FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS
A T E P I G GR Lucas Tucker, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry led the research and
development team that invented a product designed to improve traction on the basketball court. The product, called Court Grip, is marketed nationally and is endorsed by professional basketball stars Dwayne Wade and Brandon Jennings. It is applied via a microfiber applicator to the soles of sneakers to enhance traction on the court. The product is sold at Foot Locker and on Eastbay.com in 8 oz. bottles for $14.99 and is designed for elite athletes as well as weekend warriors. “Tucker’s vision and leadership was instrumental in the development and successful launch of Court Grip. When interviewing scientists to help lead the product development team, we instantly knew that he was the man for the job. His reputation in the industry and his attention to detail when it relates to research, chemistry and testing are second to none,” said Mark French, president of Mission Basketball. Along with NBA players and other NCAA programs, the Siena men’s basketball team tested a variety of the original formulas with Tucker during the development process. “After three years of extensive research and product development, I am thrilled to be part of the team that brought this revolutionary technology to the basketball marketplace,” said Tucker.
James Angstadt, Ph.D., professor of biology, resented a research poster and presentation at the p annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Washington, D.C. Amanda Simone ’11 and Nicole Peters ’12 were co-authors on the research project t itled “Effects of Riluzole on Cell DE-3 of the Medicinal Leech: Evidence that a Persistent Sodium Current Contributes to Postinhibitory R ebound Responses and Bursting Activity Induced by C alcium-Channel Blockers.” SIENA 22
Last June marked Angstadt’s fourth consecutive year serving as a faculty member in the “leech cycle” of the Neural Systems and Behavior Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass. This cutting edge course attracts graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from across the nation and around the world. Each year, Angstadt returns to the Siena campus with new ideas that he incorporates into his extensive research program and the lecture/ laboratory components of his neurobiology course.