The West Virginia University Institute of Technology will receive a $25,000 grant from EPSCoR in support of the WV Research Challenge Summer/Semester Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE).
This is the third consecutive year that WVU Tech has received this grant for a total of $75,000.
Richard Schoening, chair of Tech’s chemistry department states, “This grant supports WVU Tech’s emphasis on undergraduate research concurrent with its commitment to academic excellence in the STEM programs. The pursuit of new initiatives in emerging energy technologies and diversified biotechnology applications is important to West Virginia’s significant role in the energy industry.”
WVU Tech has been successful in incorporating undergraduate students in ground-breaking research projects that focus on environmental and energy related fields.
In 2009, students impacted by the SURE grant award participated in various research projects that involved several departments and faculty.
These projects included the removal of toxic selenium compounds from aqueous systems which currently has a patent pending; biodiesel fuel preparation from used oil obtained from Tech’s own school cafeteria; and the study of blackworms subjected to selenium compounds to determine the affect of geological systems.
Rebecca Martin, a senior chemistry major from Charleston, says, “The SURE grant taught me how to run various machines in the lab and become more confident in my calculations. It gave me a better understanding of the importance of trace levels of chemicals in water samples.”
“Next fall I want to enter grad school and thanks to the SURE grant I feel I’m much more prepared than I would be otherwise,” Michael Booth, a senior chemistry major from Belington with a 3.3 grade point average states. Michael presented his research work on bioremediation of selenium containing wastewater at the prestigious National American Chemical Society meeting in Washington, DC. “It was a great honor for him to be selected,” adds Schoening.
