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Benedict, Claflin, and Furman Faculty Researchers Receive EPSCoR/IDeA Funding

January 30, 2018 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

SC EPSCoR SRP Schools
Six research faculty members at Benedict College, Claflin University, and Furman University are part of four teams that have been awarded funding by the SC EPSCoR/IDEA‘s Stimulus Research Program (SRP).

This program was developed to strengthen South Carolina’s research capacity and research competitiveness and encourage collaboration between comprehensive research universities and predominantly undergraduate institutions in South Carolina.

SC EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) receives funding for SRP proposals from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and NASA.

SC EPSCoR’s independent evaluators reviewed 29 proposals for SRP funding in late 2017, and announced the four winners in early January 2018. The four proposals are each eligible for up to $300,000 for two years of project team research.

The four projects selected for 2018-2019 funding are as follows:

Data-driven optimization of bioengineered vascular scaffolds as an advanced material for small diameter blood vessel replacement
Primary Investigator: Wayne Carver, USC School of Medicine
Co-PIs: Derrick Swinton, Claflin University; John Eberth, USC; William Richardson, Clemson University; and Matthew Stern, Winthrop University.

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors as a next-generation technology to address the food-energy water nexus
Primary Investigator: Scott Husson, Clemson University
Co-PIs: Jessica Ferrer, Benedict College; Brannon Andersen, Furman University; Nicole Berge, USC; Sudeep Popat, Clemson University; and Gary Amy, Clemson.

High Performance Li-S Batteries
Primary Investigator: Apparao Rao, Clemson University.
Co-PIs: Marlena Washington, Claflin University; Ramakrishna Podilla, Clemson University; Simona Onori, Clemson University; John Weidner, USC; and Narayanan Kuthirummal, College of Charleston.

Intersection of epigenetic regulation and mitochrondrial function in autism
Primary Investigator: Jeff Twiss, USC
Co-PIs: Omar Bagasra, Claflin University; Linnea Freeman, Furman University; Luigi Boccuto, Greenwood Genetic Center; Kevin Champaigne, Clemson University; and Sofia Lizarraga, USC.

SC EPSCoR/IDeA will hold their 2018 State Conference on April 7, 2018, and more information will be presented about these four projects at the event. The conference will also include presentations that address research topics from Vision 2025: Advancing South Carolina’s Capacity and Expertise in Science and Technology and the NSF Big Ideas. This event is free and open to the public, and will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center (Click here for customized driving directions.). Conference presentations will also include updates on MADE In SC, which includes NSF-funded, multiple-year initiatives at Claflin University and Furman University.

Beckman Scholars Program bolsters Furman’s undergraduate research

February 22, 2021 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

GREENVILLE, S.C. (courtesy furman.edu) — Furman University has once again been named a Beckman Scholars Program awardee, receiving funds for undergraduate students and their faculty mentors to take a deep dive into biology, chemistry, or a combination of the two.

Since 1999, Furman has received the recognition, which includes funding for students and faculty mentors for laboratory supplies and travel expenses to scientific conferences and meetings. Previous awards funded research into the chemical origins of life, discoveries related to solar energy and bacteria-resistant films to line water pipes.

In the latest round of awards, which are made every three years, Furman will receive support for a cohort of four students and their faculty mentors who will tackle problems in the chemical and life sciences. In May, Furman will name the new crop of students, and they will begin research projects in summer 2021.

“The receipt of our eighth consecutive award is a testament to the accomplishments of the 28 Furman scholars that have participated in the program to date,” says Tim Hanks, the Charles Ezra Daniel Professor and chair of Furman’s chemistry department.

During the last research cycle, which began in 2018, Rachel Cooke ’19, Ariel Gale ’20, Christine Fasana ’22 and Allen Knepper ’22 were named Beckman Scholars.

In Chemistry Professor Greg Springsteen’s lab, Cooke worked toward understanding the origins of life on Earth by exploring reactions that may have been in play in early biological metabolism, those that might have provided the foundation for the evolution of RNA and DNA biomolecules.

“Research advances in the field of origins-of-life chemistry can inform us about how life emerged on the early Earth and where we might find life elsewhere in the universe,” says Cooke, now a second-year graduate research assistant at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Working with Furman Professor of Chemistry George Shields, Gale, a Ph.D. student at Emory University and prolific researcher, published four papers in 2020, two of them focused on examining the polymerization of glycine in Earth’s prebiotic atmosphere. “Her research has the potential to shed light on how peptides, essential for life, were formed in the early atmosphere of Earth,” Shields says.

Fasana, a mentee of Associate Chemistry Professor Mary Elizabeth Anderson, has studied nanomaterials for alternative energy applications. She began work her freshman year characterizing nanoparticles, then transitioned to a new project focused on the formation of ultra-thin films. Her initial research project resulted in a first-author publication and presentation through the Made in SC EPSCOR program in the summer of 2020. It was selected for inclusion in an upcoming National Science Foundation panel.

Knepper is developing a novel coating system that resists the formation of biofilms by inhibiting the adhesion of organic matter and by releasing bactericides on demand. This coating might be applied to potable water pipes and fittings to prevent water-borne disease outbreaks, according to Hanks, Knepper’s mentor.

The 24 Beckman Scholars who have already graduated Furman did so with an average 3.93/4.0 GPA. Two earned Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, the nation’s preeminent undergraduate award in the sciences, and seven were awarded National Science Foundation graduate fellowships. Twelve entered Ph.D. programs, five enrolled in medical school, four entered M.D./Ph.D. programs, and one entered graduate school in public health administration, at institutions including Emory, Harvard, Princeton and Vanderbilt.

See the complete list of this year’s 12 institutional awardees for the Beckman Scholars Program, one of several programs administered by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. For more information, contact Tim Hanks in the Department of Chemistry at tim.hanks@furman.edu.

Seven SCICU Colleges Selected for SC Biomedical Research Network (SC INBRE)

September 4, 2018 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

Seven SCICU member institutions are joining other SC colleges and universities in the National Institutes of Health-funded biomedical college research network in South Carolina. SC INBRE (SC IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) promotes research collaboration among South Carolina’s comprehensive research universities (Clemson, USC, and MUSC) and predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs).

The SCICU members participating in SC INBRE are Anderson University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Columbia College, Converse College, Furman University, and Presbyterian College.

The NIH established the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to increase research capacity by programmatic expansion and networking of research activities of faculty and students at academic institutions throughout certain targeted states – with South Carolina being one of those states.

SC INBRE is achieving that goal by supporting the career development of faculty and hands-on research training of students at network institutions through annual workshops for faculty and students focusing on career development, mentoring and other relevant topics. The organization also provides funding opportunities to faculty members at SC INBRE’s network institutions.

SC INBRE’s Steering Committee includes the following faculty representing SCICU member institutions:

Claflin University
Dr. Angela Peters
Vice Provost of Academic Programs, Professor of Chemistry

Converse College
Dr. Neval Erturk
Professor of Biology and Chair of Biology, Chemistry & Physics Department

Furman University
Dr. John Wheeler
Associate Provost for Integrative Science

Dr. John Kaup
Coordinator of Science Education, Office of Integrative Research in the Sciences

Presbyterian College
Dr. Giuseppe Gumina
Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Assistant Director of Research

Dr. Stuart Gordon
Assistant Professor of Biology

SC INBRE teamed up with SC EPSCoR (related to Made in SC research, as reported earlier by SCICU), another SC-based collegiate research network, to host academic leadership / career development workshops in 2018. SCICU was well-represented well at these workshops, with attendees including faculty and students from Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Converse College, Furman University, Presbyterian College, and Voorhees College.

In August 2018, students and faculty members from SCICU member colleges were recognized at SC INBRE’s Research Symposium hosted by USC-Columbia. Faculty members from Benedict College and Furman University received poster awards in neuroscience and molecular/cellular biology respectively. SCICU students were also featured in the symposium’s student poster sessions. More information, including research abstracts and photos, may be viewed at the SC INBRE 2018 Research Symposium page.

Dr. William Case, professor of Chemistry at Converse College, was featured in the SC INBRE 2018 Research Symposium magazine. Dr. Case was the 2017 SCICU Excellence In Teaching award recipient for Converse College.

SC INBRE-funded projects and SCICU’s undergraduate student/faculty research program share strong connections. Furman student Jacqueline Bendrick, mentored by Dr. Adi Dubash, Furman biology professor, received SCICU funding in 2017 for a project titled Desmoplakin Promotes Cell Migration via Coordinated Control of p38 MAPK and RhoGTPase Signaling. Bendrick presented research results for the project at the February 2018 SCICU Research Symposium.

Dr. Dubash built off of Bendrick’s research with an SC INBRE-funded 2018-19 research award given to his project Desmoplakin Harnesses Rho GTPase and p38 MAPK Signaling to Coordinate Cell Migration. SCICU’s coverage on Dr. Dubash’s award may be read here.

Four SCICU Professors Selected for NSF-Funded Collaborative Research

May 10, 2018 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

Research scientists/professors at Benedict College, Converse College, and Erskine College have been selected to participate in collaborative research projects funded by the NSF-supported GEAR CRP (Grants for Exploratory Academic Research Collaborative Research Program).

The GEAR CRP program is funding five (5) SC research teams, each for a one-year term and up to $60,000 per project. These teams are composed of a lead principal investigator at a SC research university and at least one co-principal investigator from a predominantly undergraduate institution. Two previous SCICU news releases have reported on related research funding, as follows:

The four (4) SCICU professors participating in the GEAR CRP projects are as follows:

Dr. Gurcan ComertBenedict College

Benedict College – Dr. Gurcan ComertProject focus: A hybrid discrete-continuum model for simulating sprouting angiogenesis in 3D biofabricationLead primary investigator is Dr. Qi Wang (University of South Carolina).Additional investigator is Dr. Yi Sun (University of South Carolina).

Dr. Hon Jiang
Benedict College

Benedict College – Dr. Hon JiangProject focus: Multivalent cell recognition through galectins using virus nanoparticlesLead primary investigator is Dr. Qian Wang (University of South Carolina).Additional investigator is Dr. Li Cai (USC-Lancaster).

Dr. Sheri Strickland
Converse College

Converse College – Dr. Sheri StricklandProject Focus: Programmable polymers based on restricted rotation formed by free radical polymerizationLead primary investigator is Dr. Kenneth Shimizu (University of South Carolina).

Dr. Ekaterina Michonova
Erskine College

Erskine College – Dr. Ekaterina MichonovaProject Focus: The effect of physical and chemical signals on cellular behavior across multiple scalesLead primary investigator is Dr. Konstantin Kornev (Clemson University).

Additional information on GEAR research may be read on the MADE in SC – SC EPSCoR/IDEA website.

Claflin and Furman Part of $20 Million NSF-Funded MADE In SC Initiative

January 2, 2018 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

100617_MADEinSCrNd-tricolor Claflin University and Furman University are among ten South Carolina colleges and universities that will receive National Science Foundation funding as a part of the MADE In SC Initiative.

The new initiative — Materials Assembly and Design Excellence in South Carolina — comprises a broad spectrum of faculty teams. South Carolina is one of five states to receive nearly $20 million each from the National Science Foundation through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which builds research and development capacity in states that demonstrate a commitment to research but have thus far lacked the levels of investment seen in other parts of the country.

South Carolina’s EPSCoR MADE In SC project will advance fundamental knowledge of complex materials while simultaneously working toward the development of products with valuable commercial applications, such as improved lasers, water treatment and regenerative medicine. The project will accelerate the development of novel materials, combining computational and experimental methods to predict and test materials properties and apply that knowledge to enable more targeted design of new materials. This project will focus on intelligently designed optical and magnetic materials, polymers and materials that respond to stimuli and material that can interact and become integrated with living tissue.

Claflin will receive $450,000 over five years to assist with the Master of Science in biotechnology degree program. Dr. Verlie Tisdale, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, will serve as the institutional director for the project at Claflin.

Furman will receive $1.3 million to provide for faculty stipends and purchase new research equipment. Some of the funds will also be used to engage K-12 teachers in materials science training through Furman’s Office of Integrative Research in the Sciences.

The Principal Investigator for MADE In SC is Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, vice President for research at the University of South Carolina. In addition to Claflin, Furman, and USC-Columbia, the other seven SC colleges and universities participating in MADE In SC are Clemson University, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Charleston, USC-Beaufort, Winthrop University, South Carolina State University, and Florence-Darlington Technical College.

“We will build on the impressive network of expertise and infrastructure that already exists in the state, further strengthening our reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse, and growing our materials research and development enterprise to new heights,” said Nagarkatti.

Among the current corporations in South Carolina for which Made in SC will provide support and future employees are AVX, BMW, Boeing, Cure Innovations, GE, IBM, Michelin, Milliken, Poly-Med, Savannah River National Laboratory, and Tetramer.

More information regarding the MADE In SC program can be found here.

News releases from the National Science Foundation, The Greenville Journal, and GSA Business Report were sourced and compiled for this article.

Claflin Part of Collaboration to Model New Technology Engagement

March 7, 2017 By SC Independent Colleges & Universities

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Clemson University a grant to support a new model for effective engagement in the cyberinfrastructure ecosystem through collaboration with historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). The project, titled “CC* Cyber Team: Cyberinfrastructure Empowerment for Diverse Research, Scholarship, and Workforce Development (CI Empower),” plans a regional, long term empowerment model through a collaboration with Claflin University, Clemson University, Jackson State University, Morgan State University, and South Carolina State University.

The $250,000 award is aimed at a permanent impact on each institution’s research capacity and transforming the way research is done on partner HBCU campuses.

CI Empower will work to develop a campus cyberinfrastructure strategic plan and expertise for each campus, tailored to HBCU campus environments. On-campus research cyberinfrastructure experts will engage local researchers and understand their needs, locating resources and offering expert help while coordinating with partner campuses to share experiences and expertise.

“The NSF award is directly aligned with our strategic goal of furthering academic and research excellence through collaboration and strengthening infrastructure,” said Joey Brenn, associate vice president for information technology at Claflin and a Co-PI of CI Empower. “This will allow Claflin to develop a cyberinfrastructure plan that ensures a structured framework to support the computational research needs of our faculty.”

On-campus cyberinfrastructure experts will work with faculty as well as securing and providing training, resources and assistance to bolster campus education. The HBCU team members will leverage Clemson University’s past success in obtaining CC* and other campus cyberinfrastructure awards, Clemson’s leadership in other NSF programs, and partnerships built through South Carolina EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure awards.

Additional partners in the project include Miron Livny, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin, Director of the Center for High Throughput Computing (CHTC), and Technical Director of the Open Science Grid (OSG); and Linda Akli, Director of Outreach and Training, Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA).