Albany State touts $3.5 million in research grants

ALBANY — Albany State University faculty and staff members have been awarded more than $3.5 million in grants from May to September to fund research.

Areas of research receiving funding include transportation, aeronautics and space, early childhood education, health care, natural resources, and agriculture and forestry.

The ASU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs facilitates and supports faculty and staff in their pursuit of external funding for research, training and other scholarly activities.

“The funds received from external sponsors are vital to an institution being able to engage in research and scholarly activities and to implement programs that promote student success,” Louise Wrensford, graduate dean and executive director of Research and Sponsored Programs, said. “Faculty and staff are to be commended for the time and effort they put forth in securing these awards.”

Joyce Johnson, professor and graduate faculty member in the department of nursing, received funding for a Reality-based Enhanced and Applied Learning grant.

“We are delighted to receive this grant award and look forward to using the grant funds to enhance and expand select ASU master’s degree programs,” Johnson said. “Through these program enhancements, student and faculty scholarship will be promoted, and access to graduate education at ASU will be expanded.”

REAL grant activities will include increasing the reality-based experiences in ASU’s master’s degree programs and the development of a master of science degree with varied tracks. The award is funded for more than $416,000 this year with the potential for renewal for five additional years, resulting in almost $2.5 million over six years.

Seyed Roosta, interim dean of the College of Sciences and Technology; Kwaichow Chan, professor in the department of chemistry and forensic science, and Scott Pierce, program manager, received continued funding in the amount of $471,438 from the National Science Foundation for the Historically Black College and University Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP). The project is designed to encourage and empower students to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

“The HBCU-UP Implementation Project seeks to improve passing, retention and four-year graduation rates among STEM majors to address the nationwide deficit of qualified employees and graduate students in technical fields,” said Roosta.

Mark Masters, director of the Georgia Water Planning & Policy Center at ASU, received $131,368 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture for the first year of a five-year project focused on sustainable use of the Floridan Aquifer.

“The Floridan aquifer is, in many ways, the lifeblood of Southwest Georgia,” Masters said. “We are excited to play an important role in this valuable research and look forward to working with our other university partners.”

Visit www.asurams.edu to view a list of funding awards.