Buffalo, NY - Canisius University President Steve Stoute announced today 12 projects selected to receive support from the President’s Innovation Fund (PIF) for the 2026-27 academic year. The awards include two new faculty-led projects and the renewal of 10 projects led by faculty and staff. The initiatives span professional development, research and experiential learning, with a shared focus on academic excellence and student success.
Established in 2024, the President’s Innovation Fund provides members of the Canisius community with resources to pursue ideas that can advance the university, enhance the educational experience and have a broader impact across campus
“The heart of Canisius is the people, and our faculty and staff are deeply committed to living out our mission, inside and outside the classroom,” said President Stoute. “The President’s Innovation Fund gives them the support needed to turn good ideas into action - whether that means advancing teaching, expanding research or creating new ways for students to learn and engage. That is what innovation should do: move the university forward while strengthening student success.”
Expanding Support for Faculty and Innovative Teaching
The first new faculty-led project will establish the Center for Faculty Development and Innovation (CFDI), which will support faculty in exploring new approaches to teaching and learning.
Building on the work of the university’s existing Center for Online Learning and Innovation (COLI), the CFDI will bring faculty together through professional learning communities to develop evidence-based teaching practices in areas including active learning, student engagement, inclusive teaching practices, technology and artificial intelligence.
The project will be led by Assistant Professor of Communications and Fitzpatrick Family Professor Maura Snyder, PhD; COLI Instructional Designer Tyler Kron-Piatek; and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Operations Irene Holohan-Moyer, PhD.
Expanding External Funding and Opportunities for Students
The second new faculty-led project will help Canisius secure external funding to create new opportunities for students. Through the IMPACT Center, the project will develop two integrated initiatives to raise the visibility of faculty expertise, foster collaboration and expand the university’s ability to pursue support:
The Canisius Institutional Expertise Commons will create a searchable faculty profile system that makes faculty expertise and research interests more visible, helping connect faculty across disciplines and facilitating engagement with outside partners.
The Grantsmanship Onboarding Framework will enable faculty to identify funding opportunities, build interdisciplinary teams and develop proposals focused on student-centered initiatives.
Together, the two initiatives will help advance support of student research, experiential learning and other high-impact educational opportunities.
The project will be led by Psychology Professor and Interim Chair of Counseling and Human Services Jonathan Rodgers, PhD; Director of the Canisius Center for Analytics and Data Ecosystems Heather Campbell; and COLI Instructional Designer Tyler Kron-Piatek.
Building on Innovation Across Campus
The PIF also renewed support for 10 projects led by faculty and staff that expand how Canisius students learn and engage inside and outside the classroom. The projects include supplemental instruction to improve performance in challenging courses, paid internships and other high-impact learning experiences, hands-on and immersive learning through the Makerspace Creator Lab and the Digital Skills Zone, and initiatives focused on student leadership, belonging and career readiness.
The President’s Innovation Fund was made possible through the generosity of Canisius alumni and donors who responded to an invitation to support initiatives with the greatest potential to move the university forward. When it launched in 2024, Canisius committed $1 million over five years to support projects that advance academic excellence, student success and the university’s strategic priorities. To date, the PIF has awarded nearly $500,000 in grants.
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.
