Report of the President, Gonzaga University 2014-2015

Page 19

IMPACT

Research Grants Congratulations to these faculty members for securing grants to benefit students’ learning: Carla Bonilla, received nearly $60,000 from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, in support of her research on Molecular Mechanisms of Bacterial Oxidative Stress Response. Joey Haydock received a National Science Foundation grant in the intensively competitive Animal Behavior Directorate for Biological Sciences. Haydock is collaborating with Cornell and Old Dominion universities on this project. The total award is for $410,387 with Gonzaga receiving $114,056. Ben Semple, secured an $89,380 grant from Startalk, a federally sponsored program designed to teach elementary and high school students less-commonlytaught languages. This was the seventh year for Semple to offer the program, in which nearly 60 students learned about Chinese language and culture. Brook Swanson, received a National Science Foundation grant for $102,808 for a project titled “The Evolution of Extreme Traits,” which is part of a collaboration with WSU and the Universities of Montana. Jeff Watson, secured a $250,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to provide biology, biochemistry and chemistry majors with crucial laboratory skills by integrating the Linked Experimental System model into the curriculum.

Professor Steve Schennum

New Venture Lab Continues Finding Solutions

$1.1 Million Grant for Faster Data

Working in partnership with Gonzaga’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership

Steve Schennum, professor of electrical engineering, received a $1.1 million

Program, New Venture Lab uses student brain power to help local

grant from the National Science Foundation to research opportunities

entrepreneurs develop new products and businesses. A student-run consulting

to meet the increasing demand for reliable and secure high bandwidth

organization, the lab helps with things like market research, which in turn is

wireless communications. The grant – the largest federal research grant

a great career-enhancing experience. This year, the lab helped LINC (Local

Gonzaga has received to date – allowed Schennum to build an anechoic

Inland Northwest Cooperative) Foods, Hoopfest and others.

chamber to conduct advanced research to send more data wirelessly and to send it faster. The technology has widespread commercial applications, including first responders such as police and fire-rescue units.

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT 2015

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