SPARK ignites new research opportunities across the college
Story by Sarah Salmons
Five innovative faculty-led projects have been selected for funding through the College of Education & Human Development’s inaugural SPARK (Seed Program for Advancing Research & Knowledge) initiative, a strategic investment designed to accelerate research, foster innovation and strengthen the college’s competitiveness for external funding.
The SPARK program provides competitive seed funding to support early-stage research and scholarly activities that can lead to larger externally funded projects. Through pilot studies, preliminary data collection, partnership development and research refinement, SPARK helps faculty build the foundation needed to pursue grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Spencer Foundation and other funding agencies.
Following a rigorous application and review process coordinated by the CEHD Office of Research Support, this year’s funding cycle awarded five $10,000 grants to projects that address critical issues in education, human development, mental health and technology.
“SPARK represents our commitment to investing in innovative ideas that have the potential to transform lives and communities,” said Dean Kui Xie. “By supporting faculty at the earliest stages of research development, we are creating opportunities for larger-scale impact while strengthening our culture of research excellence and discovery.”
The selected projects reflect the breadth and depth of research taking place across the college, addressing challenges facing schools, families, communities and learners throughout the lifespan.
Understanding Trauma-Informed Schools
Principal Investigator: Rachel T. Santiago, Educational, School & Counseling Psychology
Schools across the country are increasingly adopting trauma-informed practices, but understanding which approaches are supported by evidence can be challenging.
Santiago’s project, An Umbrella Review of Trauma-Informed School Approaches, will conduct a comprehensive “review of reviews” by examining existing systematic reviews of trauma-informed school practices. The project aims to synthesize research findings across disciplines, identify patterns in the evidence and highlight gaps that require further investigation.
The findings will provide practical guidance for educators, school leaders and policymakers seeking to implement effective trauma-informed approaches while informing future research in the field.
Preparing Therapists for Linguistically Diverse Communities
Principal Investigator: Sin U Lam, Educational, School & Counseling Psychology
As communities become increasingly multilingual, the demand for therapists who can effectively serve clients across languages continues to grow. Yet most counselor training programs have traditionally been built around monolingual English-speaking norms.
Lam’s project will explore how multilingual counseling trainees navigate clinical work across different languages. Through mock counseling sessions, the research team will examine the challenges, strengths and unique experiences multilingual trainees bring to therapeutic settings.
The project seeks to inform more inclusive counselor training and supervision practices while helping prepare a mental health workforce that can better serve the linguistic diversity of communities across the United States.
Examining Family Decision-Making and Student Well-Being
Principal Investigators: Sarah Killoren, Megan Gilligan, Human Development and Family Science
The transition to college often represents a major step toward adulthood and independence. However, today’s students are pursuing higher education amid economic uncertainty that may alter how families support and influence decision-making.
Killoren and Gilligan’s project will investigate how family decision-making processes affect college students’ sense of competence and mental health during emerging adulthood. The study will explore how students balance independence and interdependence with their families as they make decisions related to education, careers, relationships and personal well-being.
Researchers will also examine whether these relationships differ based on students’ financial dependence on their parents, providing insight into how families can best support students during a critical developmental period.
Building the Interactive Innovations Commons
Principal Investigators: Danielle Oprean, Cynthia Dudenhoffer and Keri Jones, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies
SPARK funding will support a pilot study for the Interactive Innovations Commons (IIC), a new interdisciplinary initiative that brings together 12 research labs to advance how people learn, access information and engage with their communities.
The IIC combines expertise in educational games, extended reality, digital fabrication and artificial intelligence-driven information systems. The initiative is organized around three interconnected areas: the design and development of interactive learning technologies, human-centered evaluation and information behavior, and scaling and knowledge transfer.
By connecting innovative educational technology research with real-world educational needs, the project aims to create innovative learning tools for classrooms, libraries, museums and community organizations. The initiative will also provide valuable hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, helping bridge the gap between academic coursework and professional practice.
Supporting Social Competence and Self-Advocacy for Autistic Youth
Principal Investigator: Nargiza Buranova, Special Education
Social competence and self-advocacy are critical skills that help autistic adolescents successfully navigate school, relationships and future opportunities.
Buranova’s project, Enhancing Social Competence and Self-Advocacy in Autistic Adolescents, will develop and pilot test a school-based intervention designed to strengthen these skills among autistic youth.
The project will collect preliminary data on the intervention’s feasibility and potential outcomes, laying the groundwork for future external funding proposals and expanded research. The work aims to develop effective supports that empower autistic adolescents and improve educational experiences and outcomes.
Investing in Future Impact
While each project addresses a distinct challenge, they share a common purpose: generating the evidence, partnerships and momentum needed to pursue larger-scale research with meaningful educational and societal impact.
Through SPARK, the College of Education & Human Development continues to invest strategically in faculty innovation, supporting research that not only advances knowledge but also improves lives, strengthens communities and addresses some of society’s most pressing challenges.
“These projects will not only help faculty ‘kick start’ existing projects but have the potential to contribute greatly to those who we serve,” said Dr. Erica Lembke, Associate Dean of Research.
As these projects move forward, the preliminary findings generated through SPARK will help position faculty to secure external funding, expand research programs and amplify the college’s impact locally, nationally and beyond.