For almost 100 years, Xavier University of Louisiana has been a champion for equity, diversity, and social action for positive change. Endowed with a mission to promote a more just and humane society by educating the next generation of leaders and changemakers by its foundress’, St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Xavier and its faculty, students and staff are driven to improve the world for all through academic discovery, research, and advocacy. True to the mission of the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic University, twelve Xavier faculty were awarded grants during the fall 2022 semester to advance educational equity, diversity, biomedical and health research, preservation efforts, and more. Faculty awards also include improving environmental outcomes, medical science research, supporting underrepresented communities, and educational resources.

Xavier’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) facilitated the award processes for the grants. The ORSP is committed to providing exceptional service and support to Xavier’s faculty as they grow and safeguard Xavier’s research enterprise. The office provides services in four general categories: administration of pre- and post-award activities, the oversight and support of university grant and research compliance activities, facilitation of technology transfer, and information collection and dissemination. Additionally, ORSP provides administrative oversight of the university’s 8,000 square foot animal research facility.

“It’s truly remarkable for our faculty to have received such substantial federal funding to support their research and other scholarly endeavors, especially given that we’re only mid-way through the academic year,” stated Kaneisha Bailey Akinpelumi, the associate vice president of the ORSP. “It’s also important to note that these funds not only support the work of individual faculty, they also help the university continue to grow its research enterprise; advance scientific discovery and innovation; and provide opportunities for students to engage in novel and rigorous research, present their research findings at conferences, and contribute to scientific publications.”

Xavier’s awardee faculty have received over fourteen million dollars for their scholastic efforts and were honored to receive grant funding as it supports university academia and strengthens student education.

Dr. Lamartine Meda, a professor in Xavier’s Chemistry Department received an award for his work, “Center for Mesoscale Transport Properties.” 

“Receiving the grant means a lot to me because first, it allows me to contribute to the mission of the University by doing things that would have been very difficult to do, such as performing fundamental research while involving undergraduate students who receive scholarships and/or stipends from the grant. Second, it costs a lot of money to maintain a materials chemistry laboratory and perform experiments. Last, my students and I can travel to national conferences to present our research work,” said Dr. Meda. “The grant allows my staff, students, and I to make a contribution to knowledge in the area of sustainable energy and make materials that, hopefully, one day will improve our quality of life on earth as the world races to reduce carbon emissions to Net-Zero.”

Dr. KiTani Lemieux, associate professor in Xavier’s Division of Basic and Pharmaceutical Sciences, received an award to engage in outreach, education, and awareness activities.

"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program grant provides the resources to prepare Xavier students to address health inequities by embedding precision medicine concepts into the curriculum and into research projects," said Dr. Lemieux about her funded project. "All of Us funding allows us to equip our students with analytical skills to apply Big Data in their research in the effort to better prepare them to have careers that contribute to the elimination of health disparities."

Dr. Stassi DiMaggio, a professor in Xavier’s Chemistry Department, received an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) towards increasing retention, promotion, and inclusion of women of color in STEM academics.

“Receiving an extramural grant makes it possible for me to continue my research creating nanomaterials for drug delivery. Since my field of Chemistry is a physical science, it is not possible to conduct scholarly work without purchasing chemicals, equipment, and lab ware,”  Dr. DiMaggio stated. “I appreciate the learning opportunities and challenges that performing research provides but being able to support student researchers with grant funds means even more. My students have always contributed a great deal to the projects, and I truly enjoy working with Xavier’s early-career scientists.”

Mr. Vincent Barraza, the archivist and digital preservation librarian in Xavier’s Library, received an award that will support the preservation of university resources. With a unique collection of Black Catholic archives, the Xavier Library is essential in sharing the history of a historically minimalized group within the Church.

"Receiving our National Endowment for the Humanities Grant, my first major grant award, means that our historic archival collections will be better maintained and preserved for future generations of Xavierites,” said Barraza. “There is no better feeling than knowing that the extraordinary history of the university will continue to be utilized, rediscovered, and maintained for the foreseeable future.”

Assistant Professor in Xavier’s College of Pharmacy Dr. Chamika Hawkins-Taylor's award will aid understanding disparities contributing to peripheral artery disease with diabetes and subsequent limb loss.

“Receiving the grant means that the National Institutes of Health saw the value in these two important disparities research areas: ‘aging in place’ and ‘limb loss in black persons.’ We now have the opportunity to make new discoveries and hopefully improve clinical practice as a result,” explained Dr. Hawkins-Taylor.

Other award recipients include Dr. Anderson Sunda-Meya, dean of Xavier’s College of Arts and Sciences for “Hydrogen to the Future (H2theFuture)”; Dr. Samrat Dutta, an associate professor in Xavier’s Chemistry Department for “ORE-CZ: Methane emission from wetlands surrounding Lake Pontchartrain”; Xavier Professor of Physics and Engineering Dr. Morewell Gasseller for “Xurface-based Measurements Initiative for Environmental/Air Quality Monitoring”; Dr. Joanna Haye,  Biology Department assistant professor, for “Regulation and Localization of Mismatch Repair Proteins”; Dr. Nathaniel Holmes, Xavier’s assistant provost of student success, for the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program; Dr. Yu Jiang, director of global engagement at Xavier, for the study abroad program “Develop Impactful Vietnam-based Education Abroad and Reimagine Student Engagement (DIVERSE)”; and Xavier Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Florastina Payton-Stewart, for “Irreversible Estrogen Receptor Inhibitors.”

The efforts of these faculty and others at Xavier University of Louisiana will continue to broaden the impact of the University, support the development of a bettered society, and leave a lasting impact on those yet to walk Xavier’s campus.