Here are recent grants awarded to Illinois State University facutly and staff.
Dr. Szczepura earns NSF grant for chemistry research, named Distinguished Professor
Dr. Lisa Szczepura, of the Department of Chemistry, has received a three-year, $383,627 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop synthetic methodologies for the preparation and study of transition metal cluster complexes containing acetylide-based ligands.
Appears InThe chemistry of cluster (multi-metallic) systems containing acetylides is notably lacking compared to those involving single metal complexes. A recent report by Szczepura and her team revealed some unexpected reactivity of rhenium clusters containing the phenylacetylide ligand, setting the groundwork for the proposed studies.
Developing synthetic methodologies for the preparation of novel rhenium cluster acetylides, and investigating their reactivity and physical properties, will allow for a deeper understanding of the nature of the cluster-carbon interactions, and will establish the role these cluster-acetylides will play in the broader field of metal acetylide chemistry. This research will be conducted in collaboration with undergraduate and master’s students.Also, Szczepura was named a Distinguished Professor last year, recognizing her 27-year career at Illinois State. Szczepura has received considerable recognition for her scholarly achievements including being named a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, Outstanding University Researcher, and University Professor. She has over 50 publications (most of which include student co-authors) in nationally and internationally ranked journals, and has secured $2.3 million in external funding for her work.
NSF award to fund chemical reactions research
Illinois State Professor of Organic Chemistry Andrew Mitchell and UC Davis Professor Dean Tantillo and have received a three-year, $510,759 grant from the
National Science Foundation (NSF).
Drs. Mitchell and Tantillo are developing new chemical reactions relevant to many fields, including materials science, medicine, and environmental sustainability. At Illinois State, the Mitchell Group, composed of undergraduate and graduate students, studies cycloaddition reactions, while at UC-Davis, the Tantillo Group uses cutting-edge computational modeling to aid in understanding the chemical reactions taking place at Illinois State.
The reactions studied transform flat molecules into 3D building blocks similar to biologically active compounds with medical applications.
Grants funds educational program on healthy aging for incarcerated women
Dr. Jim Broadbear, professor of health promotion and wellness in the Department of Health Sciences, was awarded a one-year, $60,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health.
The grant-funded project “Health Aging: Making Deposits for Now & the Future” is a collaboration between Illinois State and Millikin University that will develop an educational program on healthy aging for women who are incarcerated. The program will be designed to address healthy aging and longevity science with special attention on the unique challenges of being incarcerated.
Americans are experiencing an epidemic of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes. A person with a history of being incarcerated is at even greater risk for these chronic diseases. The program will focus on evidence-based behavioral strategies to enhance physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, stress management, and other health behaviors.
Chemistry team uses NSF grant to acquire crystal X-ray diffractometer
A Department of Chemistry-led team has received a three-year, $447,923 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to acquire a single X-ray diffractometer to support the research and teaching as Illinois State and collaborating institutions.
Professor Gregory Ferrence and Associate Professor Christopher Hamaker, the grant’s principal investigators, secured the grant as part of a larger group that includes their departmental colleagues Distinguished Professor Timothy Lash and Professor Shawn Hitchcock and professors at several other universities across the country.
An X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full 3D structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles and provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of a molecule relative to neighboring molecules. This instrument facilitates research in the areas of organic, organometallic, and metalorganic (coordination) chemistry and is expected to enhance the instruction of Illinois State chemistry students.
USDA grant to fund Experiential Learning in Applied Statistics and Data Science program
Dr. Nicholas Heller, associate professor in the Department of Agriculture and a Provost Fellow, is part of a team led by Dr. Carrie Butts-Wilmsmeyer, of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, that received a five-year, $750,000 USDA grant.
The grant funds the Experiential Learning in Applied Statistics and Data Science (ELIAS-DS) program, which provides experiential learning opportunities to students at the intersection of data science and crop science. Students emerging from the program will have gained the applied data science skillset necessary to be competitive applicants to the workforce or graduate school.
Some students will start with a data science bootcamp and will be provided free access to data science workshops offered during the academic year. Fellows will be selected from these students who will engage in fully funded, up-to-two-year experiential research projects that blend data science and crop science.
