Investigators at 4 state universities receive grants

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Nine investigators at four state universities have received grants from the SC EPSCoR/IDeA state office’s 2018 Scientific Advocate Network program.

The program, part of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and Institutional Development Awards, aims to increase diversity in materials research and education. It provides funding to support and recruit underrepresented students in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

The funding is made possible by South Carolina’s National Science Foundation EPSCoR research infrastructure improvement track-1 award, MADE (Materials Assembly and Design Excellence) in SC.

The awards have a maximum budget of $10,000 each and have been given to the following investigators:

• Angela Alexander-Bryant, Clemson University, recruitment of underrepresented minority graduate students in bioengineering
• Matthew Boylan, University of South Carolina, graduate recruiting in mathematics
• Eric Davis, Clemson University, improving graduate student diversity in chemical engineering via recruiting and retention
• Michael Matthews, University of South Carolina, diversifying the engineering graduate student body for MADE in SC
• Oliver Myers, Clemson University, investigations of functional shape variable bistable composite laminate design  
• Angela Peters, Claflin University, biomaterials research  
• Natalia Shustova, University of South Carolina, educational support network for minority students in STEM disciplines
• Jijun Tang, University of South Carolina, retaining a diversified group of graduate students in computer science and engineering
• Cynthia Wright, Medical University of South Carolina, Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students travel and registration costs