Chemist James Brozik, associate professor at WSU’s College of Science, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a hands-on summer research experience for undergraduate students to learn more about how chemistry and biology are fundamentally interrelated. The program will run for the next three years, using NSF funds of more than a quarter of a million dollars.
The program will bring together faculty from the Chemistry Department, the School of Molecular Biosciences and the Institute of Biological Chemistry to train the students. The undergraduates will have workshops on important issues in biological chemistry, as well as seeing demonstrations of state-of-the-art lab techniques used at WSU. The students will also work in faculty laboratories on independent research projects for nine weeks from the end of May to August.
“We are excited about this opportunity to open up areas of cross-cutting science to students who may not have seen them before. Students will benefit from seeing and doing research at the interface of chemistry and biology,” said Brozik.
This program will support 12 students per summer with a $5,000 stipend, as well as support for travel and housing in campus dormitories. Participants will also get a chance to experience the Palouse on field trips and a jet boat ride through Hells Canyon.
“This program is the type of work that helps propel undergraduate science majors from being relatively passive students in class toward becoming active members of research groups,” said College of Sciences Dean Michael Griswold. “It’s another example of our emphasis on excellence in face-to-face instruction for the next generation of scientists.”
