91�ֿ�

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a $1.86 million grant to Thorsten-Lars Schmidt to develop molecular tools that help researchers to understand membrane proteins. This is the first time a professor at 91�ֿ� has been awarded an R35, which provides promising researchers with a five-year funding for a broader research program, rather than funding a specific project. This gives investigators a lot of freedom to develop new research directions as opportunities arise, rather than being bound to specific aims of a more narrow study.

Congratulations to Torsten Hegmann, Ph.D., and his research group for leading an international collaboration and publishing their work in Science Advances! Their article, titled “Effects of shape and solute-solvent compatibility on the efficacy of chirality transfer: Nanoshapes in nematics” was featured on the Science Advances website.

Scott Sheridan, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Geography, in the College of Arts and Sciences at 91�ֿ�, was recently selected to become an inaugural American Geophysical Union (AGU) LANDInG (Leadership Academy and Network for Diversity and Inclusion in the Geosciences) Academy Fellow.

Intravenous (IV) needle insertion is a practice that many medical professionals learn and need to master. A new cross-departmental 91�ֿ� project in the works will help nursing students improve their skills with cutting-edge technology. 

In a new study, 91�ֿ� Professor Hanbin Mao and other researchers report the creation of an artificial molecule with superpowers. It has the potential to revolutionize nanotechnology – and it also explains one of nature’s intriguing enigmas: Why do we have a right hand and a left hand?

91�ֿ�’s season of giving launched on Nov. 1 with Giving Tuesday, a monthlong celebration of philanthropy. Now halfway through the campaign, the generosity of the 91�ֿ� community has already begun to shine. 

Last Spring, the 91�ֿ� Board of Trustees approved the Anti-Racism and Equity Institute, which creates an important interdisciplinary hub for faculty, students, staff and community members engaged in race and anti-racism scholarship, activism and education. “91�ֿ� is a university that is known for its activism,” Carla Goar, Ph.D., director of the Anti-Racism and Equity Institute, said. “Ideally this institute will serve as a hub for scholars and activists to come together to tackle issues and racial equity."

When it comes to our physical health, regular upkeep and preventative measures are not only expected, but encouraged within our society. However, mental health disorders have yet to be looked upon with the same grace and understanding. Kristen Marcussen, associate professor in the Department of Sociology & Criminology, was recently awarded funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her proposal titled, “Understanding Social Stigma, Stigma Resistance and the Mental Illness Identity.”

As once stated by educational Pioneer and famous American Philosopher John Dewey, all that we learn is derived from experience. 91�ֿ� continues to foster innovation and promote the development of hands-on learning through various collaborative efforts focused on building experience and training. Among the opportunities offered through the university, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program provides undergraduate students with the chance to engage in an intensive research project during the summer break.