Press Releases
Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - General News
WSU Vancouver Receives Grant for Science and Math Labs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/3/2009
CONTACT:
- Steve Bollens, Science Programs, 360-546-9116, bollens@vancouver.wsu.edu
- Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9602, marcomm@vancouver.wsu.edu
VANCOUVER, Wash. - The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust has granted $220,000 to Washington State University Vancouver for expanding teaching capabilities in science and math laboratories. This grant will help the WSU Vancouver campus build upon three core areas-environment, technology and leadership-by allowing students to combine field and classroom study.
Starting in the fall, WSU Vancouver will offer revised science courses in: environmental data acquisition and analysis, microscopy and imaging, and computing. The equipment and software upgrades made possible by the Murdock grant will help students improve their ability to collect and analyze data.
"This grant from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust will allow us to significantly enhance our biology and environmental science programs through curricular reform and state-of-the-art laboratories," said Professor Stephen Bollens. "Introductory and lower-division courses will benefit from bringing ‘real world' examples of data collected from local habitats into the classroom. Expanding our ability to use new technologies is of critical importance in the instruction and training of science students. Research opportunities for undergraduates are underdeveloped and this grant will supplement and complement our new classroom curriculum."
The Murdock grant will allow WSU Vancouver to continue to provide well-educated graduates who will contribute to economic development in highly competitive fields in Southwest Washington and state wide.
The project will be implemented by a leadership team of three WSU Vancouver faculty members. Stephen Bollens, Brian Tissot and Dawn Banker will ensure all instructional equipment and software upgrades are fully implemented into the undergraduate- and graduate-student curricula, with emphasis on developing new laboratory exercises that support classroom lectures.
WSU Vancouver is celebrating 20 years of bringing quality education, research and service to the citizens of Southwest Washington. The campus is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. WSU Vancouver offers 16 bachelor's degrees, 10 master's degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Learn more at http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu
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