RESEARCH AT VILLANOVA
Our Research Philosophy
As the nation’s only Augustinian Catholic University, Villanova is steeped in a rich tradition of academic excellence and intellectual curiosity. We are committed to the collaborative pursuit of knowledge and applying our discoveries to better our communities and the human condition. Research plays a crucial role in our university mission and is an integral part of a Villanova education. Our faculty are committed to excellence both in their teaching and in their scholarship, and embody the teacher-scholar model. Our students, both undergraduate and graduate, are true partners in the research and creative process. As the Vice Provost for Research and Chief Research Officer, I advocate for Villanova scholarship and support the research and creative endeavors of our dedicated and distinguished faculty and our talented students.
Please explore our research pages to learn more about research funding, the exciting projects our faculty and students are involved in, and the challenging problems they are tackling.
Warm Regards,
Amanda M. Grannas, PhD
Vice Provost for Research
Chief Research Officer
Dr. Amanda M. Grannas is Professor of Chemistry, Vice Provost for Research and Chief Research Officer. She completed her BS in Chemistry and Math at Juniata College in 1998 and obtained a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University in 2002. Following her graduate work, she was a postdoctoral scholar at The Ohio State University with a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Geological Sciences. Since joining the Villanova faculty in 2005, Dr. Grannas has established a thriving research group focused on environmental and atmospheric chemistry and has mentored over 40 research students. She has a diverse range of expertise, and her recent projects include the study of snow and ice photochemistry, the fate of pharmaceutical and personal care products in local watersheds, and the development of advanced analytical techniques used to study ice cores. A prominent and internationally known expert in snow chemistry, she has participated in a number of field studies in both the Canadian and Alaskan Arctic and has included a number of Villanova students in her fieldwork. Her research has been supported by the EPA, NSF, NOAA, and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. Dr. Grannas’ previous honors include being awarded a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation, and being one of seven faculty nationwide recognized in 2013 as a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.
SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH
Scholarly research is the process of inquiry that leads to the discovery of new knowledge. Research by our distinguished scholars—be they faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, or professional research staff, is at the heart of Villanova’s scholarly culture, a culture that is a fundamental part of our community of learners.
Villanova supports its faculty and student researchers through the following offices: