INSTITUTE – A bioenergy research program at West Virginia State University is one
step closer to fruition with a $100,000 grant from the West Virginia Research
Trust Fund, or Bucks for Brains. The award follows a $300,000 donation from
American Electric Power, announced last month.
The Full STEAM Ahead program will support research in the science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics (STEAM) fields, provide
internships for undergraduate students, and expose youth in grades K-12 to
energy-related education, according to a news release from West Virginia State.
"This initiative will build
expertise in the area of bioenergy by integrating research, outreach and
teaching activities," said Orlando F. McMeans, vice president for research
and public service, noting that bioenergy research has been identified as a
core component of WVSU's research strategy. "To ensure success, a new research
scholar with proven experience in the field will be hired to lead the project."
The incoming faculty research
and teaching scholar will mentor graduate and
undergraduate students and teach a bioenergy-related curriculum. One graduate
student will be selected to participate in a bioenergy fellowship program.
Administrators hope to bridge undergraduate research to the graduate
fellowship.
"We want to identify promising
undergraduate students for the bioenergy research program and offer options for
continuing graduate education in biotechnology," said McMeans. WVSU has offered
a master's degree in biotechnology since 2004.
The program will also
establish 10 internships for freshmen and sophomore students, as well as
utilize an energy-related curriculum to reach K-12 youth. WVSU's Center for the
Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CASTEM) is
partnering with WVSU Extension Service's 4-H program to provide outreach
instruction in after-school and classroom settings throughout the region.
"We will be introducing
agriculturally focused content," added McMeans about the outreach component.
"We want to educate students at a young age about the connectivity of
agriculture and energy."
The West Virginia Research
Trust Fund, also known as Bucks for Brains, is an endowment that supports
expansions to research faculty and infrastructure in areas such as energy,
biotechnology, engineering and environmental science.
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