BSC Awarded $30K Grant
to Encourage Students to Seek Careers
in Math, Science, & Technology
(BLUEFIELD)--A $30,000 grant awarded to Bluefield State College by the West Virginia Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (WV-BRIN) will significantly assist the College's efforts to begin productive medical research and, at the same time, encourage student to seek careers in science, math, and the technologies. Dr. Ethel Gordon, a BSC faculty member and the author of the grant, indicated the focus of the study will center upon diabetes and associated cardiovascular diseases. "Students will become involved in the research work," she explained, "and will significantly expand their career options because of the experience." "This project will result in the establishment of an animal facility capable of receiving Association and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International approval and, as a result, be eligible for federally funded grants," she continued. "Bringing biomedical research to Bluefield State College creates the opportunity to obtain and utilize funding for research supplies and equipment, assists with underwriting the salaries of research assistants to help with this work, and underwrites certain technical services that will be required."
Plans are proceeding to conduct research into Type I diabetes and expand to some aspects of Type II, she said. Dr. Gordon has already conducted discussions with Dr. Monica Valentovic and Dr. Donald Primerano of the Marshall University School of Medicine and has obtained their commitment to help with the establishment of the biomedical research initiative at BSC.
October 1, 2003
