Research Awards
This page highlights recent research awards received by faculty and staff across the
University of Memphis, showcasing the scope, scale, and impact of their work. These
awards support innovative research, creative activity, and community-engaged projects
spanning transportation, public safety, health, education, the arts, and workforce
development.
Collectively, they reflect strong partnerships with federal, state, industry, and nonprofit funders and underscore the University’s commitment to advancing knowledge, addressing real-world challenges, and creating lasting impact locally and beyond.
October 2026
Dr. Ali Fatemi, Ring Companies Endowed Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering, received $8,243,623 from the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) for his project “MINDS: RACE Expansion Scope for RAMP.”
Dr. Angela Hargrave, Senior Director of Student Services for University Schools, received $1,500,000 from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for her project “Project AWARE Memphis & Shelby County: The Whole-Community Wellness Network - A Coordinated System of Care for Children and Families.”
Dr. Satish Kedia, Professor of Social Behavioral Sciences and Associate Dean in the School of Public Health, received $750,000 from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for his project “MOUD-Substance Use Treatment-MHI.”
Dr. Susan Neely-Barnes, Professor of Social Work, received $650,000 from the US Department of Health and Human Services for her project “Midsouth Social Work Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (MSW-SDS).”
Dr. Sarah Warren, Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, received $515,760 from the National Institutes of Health for her project “Identifying Factors in Hearing Healthcare Access: The Memphis SOUND Project.”
Rodrigo Villalpando Vizcaino, Research Assistant Professor in CAESER, received $512,552 from Tipton County, TN for his project “Establishment of a Groundwater Monitoring Network.”
Dr. Seyed Mohammad Hojjatzadeh, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, received $499,100 from Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation for his project “Establishing the Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) Training Site.”
Dr. Maryam Karimi, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health and Director of Research in the School of Public Health, received $309,017 from the National Institutes of Health for her project “SCH: Next-Generation Multimodal Wearable Sensing and Integrative AI Systems for Precision COPD Risk Prediction and Clinical Decision Support.”
Dr. Frances Ellmo, Assistant Professor of Counseling, Education, and Psychological Research, received $297,688 from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for her project “The Trauma-Responsive Education for Addiction Treatment (TREAT) Program.”
Kathryn Ramsey, Associate Professor of Law, received $50,000 from The Urban Child Institute for her project “MSCS Special Education Needs Assessment and Recommendations.”
Dr. M Hasan Ali, Professor and Interim Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received $200,000 from the National Security Agency (NSA) for his project “MAESTRO: Multi Agent Edge Secure Threat Reasoning & Orchestration for Smart Transportation Systems.”
Dr. Elena Delavega, Professor of Social Work, received $191,629 from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) for her project “Services for Integrated Community Care Augmented (MUSICCA).”
Dr. Yong Yang, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, received $146,000 from the National Institutes of Health for his project “Longitudinal Patterns of Multiple Behavioral Risk Factors and Their Joint Effects on Cognitive Aging.”
Cyndi Muzzi, Assistant Director of the Center for Research in Educational Policy, received $132,499 from the US Department of Education for her project “Virginia 21st CCLC 2026.”
Caitlin Harrington, Associate Professor in University Libraries, received $99,090 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for her project “Title II Toolkit.”
Dr. Janey Camp, Research Professor in CAESER, received $65,281 from the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation for her project “Development of a Watershed Plan for Bear Creek in the Hatchie Scenic River Watershed.”
Dr. Alfredo Ramirez, Research Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received $49,652 from Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) for his project “Thermal Resistivity Modeling.”
Dr. Debra Bartelli, Research Associate Professor of Urban Health, received $35,000 from The Urban Child Institute for her project “Memphis Lead Coalition.”
Dr. Deborah Moncrieff, Research Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, received $23,300 for her project “ARIA Treatment for Dichotic Deficits in Schoolchildren.”
Dr. Wesley James, Pat E. Burlison Professor and Chair of Sociology, received $9,935 from the Memphis Jewish Federation for his project “Disability Services Navigation Landscape and Community Engagement.”