Faculty and Staff Receive Grants Totaling More than $240,000

Michael Anderson, a professor of computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded $10,000 in supplemental funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prepare and submit to the Journal of Artificial Intelligence a definitive article describing over a decade of his work that has helped establish machine ethics as a bona fide area of research. Anderson’s original $76,243 NSF award was granted in 2011 to develop and implement a general interactive approach to analyzing ethical dilemmas.

Mary Arico, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, has been awarded $5,000 from Limbs International, Inc. for work being conducted by senior student teams in the design of a prosthetic foot for use in a developing country. The work intends to demonstrate to students their growth since freshman year and their ability to use these learned skills to help people in need.

Sandra Cahill, director of the Entrepreneurial Center, has been awarded $125,000 from the Community Development Block Grant Program. The funding will provide technical assistance to 35 small, established Hartford businesses to improve economic opportunity.

Marilyn Risi, director of Upper Albany Main Street, has been awarded $100,000 from the Community Development Block Grant Program. The funding is to continue the Upper Albany Main Street Micro Business Incubator Program. The program provides technical assistance to small businesses from Barney students, support for comprehensive planning of the district, and activities to promote Upper Albany as a point of destination, thereby improving the quality of life within the commercial district.