3 Gatton Academy Alumni to Participate in WKU NSF Grant For Biotechnology Research

Western Kentucky University’s Biology Department has been awarded its first Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant from the National Science Foundation.

The $300,000 grant will provide nine students, including three 2010 graduates of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, intensive research training in WKU labs during the summer. The research program focuses on the interdisciplinary field of investigative biotechnology.

Students are assigned to a research project based on their interests. The projects are directed by WKU faculty mentors from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science and the research topics encompass broad areas of biotechnology, including animal physiology, plant gene expression, microbiology, virology, biochemistry, protein structure and modeling, bioinformatics, neurophysiology and mathematical biology.

Students participating in the June 1-Aug. 6 program are: Melena Agyemang, Norfolk State University in Virginia; Mark Callaghan, California State University Monterey Bay; James Forshee, a Gatton Academy graduate from Simpson County; Alexander Hare, a Gatton Academy graduate from Rowan County; Hillary Jones,   Georgetown College; Maggie Matheny, a Gatton Academy graduate from Lincoln County; Amanda Nolan, Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas; Stephanie Robey, Kentucky Community and Technical College System; and Shandrea Stallworth, Fort Valley State University in Georgia.

The students will work closely with their faculty mentor and interact with graduate students, post-docs, fellow undergraduates and research technicians. Students will participate in a series of Office of Scholar Development-sponsored workshops that will provide guidance on graduate school applications and grant writing and in a series of faculty-led seminars on reading professional literature and giving scientific presentations.

Through their participation in the WKU REU program, students will gain knowledge in a variety of research areas and develop the skills to prepare them for graduate studies. A major goal of the WKU program is to actively recruit undergraduates from groups that are under-represented in graduate education or from institutions with limited or no research facilities.

For information, contact Dr. Shivendra Sahi at shiv.sahi@wku.edu or Dr. Rodney King at rodney.king@wku.edu.

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For information, contact Rodney King at (270) 745-6910.