First Opportunity Grants awarded to three Eberly College of Science faculty

The new Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program awarded its first grants to 51 teaching and clinical non-tenure-line faculty.  

The first round of awardees applied to the Opportunity Grant pilot earlier this semester. A total of $289,183 in funding was awarded for spring 2025. Applications are still open for the next round of grants that will provide funding for the 2025-26 academic year for all eligible full-time non-tenure-line faculty. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Dec. 9.

“We had many excellent applications to our pilot round focused on topics such as technology integration, assessment, sustainability, student well-being, community engagement and more. We are pleased with the diverse array of projects our faculty will pursue in the spring,” said Kathy Bieschke, vice provost for Faculty Affairs. “We’re eager to see this program grow and provide non-tenure-line faculty with opportunities to build their knowledge and skills in ways that support their development and growth in their roles.”

The pilot program of the Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program is supported financially by the Office of the President. It is administered by the Penn State Office of Faculty Affairs.

The spring 2025 Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program awardees from our college are:

• Matthew Endres, associate teaching professor of biology, “Assessment and Implementation of Course Structure Using the CCEDIR Tool From Undergraduate Learning Assistants’ Perspectives.” 
• Joseph Houck, associate teaching professor of chemistry, “Discipline-Based
• Education Research as Professional Development: Assessing the Impact of Specifications Grading on Student Learning and Affect.” 
• Linlin Jensen, associate teaching professor of chemistry, “Impact of an Integrated Math Intervention on Student Learning in Physical Chemistry Courses.”