December 3, 1999

Excellence pays off in grants

Following is an abbreviated list of faculty members and their projects that have received funding from the Board of Regents Departmental Enhancement Grants.

Kurt Birdwhistell chemistry $40,450 for forensic chemistry:

• Under the direction of Kurt Birdwhistell, chair and associate professor, William Walkenhorst, assistant professor, and Paul Wilson, director of laboratories, the Department of Chemistry proposes to purchase the necessary database units and HPLC instruments for the development of major and minor forensic tracts in the chemistry department.
• Barbara Ewell City College $55,924 for electronic enhancement:
  The grant will enhance the technological skills of faculty members through outside and inside technology workshops and through mentoring programs designed for on-line and electronic enhancement. In addition, City College intends to hire technical assistant Carvette Hillard to work on hardware applications and to keep software applications up-to-date and efficient.

Other Grants:

• Patricia Dorn NIH $89,480
  This is the first NIH grant that has been awarded to Loyola University in over 30 years. It helps to establish Loyola University's involvement in biomedical research and provides opportunities for undergraduate students to work on important public health problems.
  The NIH grant is a three-year grant to support the research Dorn and her students are doing in collaboration with colleagues in Guatemala. The project researches and analyzes the genetics of insects that transmit parasites causing Chagas disease. The project uses DNA techniques to determine if there are subpopulations that can be distinguished. Distinct subpopulations of the bugs may be better at transmitting the parasite or may be more resistant to pesticides.
• Mary Brazier and Mukul Bhalla NSF$38,291
  The NSF grant falls under the Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program of NSF. The title of the grant is "Computerized Enhancement in Cognition, Sensation & Perception, Test & Measurement, and Physiological Psychology Laboratories."
  The purpose of the grant is to upgrade existing laboratories in the psychology department, for both lab courses and student independent research in these areas. This will affect all psychology majors (approximately 270), minors (40), and music therapy majors.
  The project will develop a networked computer facility for instruction, research, and training, to enhance cognition, sensation and perception, test and measurement, and physiological psychology courses and labs. This facility will provide opportunities for enhanced student understanding of concepts and research methodology through direct experience, expanded student and faculty research possibilities, and training in technology as an information source.