WMU HOME > ABOUT WMU > WMU NEWS

WMU News

Researchers awarded more than $1.4 million in grants

April 16, 2004

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University faculty and staffers landed $1,466,615 in grants in February, pushing the total for externally funded awards received since July 1 to nearly $32 million.

A report detailing the $1.4 million, which includes about $1.2 million for research, was made to University trustees at their April 16 board meeting. Notable awards came from the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Michigan Department of Career Development and the Paper Technology Foundation Inc.

A $1 million DOE award to Dr. Clement Burns, associate professor of physics, will support the building of a dedicated inelastic x-ray scattering beamline at the Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source. Located just outside of Chicago, the APS is a facility where members of the international synchrotron-radiation community can conduct research in materials science, biological science, physics, chemistry, and environmental, geophysical and planetary science. Burns' grant is a non-competing continuation of a previously announced 2002 award.

The report also included a $179,000 award from WMU's Paper Technology Foundation Inc. to support research on patented technology recently donated to the University by Kimberly-Clark. Dr. Thomas Wayne Joyce, professor of paper engineering, chemical engineering and imaging, is part of the research team leading projects that involve the treatment of paper fiber and the by-products of paper processing to reuse fibers in consumer products.

Other February grants include the following.

$116, 632 from the Michigan Department of Career Development to an effort directed by Dr. Griselda Daniel, assistant to the dean of the Graduate College, to support fellowships for underrepresented doctoral students.

$81,914 from the National Science Foundation to a project directed by Dr. Stephen B. Malcolm, associate professor of biological sciences, and Dr. Susan R. Stapleton, associate professor of chemistry, to bolster the research experiences of 10 undergraduates who want to pursue careers in scientific research.

$8,000 from General Motors Corp. to Dr. Koorosh Naghshineh, associate professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering, to determine the effectiveness of hearing protection devices currently in use.

$8,000 from American Electric Power to Dr. David Lemberg, assistant professor of geography, to support historic, cultural and environmental research for Michigan Heritage Water Trails.

Media contact: Gail Towns, 269 387-8400, gail.towns@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
269 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/wmu/news