鈥淲ith upgraded equipment, 91短视频 will provide richer, practical laboratory, research, and project-based experiences to prepare students for lucrative careers in STEM fields and nursing,鈥� states a grant application submitted by Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success for 91短视频.

The grant request also includes a 鈥渟mall salary allocation to support the procurement, calibration, and installation of equipment鈥� and to train faculty and students on its use.

It further states that the upgraded equipment would provide a significant educational opportunity for current students, attract faculty and students to 91短视频, and enhance contributions to STEM and health care fields through research, publication, consultation with local businesses, and a better-prepared workforce in Virginia.

鈥淭his project would amplify the impact of our current NSF STEM scholarship program, which increases postsecondary education access for academically talented, Pell-eligible students,鈥� the request states.

The 鈥�91短视频 grows STEM鈥� project is among a list of community priorities highlighted in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal spending bill, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced in a news release in February.

For a full list of projects in the Shenandoah Valley and Highlands regions of Virginia funded through the FY26 spending bill, .

91短视频 91短视频

91短视频 is a fully accredited university known for its outstanding STEM and health program preparation. Over 90% of job-seeking graduates of 91短视频 find employment quickly, with many in nursing and STEM employed before graduation. 91短视频 is a Forbes Best Return on Investment University and is one of the best colleges in the regional South (U.S. News & World Report). 91短视频 STEM students gain practical and technical skills through project-based experiences and social networks through mentorship from faculty and supportive learning communities. 

A new $11,905 grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) will expand capacity at the 91短视频 Free Food Room to meet sharply rising demand. 

Funding will also provide enhanced outreach, better data tracking and reporting methods, and other improvements to the access and security of the campus food pantry.

Rising demand

Data collected from a door counter at the Free Food Room indicates that demand has risen sharply over the past two years. Average monthly usage (August through May) was 256 visits in 2023-24 and 318 visits in 2024-25, and is projected to reach 630 visits in 2025-26.

The cost of purchasing food has risen significantly to keep pace, increasing from $189 per month in 2023-24 to $263 in 2024-25, and is projected to reach $371 in 2025-26.

Based on utilization trends and observations, an estimated 25% of 91短视频 undergraduates experience some level of food insecurity each year, wrote Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, in a grant application. 鈥淕iven this data, our best estimate is that approximately 183 undergraduate students use the food pantry each year, most of them regularly,鈥� he wrote.

Partnerships and priorities

The Free Food Room has relied on the dedication of the Food Insecurity Task Force, a group led by 91短视频 staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum, as well as donations and community partnerships with the local food bank and area farms.

Current funding sources are no longer sufficient to meet demand, underscoring the importance of grant support, Swartz wrote in the application.

Swartz said members of the task force submitted the application in mid-December, expecting to receive between $2,000 and $3,000 in funding. A month later, they learned they had been awarded $11,905.

鈥淭he Free Food Room has sustained itself but has had no significant budget, so any amount of money would鈥檝e helped us,鈥� Swartz said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e surprised and grateful to receive almost $12,000, which will help us more strategically increase the food supply.鈥�

Keeping students ‘on track’

91短视频鈥檚 grant is among a total $500,000 awarded to 48 colleges and universities throughout Virginia. 

According to a , Shenandoah Valley neighbors received the following funding: Mary Baldwin University, $14,882; Blue Ridge Community College, $11,905; Bridgewater College, $8,928; and James Madison University, $5,952.

The grants allow institutions to establish on-campus food pantries or partner with local food banks to provide food at no charge to students, the release states. In addition, grant funds can be used to increase partnerships and build more sustainable solutions for campus hunger. Funding amounts are based on the percentage of in-state Federal Pell Grant-eligible students enrolled at the institution.

鈥淢ore than 40% of college students experience food insecurity at some point, which can lead to several adverse outcomes, including dropping out of school. Virginia鈥檚 investment in campus food pantries will help keep our students on track to reach their educational goals,鈥� said Scott Fleming, SCHEV鈥檚 executive director, in the release.

The grants are funded by the enacted by the General Assembly in 2025. SCHEV published a on campus food insecurity in November 2024 that made several recommendations and offered resources for institutions.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been conscious of how much money I鈥檓 spending,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to have tons of debt I鈥檒l have to pay back later, especially at high interest rates.鈥�

And so for Vasquez, who works a part-time job at The Home Depot, financial aid from the Montgomery GI Bill, the Virginia Tuition Grant (VTAG), and a new National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM Scholarship has been a godsend in covering the full cost of his college education.

鈥淲ithout the NSF S-STEM Scholarship, I would鈥檝e struggled financially,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he scholarship really takes the pressure off my shoulders, because now I won鈥檛 have that debt looming over my head.鈥�

Born and raised in Harrisonburg, Vasquez graduated from high school in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and attended Blue Ridge Community College while enlisting in the military. After completing recruit training, taking time to reassess his academic goals, and changing majors from business to computer science, he transferred to 91短视频 last fall.聽

He is among an initial cohort of 91短视频 students receiving the NSF S-STEM Scholarship, which provides:

• Up to $15,000 in unmet financial need annually for the length of the degree
• A paid one-week Bridge to College program
• A STEM mentorship program
• An eight-week paid internship
• Free conference attendance
• Forest restoration opportunities in Park Woods (91短视频鈥檚 on-campus woodland)

The scholarship is open to high-achieving, income-eligible students who are majoring in Biochemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Math, or Psychology (research/STEM track).

Applications for the S-STEM Scholarship
are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

For more information, visit .

鈥楢 welcoming community鈥�

Forming friendships at a new school can have its challenges.

Along with other initiatives provided by the scholarship, a Bridge to College program helps new 91短视频 students adjust to life on campus by moving them in a week early, introducing them to STEM faculty and staff members, and engaging them in activities to build camaraderie and form connections with one another. Students participating in the weeklong program receive a generous stipend for their time.

Ani Koontz, a first-year biology and secondary education double major from Newton, Kansas, is a recipient of the S-STEM Scholarship. She recalled traveling to Shenandoah National Park with students and faculty the week before classes, surveying salamanders and hiking trails, before bicycling around Downtown Harrisonburg on a tour led by city officials.

鈥淭hat first week showed me how friendly and approachable my professors are,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e done a great job creating a welcoming community.鈥�

Another S-STEM Scholarship recipient, Mara Carlson, is a first-year psychology major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 鈥淢any of us have become close friends,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檒l see the other scholarship recipients around campus and we鈥檒l say hello to each other.鈥�

Through the scholarship, each student is paired with an academic advisor specific to their major, who can answer questions and help guide them forward. Carlson said she meets with Kathryn Howard-Ligas, assistant professor of psychology at 91短视频. 鈥淲e discussed a four-year plan, and I was really grateful for that,鈥� she said. Part of that plan includes gaining invaluable experience through internships and conferences, additional perks of the S-STEM Scholarship.

Carlson said she already knew she wanted to attend 91短视频, and that receiving the S-STEM Scholarship was 鈥渁 nice surprise.鈥�

For the Kansas-born Koontz, 91短视频 had always been on her radar, but she also considered attending in-state schools that normally would鈥檝e been cheaper. When she learned she had been offered the S-STEM Scholarship and that it would lower her college costs to 鈥渁 very affordable amount,鈥� her choice to attend 91短视频 became an easy one.

鈥淚t’s 100% the reason I came,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I got that, it meant I could completely afford to go here, and it honestly made 91短视频 more affordable than any other college in my area. It鈥檚 my joy to share how grateful I am because this is truly just an amazing thing that 91短视频 has.鈥�

The success has been broad-based, with grants coming from a diverse range of sources, including federal agencies, foundations, and professional associations. This mix of funding highlights the wide-ranging impact of research and programs at 91短视频, and positions the university as a leader in multiple fields. The results of these grants have helped support student success initiatives and professional development opportunities, and provide resources for staff and faculty roles.聽

Among the notable recent achievements:

• The National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM Grant provides scholarships and support services for high-achieving, income-eligible STEM majors. This grant helps create a greater sense of belonging and opens new pathways for students in critical fields. It supports a STEM mentorship program, an eight-week paid internship, free conference attendance, and meets unmet financial need up to $15,000.聽
• The HRSA BHWET Mental Health grant provides $25,000 stipends for 59 counseling students in internships from Fall 2025 through Spring 2029, while expanding their partnerships and services to schools and clinical sites in areas such as Page County, Virginia, and Pendleton County, West Virginia. The grant also funds conference registration and travel reimbursement for internship students and provides specialized training in telehealth, integrated behavioral health in primary care, and trauma-informed care.
• A SAMHSA grant addresses mental health support, suicide prevention, and substance abuse prevention and education among 91短视频 undergraduate students. This is a critical initiative that provides vital support services and programming to the campus community. Royals RISE is the name of the program tasked with implementing the grant objectives and goals.聽
• A DOJ Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) grant designed to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking at 91短视频. The OVW grant is the third iteration of a grant that 91短视频 has had since 2017. Safer Together is the name of the 91短视频 program that collaborates with community and campus partners to enhance its safety.

Foundation and association grants

• The supports interfaith dialogue and religious literacy initiatives that align with 91短视频鈥檚 commitment to peacebuilding and cross-cultural understanding.聽
• The Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement Grant: Funding from the Council for Independent Colleges supports the development and expansion of 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Teaching and Learning, providing faculty with enhanced resources for pedagogical innovation and student success strategies.
• The supports 91短视频鈥檚 distinctive approach to vocation and calling, funding programming that helps students discern their life鈥檚 work through the integration of faith, learning, and service.聽
• Lilly Endowment Grants support 91短视频鈥檚 commitment to vocation exploration and faith integration in higher education. The university has benefited from many Lilly grants that have enabled innovative programming that connects academic study with personal calling and community service.聽
• A Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Grant expands training opportunities for students pursuing chaplaincy and pastoral care ministries, reinforcing 91短视频鈥檚 commitment to holistic care and spiritual formation. This grant, in collaboration with Palm Beach University, funds the training of a Resident as a Certified Educator to teach in 91短视频鈥檚 CPE program and expand its capacity for offering CPE units.

Together, these grants represent more than $5.6 million in support for 91短视频鈥檚 mission-driven work. They affirm the dedication of 91短视频鈥檚 faculty and staff and the potential of its students.

Had she known about the generous stipend support available to 91短视频 counseling students, Jessie Hoffa MA 鈥�22 (counseling) says her decision of where to attend graduate school would鈥檝e been an easy one. 鈥�91短视频 would鈥檝e been a shoo-in,鈥� she said.

It was only after comparing the counseling programs at different schools that she realized 91短视频鈥檚 program struck the perfect balance. It offered a quality curriculum, skilled and passionate teachers, and solid student outcomes鈥攁ll at an affordable price. The fact that it was within an hour鈥檚 drive of her Greene County, Virginia, home also didn鈥檛 hurt. 

鈥淚 can tell you right now, there鈥檚 no program out there as good as 91短视频鈥檚 for that price鈥擨鈥檝e looked at so many of them,鈥� said Hoffa, who is now a resident in counseling for the Charlottesville-based Piedmont Counseling Collective. 鈥淥n top of that, to receive an extra $10,000 during my final year was such a blessing.鈥�

The licensed professional counselor is one of 121 91短视频 counseling graduates since 2017 who have benefited from substantial internship stipends, interdisciplinary and interprofessional seminars, and expanded partnerships and training opportunities funded by two previous Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants.

Grant reflects quality of graduate counseling program

A new $2.37 million, four-year grant awarded to 91短视频鈥檚 Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program this summer from HRSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will continue to build on the work of those two previous grants. The MAC program received a $1.28 million grant from 2017 to 2021 and a $1.01 million grant from 2021 to 2025. Those awards provided $10,000 internship stipends for counseling students serving rural and medically underserved communities.

The latest grant project, known as the Interdisciplinary Education in Action: Valley Counseling Expansion (IDEA: VCE) Project, will provide $25,000 stipends for 59 counseling students in internships from Fall 2025 through Spring 2029, while expanding their partnerships and services to schools and clinical sites in areas including Page County, Virginia, and Pendleton County, West Virginia. The grant also will fund conference registration and travel reimbursement for internship students and provide specialized training in telehealth, integrated behavioral health in primary care, and trauma-informed care.

Dr. Michael Horst, former director of 91短视频鈥檚 graduate counseling program, and Sarah Pace, administrative assistant for the program, submitted the grant proposal application in January and learned they had received the award at the end of June. 

鈥淭his recognition from HRSA speaks to the remarkable quality of our program,鈥� said Horst, who became dean of 91短视频鈥檚 Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences division on July 1. “Not only to the instruction in the curriculum and that we鈥檙e CACREP-accredited (accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs is the recognized gold standard for mental health counseling training), but also to the incredible site placement work that Dr. Jennifer Cline, counseling program director, has done over the years to ensure our students are serving in rural and medically underserved communities.鈥�

Stipend a 鈥榞ame changer鈥�

Students in the three-year MAC program are required to complete 600 hours of internship experience during their final two semesters, which is equivalent to about 20 hours per week. With that many hours spent at their internship sites, not to mention their classes and coursework, students can find it difficult to devote time to other responsibilities. 

Back when he was a student in the program, Zachary Pennington MA 鈥�19 (counseling) had a full plate. In addition to his academic courseload, he balanced raising three young children and working three jobs. When he learned he would be receiving a $10,000 stipend during his final year of training, he breathed a sigh of relief knowing he could step back from those jobs and invest more energy in his clients through his internship placement at National Counseling Group in Harrisonburg.

鈥淭hat stipend was a game changer,鈥� said Pennington. 鈥淚t allowed enough space for me to focus on my clinical training and academics, and it helped me balance it out and make it all possible.鈥�

Pennington now serves as clinical director of Shenandoah Psychological Services in Roanoke, an office he opened two years ago. He continues to serve clients from rural and underserved communities and said his internship experience, traveling to clients鈥� homes around Rockingham, Augusta, and Shenandoah counties, shaped his commitment to helping those populations.

Like Pennington, Hoffa served rural and medically underserved communities during her internship and continues that work today. She interned at Region Ten Counseling Center, where she treated clients who 鈥渇ell through the cracks鈥濃�攖hey didn鈥檛 qualify for Medicaid, but also could not afford to have insurance鈥攁nd worked with them to find a payment they could afford. She also provided counseling services to students and teachers in Greene County Public Schools.

A nationwide need

The purpose of the HRSA grant, which is administered through the agency鈥檚 Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) , is to train more mental health counselors and address shortages in the counseling workforce, both nationwide and locally, in areas where mental or behavioral health services may not be accessible. The program also has a specific focus on understanding the needs of children, adolescents, and young adults at risk for mental health, trauma, and behavioral health disorders.

While the prevalence of mental illness is similar between rural and urban residents, the services available can be very different, according to the . Results from a 2018 study show that one of the most significant challenges preventing rural Americans from receiving care has been the shortage of mental health professionals in those areas.聽Data from a 2021 report show that rural areas have 87.7 counselors per 100,000 people, compared with 131.2 counselors per 100,000 in urban areas.

Many clients served by 91短视频 internship students pay low-fee or pro bono rates, receiving care they might not otherwise have access to if it weren鈥檛 for those students. And many 91短视频 counseling graduates continue working at their internship sites after graduation, with many securing positions even before finishing the program. Nearly 100 percent of counseling graduates find employment within the first nine months after completing their degree.

鈥淏y expanding into more of these rural and medically underserved areas, we hope to not only have our interns there for the next four years, but also to place our alumni there as counselors who will continue serving those communities,鈥� Pace said.

鈥淚t creates a ripple effect,鈥� said Cline. 鈥淲e believe that every person who becomes healthier contributes to a healthier system. Those clients might become better parents, better partners, better coworkers, and the impact continues to expand, influencing positive outcomes in many areas of life.鈥�

Learn more

An open house informational session for prospective students interested in the Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, in the MAC program department, which is located in the lower level of the Seminary Building at 1181 Smith Ave., Harrisonburg. A virtual open house will be held from 5-6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10. Please RSVP for these sessions by emailing counseling@emu.edu or by registering online at .

The deadline to apply for the program鈥檚 Fall 2026 semester is Jan. 15, 2026. Learn more about the graduate counseling program at .

The grant, awarded through the NSF鈥檚 , will fund up to $15,000 annually for each scholarship recipient throughout the length of their degree. Overall, the S-STEM Scholarship will fund a quality undergraduate education for 23 91短视频 students among three cohorts over the next six years, beginning with first-year students entering the Fall 2025 semester.

The scholarship is open to academically talented students with financial need who are majoring in the following fields: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Math, and Psychology (research/STEM track).

Applicants for the S-STEM Scholarship must submit their application and reference forms by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit: emu.edu/stem/scholarship

In addition to scholarships, the program offers students a paid one-week Bridge to College experience, where they can meet professors, learn material from their discipline, acquire study skills, and become better prepared for college.

91短视频 Biology Professor Dr. Kristopher Schmidt said that some first-year students can struggle to adjust to life on campus, and that the grant aims to ease that adjustment.

鈥淲e want to create a sense of belonging,鈥� said Schmidt, who is principal investigator for the grant program.

The program also provides funding for embedded tutoring services and paid tutoring opportunities for students, specialized advising, and guidance from professional STEM mentors.

鈥淭his would be a person outside the university in their field of interest who can encourage them, help them, and connect with them along their four-year program,鈥� Schmidt said about the mentors. 

The S-STEM Scholarship program offers innovative opportunities for place-based learning and funding for an eight-week paid internship. Students can use grant-funded resources to conduct research on forest restoration in the Park Woods space, which serves as a key learning lab for STEM students.

This latest grant builds on the success of a similar STEM grant that wrapped up in 2023.

By leveraging grants like these, 91短视频 lives into its mission and vision, outlined in its 2023-28 strategic plan Pathways of Promise of opening new pathways of access and achievement, and can help the NSF achieve its goal of diversifying the STEM workforce.

鈥淲e were thrilled to receive this,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited and grateful the NSF has chosen to invest in our students at 91短视频.鈥�

Faculty members Kristopher Schmidt, Jim Yoder, Daniel Showalter, Stefano Colafranceschi and Dean Tara Kishbaugh wrote the S-STEM grant proposal.

The Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) award will support general operations of the 34th annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, which will be held in June 2026.

Les Helmuth, interim manager of the SVBF, said this marks the first time the festival has received an NEA grant. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to be recognized by the NEA for the quality of the artists and other key individuals involved in creating great music for the Shenandoah Valley,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 truly an honor to be the recipient of an NEA grant.鈥�

Bach Festival Artistic Director and 91短视频 Music Program Director David Berry noted that receiving support from the NEA has long been a prestigious mark of distinction for any arts organization. “We’re grateful the NEA has chosen to support the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival as we celebrate our 34th year next June,” he said. “This honor speaks to how special the festival truly is and its great legacy of beautiful music-making.”

Amanda Gookin, previous executive director of the SVBF, wrote and applied for the GAP grant. It is one of more than 1,100 GAP awards nationwide, totaling more than $31.8 million, announced by the NEA on Tuesday.

鈥淭he NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country鈥檚 vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,鈥� said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. 鈥淚t is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place, including 91短视频鈥檚 Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival.鈥�

91短视频 the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival

The annual weeklong summer festival presents vibrant performances on the 91短视频 campus and in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia, by Bach Festival Musicians and guest artists, the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra, Baroque Academy Faculty, and Festival Choir. Learn more at:

91短视频 the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. Its Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation鈥檚 arts and cultural ecosystem, including opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.

The program, Royals RISE (Resilience, Intervention, Support, Education), will be funded over the next three years by a $101,716 Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant. 91短视频鈥檚 grant is by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal program assists colleges and universities to identify students at risk for suicide and suicide attempts, increase protective factors that promote mental health, reduce risk factors for suicide, and ultimately reduce suicide attempts and deaths.

91短视频鈥檚 program will aim to improve its mental health and substance use disorder services to strengthen suicide prevention efforts on campus. It will focus on building stronger connections between campus and community stakeholders, expanding public education on student well-being throughout the academic year, and improving the campus community鈥檚 ability to respond to mental health crises. While serving all students, the program will prioritize supporting those with the most severe mental health challenges, which is the primary focus of this grant.

Goals of 91短视频鈥檚 program will include: Improving coordination of services, protocols, and educational programs related to mental health and substance abuse; Increasing the availability and effectiveness of crisis-response resources, especially related to suicidality; Raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse among 91短视频 students; and expanding mental health services to better support students, especially those with the most severe mental health challenges.

Through the grant funding, 91短视频 will develop deeper collaborative partnerships with local resources like Adagio House, Harrisonburg/Rockingham Community Services Board, Sentara Behavioral Health and the Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia 鈥� recognizing that no single agency can alone provide the network of support that our students and community members need. 

鈥淲e are really excited about this grant and the impact that we believe it will have for our students at 91短视频鈥� said Jonathan Swartz, dean of students at 91短视频. 鈥淭he grant will allow us to put more intentionality and focus toward supporting holistic wellness at 91短视频, with a specific focus on mental health awareness, substance use, and suicidality. We are especially excited to be able to both increase our capacity to provide clinical counseling services at 91短视频 and also provide education and awareness raising programming that all students can access and find useful.鈥� 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at . To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, or alcohol issues, visit . If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to or call 800-662-HELP (4357).

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration () is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA鈥檚 mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.

In addition, many majors include opportunities for internships, where students apply classroom learning to “real world” settings.

Beyond this, a number of students majoring in the sciences, particularly biology or chemistry, are supplementing their laboratory experience with original research projects on and off campus with 91短视频 professors.

91短视频 students Elisa Troyer and David Showalter (l.) look at a sample trace on the computer screen as part of an electrophysiology setup in an instrumentation lab with 91短视频 chemistry professor Matthew Siderhurst. Photo by Jim Bishop

This year, the departments of biology and chemistry are benefiting from seven grants from federal and state agencies or from private foundations, according to Doug Graber Neufeld, professor of biology and chair of the biology and chemistry departments.

“These grants are critical to help to support the many students involved in independent research projects, with the subjects of studies ranging from molecular neurobiology, to the chemistry and ecology of insects to water-related issues in developing countries,” Dr. Graber Neufeld said.

“The past year saw 17 students involved in research projects during the year, with an additional 10 students involved in summer internships with 91短视频 biology or chemistry faculty.”

Work in Cambodia and Thailand

Graber Neufeld and colleagues from Buffalo (NY) State College used funding from an ongoing National Science Foundation grant to take six students, including two from 91短视频, to work in Cambodia and Thailand this summer. The program gives opportunities for students to work alongside local scientists on issues of drinking water quality and sewage treatment.

Another group of six students will be selected to return with him to Cambodia and Thailand the summer of 2009 to continue the work on water issues. The work is a an outgrowth of two years that Graber Neufeld spent working through Mennonite Central Committee on environmental issues in Cambodia.

Allison E. Glick, a junior chemistry major from Pekin, Ill., was among the students who spent last summer doing research in Cambodia.

“I looked at the concentration of pesticides on water spinach still in the field,” Glick noted. “It was a greatly enriching experience where I learned as much about the research process in a location like Cambodia as I did about pesticide longevity,” she added.

‘Connecting theory with practice’

With the help of a $25,000 Jeffress Grant, a Virginia foundation, along with USDA funds and Hawaii Department of Agriculture funds, Matthew Siderhurst, assistant professor of chemistry, is continuing earlier research on pest control in Hawaii, isolating hormones to use in creating more effective insect traps for ants and beetles. 91短视频 students David N. Showalter and Elisa Troyer worked with Dr. Siderhurst last summer in the Suter Science Center laboratory.

Showalter, a senior biochemistry major from Harrisonburg, is writing a paper on the project the fall semester that he “hopes to have published in a scientific journal.”

“I anticipate doing graduate work in biochemistry, and this experience is helpful preparation that I wouldn’t otherwise get,” Showalter said. “It’s proving a valuable way of understanding analytical methods and connecting theory with practice.”

Greta Ann Herin, assistant professor of biology, has participated for two summers in the Shenandoah Valley Molecular Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Students participating in the program investigate the modulation of glutamate receptors that are important in brain function. 91短视频’s portion of the REU amounts to approximately $21,000, including supplies and stipends for the student participants.

Students ‘develop independence’ as researchers

“The goal is for the student to develop independence as a researcher by conducting his/her own research project, gaining skills in the laboratory, being exposed to the primary literature, participating in scientific presentations and discussions,” Herin said.

An 91短视频 faculty group from a cross-section of departments have formed the Shenandoah Anabaptist Science Society (SASS) for constructive engagement of science and religion.

The group has received a three-year, $15,000 matching grant administered by the the Metanexus Institute Local Societies Initiative, a Philadelphia, Pa.-based organization, with funding from the John Templeton Foundation.

SASS steering commmittee member Roman J. Miller, professor of biology at 91短视频, said the Society “provides resources and a formal context to encourage the integration of Christian faith – particularly in its Anabaptist expression and convictions concerning peacemaking and service – while helping students learn more about major real-world issues at the intersection of science and Christian faith.”

Students Doing ‘Cutting-edge Research’

Stephen Cessna, associate professor of chemistry, in collaboration with James M. (Jim) Yoder, professor of biology, secured some $100,000 in grant funding from the National Science Foundation for laboratory equipment for plant psychology and ecology laboratory courses.

“This is not trivial stuff. These students are doing cutting-edge research,” Graber Neufeld said. “As a bonus, a number of students wind up having their research published in scholarly journals or being invited to give presentations at professional conferences.”

He noted that two 91短视频 students, Laura Cattell and Allison Glick, will present findings from their research in water treatment and pesticide use in Cambodia at a conference in Pennsylvania in November 2008. One of Dr. Siderhurst’s students presented at a meeting this summer.

“All the grants we’ve received are involving students in these research projects,” the 91短视频 professor said. “For a school our size, that’s rather impressive.”