Penn State Greater Allegheny awarded two Research Development Grants (RDG) for the 2007-08 academic year.
Assistant Professor of Integrative Arts, Lori Hepner, was awarded an RDG for her proposal, Code Words Project.
Ms. Hepner's proposal will be used to create new work for her photographic print installation project currently in-progress, and to expand it to include time-based video work. The expansion will also allow for submission to artist-in residency programs and other exhibition opportunities which will advance her movement towards University tenure.
Hepner joined Penn State Greater Allegheny in August, 2007 after teaching at the State University of New York at Cortland. Hepner earned her B.F.A. at the Rochester Institute of Technology and her M.F.A. at the Rhode Island School of Design, and has exhibited her work worldwide.
Hepner's Code Words piece, "Nebulous:Spasm:1" was awarded the Leon A. Arkus Memorial Award at the recent Associated Artists of Pittsburgh 97th Annual Exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
Pieces of her Code Words Project have also been exhibited at the CEPA Gallery Members Exhibition in Buffalo, NY and at the Reflections Exhibition, the PTI Gallery, and the Sweetwater Center for the Arts (all local exhibits). A Code Words Projects piece, "Impart: Dissipate:16," is part of the permanent collection of the Dowd Fine Arts Gallery in Cortland, NY.
Hepner's Code Words Project is part of a two-person exhibition at the Haggery Gallery at the University of Dallas scheduled for March, 2008.
Guangfeng Song, Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, was also awarded a Research and Development Grant for his proposal entitled, "Information Grouping and Perception of Complexity in Computer Interfaces, An Experimental Study."
The proposal funds experimental research for Song. Funds will primarily be used to pay human participants and to cover the cost of materials necessary in the preparation of the experimental environments. The study will include 35 participants and hopes to answer the following questions for Dr. Song's ongoing research:
- Does information grouping increase or decrease the perceived complexity of computer interfaces?
- Does the type of information make a difference in answering the above question?
- Does the method of grouping affect perceived complexity? Two grouping methods will be considered: grouping by blank space and grouping by lines.
Song joined Penn State Greater Allegheny in 2003 after completing his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. Song has previously been awarded RDG grants for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years.