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Steven D. Manners Awardees Announced

Issue Date: 
July 11, 2016

The University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) has awarded the 2016 Steven D. Manners Faculty Development Awards to two research projects: one studying voter mobilization of convicted felons in Pennsylvania, and the other researching a mobile app to help assess people with sports- or recreation-related concussions. 

The Manners Awards grants support pilot research that has scientific merit and a strong likelihood of receiving external peer-reviewed funding. 

The recipients are:

Victoria Shineman

Victoria Shineman, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.

“A Field Experiment Mobilizing Convicted Felons During the 2016 General Election.”

This study, which will conduct a field experiment during the upcoming general election, seeks to identify the most effective methods of mobilizing men and women who are convicted felons to vote, and to identify the effect on these individuals after political mobilization has occurred. 

Alicia Sufrinko

U. S. citizens in Pennsylvania who have been convicted of felonies are not eligible to vote while they are in prison. Voting rights are automatically restored upon release from prison.

Alicia Sufrinko, Neuropsychologist and Instructor, Pitt School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; and Anthony Kontos, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Research Director, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

Anthony Kontos

“An Integrative Mobile Platform for Assessment of Sleep Dysfunction and Physical Activity Level Following Sport/Recreation-Related Concussion.”

This pilot study seeks to better understand the complex relationships between sleep and physical activity and their effect on concussion recovery. The study will use a mobile-device assessment application to monitor post-concussion symptoms—and a wrist monitor to track a concussion patient’s sleep and physical activity. The researchers will also evaluate the predictive value of sleep and physical-activity data as they relate to a patient’s recovery.