2025 Program Assessment Grants accelerate academic excellence

To foster continuous improvement in Wayne State University's academic programs, the Division of Academic Affairs has announced the 2025 awardees of WSU Program Assessment Grants. Since 2018, Program Assessment Grants have provided one-time funds to pilot, create, significantly revise or effectively implement new or revised program assessments to enhance student learning outcomes and student success.

"Wayne State is committed to accelerating our academic excellence, and this year's projects bring an innovative approach for enhancing student outcomes," said Dr. Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "Through these grants, programs will empower data-informed decision making about curricula, use of technology, and academic supports that benefit students, faculty and staff. We are proud to support this important work, which will benefit current and future students, as well as our distinguished faculty and staff, for years to come."

Six projects were selected this year from schools, colleges and academic support units to advance their continuous program improvement processes. The selected projects represent the positive, innovative trajectory of Wayne State's culture of assessment by:

• Engaging students, faculty and staff in guiding program updates and improvements

• Appropriately leveraging artificial intelligence to provide more personalized mentorship and success strategies

• Integrating assessment principles into curriculum planning and delivery

• Developing sustainable assessment practices to be shared across programs

• Aligning academic support services with students' needs

"Assessment provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to envision data-informed strategies for increasing student success," said Dr. Cathy Barrette, senior director of assessment. "These projects enhance the tools that programs use to impact student outcomes and serve as inspirational models for other programs looking to enhance their assessment practices."

2025 WSU Program Assessment Grant Recipients

Student Success, Support and Engagement

Academic Success Center

Project title: Enhancing Student Support Through Assessment-Driven Service Improvements at the Academic Success Center

Awardees:

• Shaina Allen, learning support engagement coordinator

• Len Hernandez, program coordinator - quantitative skills support

• Sara Berisha, coordinator of academic skills development

• Elaria Hissy, academic persistence specialist

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Ph.D. in economics

Project title: Transforming Culture through Curriculum: Reassessing the Economics Ph.D. in Response to Credit Hour Reductions

Awardees:

• Liang Hu, department chair, associate professor of economics, director of undergraduate studies

• Young-Ro Yoon, associate professor of economics

• Felicien Goudou, assistant professor of economics

School of Medicine

M.S. in genetic counseling

Project title: Revising the Genetic Counseling Program's Assessment Plan to Align with Updated Genetic Counseling Practice-Based Competencies

Awardees:

• Angela Trepanier, professor (clinical) of molecular medicine and genetics, director of genetic counseling master's program

• Erin Carmany, associate professor (clinical) of molecular medicine and genetics, associate director of genetic counseling master's program

• Melissa Hicks, genetic counselor, Detroit Medical Center molecular genetics lab, course co-director

• Courtney Kokenakes, adjunct assistant professor, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics

• Kara Pappas, pediatric and biochemical geneticist, course director

School of Medicine

Doctor of medicine

Project title: SmartSteps: AI-Driven Study Plans and Personalized Mentorship to Support Step 1 Success

Awardees:

• Marissa Zhu, director of assessment

• Jason Booza, associate dean of continuous quality improvement and compliance

• Ashley Gregory, compliance and operational improvement manager

School of Medicine

Ph.D. in pharmacology

Project title: Assessment power! Maximizing Professional Development to Increase Student and Faculty Engagement

Awardees:

• James Jackson, academic services officer

• Andrew Garrett, assistant professor of pharmacology and graduate program officer

School of Social Work

Bachelor of social work

Project title: B.S.W. Capstone Assessment, Revised

Awardees:

• Norma Love-Schropshire, assistant professor (teaching) of social work and B.S.W. director

• Debra Patterson, professor of social work and associate dean of faculty and academic affairs

• Tiera Smith, part-time faculty of social work

• Nichole Pangburn, part-time faculty of social work

Learn more about the grants and program assessment.

Featured program(s)