The Marshall University NASA Advisory Committee annually awards over 20 research-based scholarships to undergraduate students representing the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geology, Integrated Science and Technology, Mathematics, and Physics. The awardees include student researchers at all levels of their undergraduate careers. For 2007, we were able to fund 23 proposals submitted by 3 freshmen, 4 sophomores, 6 juniors, and 10 seniors. These awards have supported projects in diverse areas such as Newton's Method/Matlab Graphical User Interface, Medicinal Plant Cell Cultures in a Microgravity-based Bioreactor, and Obtaining Quantitative Results from the Scanning Electron Microscope Using Minerals of Known Composition. Marshall is pleased to report that we have awarded 122 student research scholarships over the past 5 years.
This year, Marshall’s NASA Advisory Committee also awarded two faculty enhancement grants. Dr. Chris Burcher from the Department of Biological Sciences received funding to study the influence of ambient calcium concentration on mussel shell development. This is a collaborative project with Jeff Kovatch (Biological Sciences) and Tom Jones (Integrated Science and Technology). Dr. Huong Nguyen from the Physics Department received funding for her project entitled, "Optical Properties of Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Excitons in a Semiconductor Nanorod Coated by an Organic Shell." This is a theoretical investigation to determine the parameters needed to control and optimize the efficiency of quantum nanorod /organic systems.
In addition, the Committee awarded travel funds to three faculty members. Dr. Jagan Valluri from the Department of Biological Sciences received support to travel to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to meet with Dr. Antony Jeevarajan, Chief Scientist at the Biomedical Research and Operations Laboratories. Dr. William Price (Chemistry) and Dr. Menashi Cohenford (Integrated Science and Technology) received funds to attend national meetings.
Marshall’s NASA Advisory Committee consists of representatives from all departments within the College of Science, as well as representatives from the College of Information Technology and Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts. For more information regarding funding opportunities and the functions of this Committee, contact Dr. Marcia Harrison, Biological Sciences, Marshall University, at (304) 696-4867 or harrison@marshall.edu.