GRSP GRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLARS PROGRAM December 2013 Volume 6 Alabama EPSCoR alabama’s Graduate Research Scholars Program - GRSP - Is unique Among National EPSCoR Programs. Few states have committed major resources toward the sponsorship and development of its next generation of researchers, scientists, and innovators. The GRSP is a state investment in Alabama’s universities that will expand research output, attract quality graduate students and make our universities more competitive for quality faculty hires. The program will provide a highly trained workforce to fuel the growth of high technology companies in Alabama. A significant goal of the GRSP is to encourage interdisciplinary training and research, to train professionals for careers in the scrutinized fields, and to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to consider careers in these fields. Table of Contents Message from the ALEPSCoR Steering Committee Chair....................................................................4 Message from the ALEPSCoR Executive Director................................................................................5 Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................6 Tables and Statistics............................................................................................................................7 GRSP Presentation to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education .......................................................8 Featured Research Scholars...................................................................................................................................9-32 .. Scholars Listing, Round 8.......................................................................................................10 GRSP and Beyond ..........................................................................................................................................33-70 Campus Coordinators ....................................................................................................................................71-74 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 75-84 Index of Scholars ..........................................................................................................................................76 Alumni Roster/Expected Graduation Dates ......................................................................................77 Quick Reference Guide ..................................................................................................................................78-83 AL EPSCoR Steering Committee ..............................................................................................................84 GRSP Graduate Research Scholars Program Alabama EPSCoR Message from Alabama EPSCoR Steering Committee Chair November 2013 Dear Colleagues, Since 2006, the State of Alabama has invested over $ 7 million in support of the Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP), a program that has offered research opportunities to over 187 graduate students with $25,000/year multi- year awards under the guidance of some of Alabama’s finest research scientists. During the spring of 2013, forty-three students were selected for support during GRSP Round 8 to conduct EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) research in Alabama starting that fall through research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Of the forty-three students selected, twenty-one students are new awardees; twenty-two are repeat awardees. The GRSP has assisted in the achievement of thirty-three (33) Master’s degrees and ninety-four (94) Ph.D. degrees as of December 2013. Projections for 2014 include nine (9) more M.S. and nineteen (19) Ph.D. degrees. This is indeed an investment in Alabama’s future, research capacity, and economy. I invite you to glance through the following pages to discover some of the exciting research being done by these students, they include research in areas such as: composite materials, cancer therapies, energy harvesting, organ transplants, CO2 capture, catfish genetics and genomics, imaging of the outer retina, animal stress, reptile and amphibian diversity, fuel cells, ionic liquids, sensors for environmental pollutants, resins for dental applications, and nanophotonics. In addition, we have included updates from students previously featured in our annual GRSP publication; some are continuing their education and research, some have graduated and are busy with jobs, post-doctoral positions, or starting companies. Thank you for your interest in the Alabama EPSCoR Program and especially the Graduate Research Scholars Program. Sincerely, Shaik Jeelani Chair, Alabama EPSCoR Steering Committee Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs Tuskegee University 4 GRSP Alabama EPSCoR Graduate Research Scholars Program Message from Alabama EPSCoR Executive Director November 2013 The Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP) continues to be a great opportunity for outstanding students and mentoring faculty members of Alabama. As Alabama EPSCoR Executive Director, and a current and past GRSP Faculty Advisor, I have witnessed the numerous benefits of the GRSP not only to the students, but to their faculty advisors. The goal of the GRSP is to attract high quality graduate students to Alabama’s research universities increasing the pool of highly trained graduates who will become our State’s industrial and academic leaders of the future. Dr. Joel Andrews will be the GRSP featured presenter at the Annual Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) Meeting in December 2013. Joel, a native of Mobile, Alabama earned his undergraduate degree in Biology and German from Earlham College. After receiving a Fulbright Full Study Grant to study and teach in Vienna, Austria, he used the lessons learned from this experience to teach in Mobile, Alabama. His love of teaching encouraged him to pursue a Ph.D. in Basic Medical Sciences with an emphasis in Molecular Biology at the University of South Alabama (USA). Joel was awarded GRSP support from 2008-2010, and performed EPSCoR related research at USA with his GRSP Ph.D. advisor Dr. Sailen Barik. Joel earned his Ph.D. in May 2010 and became a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Rajeev Samant’s laboratory at the Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) in Mobile, Alabama. He now serves as the Manager of the Biomolecular and Cellular Imaging Facility at the MCI and is striving to make Alabama’s MCI more accessible to the state-wide research community. Joel is a true GRSP success story, because of his State GRSP support he has achieved a Ph.D. and followed that with a rewarding career at the Mitchell Cancer Institute that is saving Alabama lives, as well as, serving as an example for up and coming Alabama students. I know you join me in wishing Joel, as well as all the students supported through the GRSP, much success in whatever path their studies lead. Please take a few minutes to review the wonderful array of research being supported by the GRSP. Alabama’s GRSP program is an investment in Alabama’s future. In this document, we hope to show you just how exciting Alabama’s high tech job future is due to the GRSP program. Sincerely, Christopher M. Lawson, Ph.D. Executive Director, Alabama EPSCoR Vice-Chair, Coalition of EPSCoR States Professor, Department of Physics University of Alabama at Birmingham 5 GRSP Graduate Research Scholars Program Alabama EPSCoR P Overview The Alabama Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ALEPSCoR) Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP) was established in 2006 by the Alabama State Legislature through a $1 million increase in a line item appropriation to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, fiscal agent for funds to the ALEPSCoR Program. The intent of the legislative funding is three-fold: 1) to strengthen and enhance the research capacity of ALEPSCoR institutions1 by positioning them to be more competitive in attracting eminent senior faculty, 2) to retain for Alabama the brightest and best of our graduate students for careers in disciplines related to science and engineering, and 3) to address the economic need for highly trained professionals to ensure the growth of emerging technology companies in this state. Initially GRSP funding was targeted to support graduate students associated with the four (4) Centers of Excellence funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Infrastructure Improvement Award (RII-2). In FY 2007-08, the program was expanded to include qualified students at all ALEPSCoR universities whose proposed research or field of study and career interests are congruent with the funded science and technology EPSCoR programs of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The success of Alabama’s long term commitment to promoting the education and careers of its most talented graduate students cannot be overstated. Since 2006, the Legislature has appropriated nearly $7 million in support of the GRSP. As of October 2013 an estimated 187 students have been recipients