The science program at Southern Arkansas University is busy calculating a formula for a successful future, and recent grants have helped get the program closer to its goals.
More than $78,000 was recently accepted from three grant donors. They include the Brown Foundation of Houston ($50,000), the Alcoa Foundation of Magnolia ($25,000) and GenCorp ($3,110). The grants were written by the SAU Foundation with technical expertise provided by Dr. Scott White and Dr. Tim Shroeder, chemistry professors at SAU.
The Brown Foundation of Houston Texas recently gave $50,000 for Science equipment to Southern Arkansas University. Pictured are, from left, Art Horne of the SAU Foundation, George O’Connor, of the Brown Foundation, and Josh Kee of the SAU Foundation. O’Connor is a representative for the Brown Foundation. SAU representatives visited with Mr. O’Connor’s office in Little Rock to thank him for his advice, leadership and advocacy for SAU.
According to Dr. White, the GenCorp funds will offer hands-on laboratory equipment used daily by a large number of students in upper-level chemical analysis courses. The money donated by the Brown and Alcoa foundations will go toward future major spectrometer purchases. All of the equipment purchased with this money is scheduled to be up and running by the 2007 fall semester.
“The equipment purchases we are looking at will be all mobile,” said White. “And at SAU the undergraduate students from the freshmen level to seniors actually get to use sophisticated chemical analysis equipment and technology and gain hands on experience in the laboratory, so when they graduate and go on to pursue a career or do graduate work they
have considerable expertise in the tools and technology required to be successful.”
As SAU has taken a leading role in research of lignite deposits in South Arkansas, the faculty and administration are equally enthusiastic about the expanded opportunities these equipment purchases will mean for the applied research of energy and mineral resources.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to expand our science equipment, which is leading us toward a greater scientific research effort on the part of our faculty,” said SAU President Dr. David Rankin. “This is particularly important in regards to our research relating to natural resource utilization in our region, which is very important in regards to economic development.”
The fact that the equipment is mobile is also important as SAU pushes forward in its campaign for a new Science Center.
“All of our purchases for the science department over the past five years, from the equipment to lab tables and chairs, can be moved into the new Science Center once it is completed,” said Dr. Joe Winstead, SAU Dean of Science and Technology.
The science and technology programs at SAU encompass the five departments of Agriculture, Biology, Math and Computer Science, Nursing, and Physical Sciences and Technology. In addition to a bachelors and associate degree in chemistry and a minor, as well as options in medical technology and associated emphasis in pre-professional medical areas; the Department of Physical Sciences and Technology also supports a Degree in Engineering Physics with tracts in manufacturing and industrial technology. This Department also provides numerous required supporting courses for the other degree programs housed in the College of Science and Technology.
For additional information on the SAU science program, visit http://www.saumag.edu/academics/science_and_technology/ or call (870) 235-4290.
