenna, Ph.D., Assistant Professor2016The School of EducationQueens
Mary Beth Shaefer, Ph.D., Associate Professor2014The School of EducationQueens
Regina Ginzburg Accepting Award with John Conry