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Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards

Our commitment to enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions is embodied in the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards Program. These competitive research awards provide seed money for junior faculty members that often result in additional funding from other sources. The award amount provided by ORAU is $5,000. The applicant’s institution is required to match the award with at least an additional $5,000. This is a one-year grant (July 1 to June 30).

Eligibility for the Powe Awards is open to full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their tenure track appointment at the time of application. If there is a question about eligibility, your ORAU Councilor makes the final determination. Only two nominations are allowed per institution.

Research must fall within one of these five disciplines:

  • Engineering and Applied Science
  • Life Sciences
  • Mathematics/Computer Sciences
  • Physical Sciences
  • Policy, Management, or Education

Junior faculty members interested in applying should consult their ORAU Councilor, and visit the frequently asked questions.

The application period closed on January 8, 2025.

Impact Areas

Interested in being a reviewer for this year’s Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards process? Complete this brief contact form, including your specific area of expertise, and someone will be in contact with you.

Interested in being a Powe reviewer graphic

FY2025 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award Winners

Award Recipient Member Institution
Pan He Auburn University
Katherine Rush Auburn University
Wesley Chang Drexel University
Yan Zeng Florida State University
Hui Leung Indiana University Bloomington
Jiahui Shen Indiana University Bloomington
Chenshu Liu Lehigh University
Kaixiong Zhou North Carolina State University
Veronica Roman-Reyna Penn State University 
Sunghee Park Purdue University
Yonglong Xie Rice University
Oana Cojocaru Tennessee Technological University
Samson Zhou Texas A&M University
Eung-Joo Lee University of Arizona
Yannick Salamin University of Central Florida
Benjamin Yavitt University of Cincinnati 
Stephanie Cone University of Delaware 
Lihong Zhao University of Houston
Abby South University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Sponsored by Oakland University)
Geoffrey Diederich University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Anhar Bhuiyan University of Massachusetts Lowell
Daniel Afosah University of North Texas
Shuozhi Xu University of Oklahoma
Elizabeth Zumpe University of Oklahoma
Deanna Ibrahim University of Pittsburgh 
Richard Walker University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Poulami Das University of Texas at Austin
Nicholas Hunter-Jones University of Texas at Austin
Laisuo Su University of Texas at Dallas
Katja Kasimatis University of Virginia 
Md Shirajum Munir University of West Georgia 
Ziyu Wang Utah State University
Fabio Gomes Virginia Commonwealth University
Charity Scott Virginia Commonwealth University
Sweta Agrawal Virginia Tech
Cong Su Yale University

ORAU supports augmented reality technology for improved breast biopsy effectiveness

ORAU supports research aiming to revolutionize breast biopsies, making them more accurate and less invasive with augmented reality. Recipient of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Alycen Wiacek leads a team at Oakland University that focuses on improving breast biopsy precision by integrating AR into medical imaging.

Read the blog post

ORAU supports augmented reality technology for improved breast biopsy effectiveness

Powe Award recipient: Daniel Becker, Ph.D.

Daniel Becker, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, received a Powe Award in 2023 for his continued research on bat migration in western Oklahoma. Becker is studying migratory Mexican free-tailed bats and the pathogens they might carry that are possible threats to human or wildlife health.

“There is a lot of an interest right now in what bats are doing and how wildlife health impacts human health,” Becker said. “It’s really great to have this kind of work recognized by a competitive pool and know that your research trajectory is going on a good path.

Migratory Mexican free-tailed bat

Contact us

For more information about the Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, contact the University Partnerships office at (865) 576-6513 or PoweAwards@orau.org.