Buffalo, NY – Canisius University President Steve K. Stoute has announced six new projects that will receive funding through the President's Innovation Fund. Launched in 2024, the competitive grant program was established to “unleash the power of innovation” by supporting creative ideas from faculty and staff that directly benefit students and align with the university’s strategic plan, Answer the Call.
Canisius has committed $1 million over five years to the President’s Innovation Fund. In its inaugural year, nearly $90,000 was awarded to six projects.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the fund focused on two specific pillars of the strategic plan. Faculty were invited to submit proposals under Pillar 1: Academic Excellence & Innovation – projects that advance curriculum and teaching in areas such as artificial intelligence, adult education and new interdisciplinary programs. Staff were invited to submit proposals under Pillar 2: Student Success & Engagement – projects that create meaningful experiences to help students thrive, including mentorship programs, support for student research and leadership development.
"It’s exciting to see the creative ways in which our faculty and staff are developing and expanding opportunities that directly enhance student success,” said President Steve Stoute. “This year’s winning projects give students new ways to learn, new ways to connect with mentors, and new ways to gain experiences that will prepare them for meaningful careers and lives of purpose.”
The three faculty projects funded by the President’s Innovation Fund are:
• Online Graduate Counseling Program: Ashley Luedke, PhD, associate professor and program coordinator for the Clinical Mental Health program, will develop a fully remote, CACREP-accredited counseling program to expand access to graduate education and serve adult learners seeking flexible pathways to career advancement in mental health and school counseling.
• Digital Skills Zone: Jamie O'Neil, associate professor and director of the Digital Media Arts program, will create an open learning space where all students can develop practical digital competencies and earn micro-credentials in high-growth areas such as web development, video storytelling and social media marketing.
• Ecology & Self Program Expansion: Psychology Professor Jenn Lodi-Smith, PhD and Environmental Studies Adjunct Professor Jonathan Roth will address financial and timing barriers to the university's signature immersive learning course in protected lands, including the Florida Everglades, while developing options for fall travel and adult learners.
The three staff projects funded under Student Success & Engagement are:
• Leadership Living-Learning Community: Hunter Stempin, associate director for residential experience, will establish a first-year residential learning community that integrates leadership development programming to foster early engagement, improve retention and build a supportive peer network.
• Advisor Learning and Engagement Academy: Jason Francey, director of student engagement and leadership develop, will provide comprehensive training and development for faculty and staff who advise student clubs and organizations, ensuring compliance with new federal mandates while strengthening mentorship capacity.
• Student-Alumni Mentorship Pilot Program: Assistant Vice President for Advancement AnneMarie Haumesser, PhD, and Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Michael Yates, will develop a program that connects current student leaders with alumni mentors through a structured program that enhances career readiness, strengthens alumni engagement and builds lifelong connections within the Griff community.
The President’s Innovation Fund was made possible through the generosity of Canisius alumni and donors who responded to an invitation in 2023 to make unrestricted gifts in support of initiatives that had the greatest potential to move the university forward. Canisius constituents “responded in remarkable ways,” said President Stoute and their investments culminated in the creation of the President’s Innovation Fund
For more information about the President’s Innovation Fund, contact University Communications at 716-888-2792.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
