Researchers in the College of Engineering have received a $1 million
grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental
Research.Researchers in the College of Engineering have received a $1 million
grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental
Research.
William Burgos, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and principal investigator on the project, said the team will receive the $1 million grant over three years to study "Impact of Iron-Reducing Bacteria on Metals and Radionuclides Adsorbed to Humic-Coated Iron (III) Oxides."
Serving as co-principal investigators on the project are Richard F. Unz, professor of environmental microbiology; Brian A. Dempsey, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Gour-Tsyh Yeh, professor of civil and environmental engineering.
Researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences have received more than $630,000 for the second phase of a unique program that trains students to take an interdisciplinary approach to studying plant root growth.
"This program provides a wide umbrella for students to do research, with thousands of things that they can do relating to root biology," said Hector Flores, professor of plant pathology and biotechnology, and project director of "Radical Biology II: Collaborative Research Training in Advanced Root Biology."
Although plant roots are responsible for a wide array of natural products, they are just beginning to be studied as discrete biological systems, according to Flores. And, he explains, the interdisciplinary nature of this program allows researchers to take a non-traditional approach, bringing together experts in plant biology, genetics, biochemistry, toxicology and many other areas.
Starting in fall 1998, the program will fund two- to four-year training programs for graduate students, who will work with faculty teams in overlapping areas that range from ecology to molecular biology. Undergraduate students who show promise can participate in a rigorous summer study program.
Originally funded through the Collaborative Research Plant Biology Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation (NSF), Phase II funding is provided by the NSF.
Adult Literacy Action of Penn State Beaver has received two Even Start grants totaling $234,000 to be used to fund Family Literacy Programs in Beaver County.
Adult Literacy Action received $80,000 directly from the state Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education. An additional $154,000 was received from the U.S. Department of Education, administered through the state.
The money will be used to provide free parenting and literacy programs to both parents and children throughout Beaver county. Some programs to be offered through the grant include parenting, job readiness, work training, career development, GED classes, English as a Second Language and early childhood education.
The state- and federally funded Even Start Family Literacy Program is designed to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving the educational opportunities of the nation's low-income families.
Adult Literacy Action, now in its 20th year, is a self-funded operation that services 1,000 people each year through a variety of educational programs. It is estimated that 30 percent of all adults in Beaver County need some form of learning assistance.
An Internet-based training project known as "SkillsNet" will provide access to Adult Basic Education and General Educational Development (GED) courses in 17 counties in central Pennsylvania, thanks to a $262,000 grant from the state and $107,024 in contributions from the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.
The $262,000 from the state is part of its Link-to-Learn Infrastructure Investment Project -- Gov. Tom Ridge's three-year, $132-million initiative aimed at expanding the use of technology in the classroom. The contribution from Penn College, an affiliate of Penn State, brings the total to $369,024.
SkillsNet is being spearheaded by Penn College's Technology Transfer Center, known throughout the state for its extensive outreach to business and industry and continuing education efforts.
The Internet-based SkillsNet courses range from basic literacy skills to job skills training. Thomas G. Woodson, SkillsNet project director, said individuals who will benefit from SkillsNet include those seeking to improve their math or reading abilities, obtain a GED (high school equivalency certificate), or upgrade skills for career mobility. It also will benefit individuals referred by business or industry to gain new skills.
For more information, call Woodson at Penn College at (717) 327-4277, or point your Web browser to http://www.pct.edu/link2learn/skillsnet.