Center For Applied Research

About CFAR

The mission of the Center for Applied Research (CFAR) is to establish mutually beneficial relationships with community organizations that provide curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students to develop knowledge and skills related to empirical research and expand professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

The Center for Applied Research (CFAR) serves as a campus resource to benefit student learning, facilitate course development, expand professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, and establish mutually beneficial relationships with community organizations.

CFAR began in the Fall of 2012 when funding was obtained through the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The primary activities of the Center involve the quantitative and qualitative performance of empirical research. The CFAR provides a valuable resource for research and data collection and analysis for both the campus and Westmoreland County, by working with other institutions/organizations who are pursuing grants and in need of independent evaluators.

CFAR will provide:

• Valuable curricular and co-curricular experiences for students;
• Coordinated resources for project completion;
• Enhanced collaboration among faculty;
• Campus resources for staff and faculty for evaluative projects;
• Development of collective skill sets;
• Pitt-Greensburg and Westmoreland County with a valuable community resource.

Current Projects

Blackburn Center Partnership
Pitt-Greensburg has partnered with the Blackburn Center Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to examine students' attitudes toward domestic and sexual violence.  In collaboration with the campus Committee for Gender Equity, CFAR faculty and students are working to establish and assess the success of curricular and co-curricular activities that focus attention on these important issues.

Project Co-Leaders: Sheila Confer, Tim Holler, and Frank Wilson

Participating Faculty: Jessica Ghilani and John Prellwitz

Partcipating Students: Eric Baer

Community Arts and Reintegration Project in Westmoreland County

The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County Impact Fund is providing support to CFAR to develop an implementation plan for the Community Arts and Reintegration Project (CARP) in Westmoreland County.  CARP is a restorative justice-based program that will bring together community members and organizations, victims and victim advocates, and both recently released and currently incarcerated inmates to develop and construct murals that will be placed on dilapidated buildings in targeted cities throughout the county.

Project Leader: Tim Holler

Participating Staff: Courtney DeCarlucci

Participating Student: TBD

Excela Health Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)

CFAR has partnered with Excela Health to complete a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for Westmoreland County. CFAR faculty and students will assist with primary and secondary data collection, analysis of local data on demograpic, economic, health, and social issues, and the development of a comprehensive report for Excela Health.

Project Leader:  Geoff Wood

Participating Faculty: Kerry Manning, Diane Cheek, and Victoria Causer

Participating Students: Eric Baer, Alex Fell, Aponi Geletko,Taroniar Sevathas, Duy Nguyen, and Kristi Hall

West Overton Village and Museum

CFAR faculty and students provide digital experience and applied research in sustainable best practices for West Overton Village and Museum to develop virtual tours to help them to meet ADA compliance standards for site visitors who cannot walk or climb stairs. CFAR faculty and students also assist West Overton in producing digital replicas of fragile historic artifacts, and in providing training and guidance in designing digital archives and databases of material to be stored and shared electronically.

Project Leaders:  Pilar Herr

Participating Students:  Alex Fell and Jonathan Horanic

“CFAR provided me with a great opportunity to expand my research skills and knowledge of multiple fields.” Speaking about a past project, he continued, “While manufacturing falls under the scope of business, it is interesting to be researching topics outside my scope of studies. CFAR provided me with an experience of which few other students have the chance to be a part, and it will prepare me for my future career.” - Scott Szypulski, Financial Research Administrator, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Former CFAR Research Assistant

If you are interested in learning more about how CFAR can assist you to develop and/or perform a research project, please contact: Dr. Geoff Wood at (724) 836-9873 or via e-mail at gew23@pitt.edu.