This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This award provides funds for Virginia Wesleyan College to modernize Blocker Hall, the College's Natural Science Facility. The renovation will result in six moderns labs dedicated to research and three joint teaching/research labs. Upgrades will include replacement of electrical, plumbing, lighting, temperature control, ventilation systems, and cyberinfrastructure. For some of the labs, substantial changes to room configurations will be made.
Renovations to the facility will significantly increase the quality of faculty research by enabling investigators to address more complex research questions, thus broadening the scope of these activities. Modernization of the research labs will diversify and enhance hypothesis-driven research activities in areas that are not currently possible (scanning electron microscopy and ion chromatography). The creation of dedicated research spaces that are usable by faculty from different disciplines will also promote collaborations and enhance the overall quality of research training across the natural sciences. Modernization of the cyberinfrastructure will enable more effective communication, thus increasing connectivity with the global scientific community and fostering collaborative research through electronic media between the VWC community and scientists worldwide.
Renovation of the facility will dramatically improve research training and the pursuit of independent, hypothesis-driven research projects by students majoring in biology, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences. Students will gain invaluable experience with modern research tools, thereby providing opportunities to develop critical skills and techniques. Renovation of Blocker Hall will double the capacity for student research projects. VWC's student body is very diverse (31% of natural science majors are minorities). The renovation will have a positive impact on the participation of historically underrepresented groups in independent research projects in the natural sciences. Graduates from the College who participate in research training will be more competitive for admission into graduate and professional programs and will enhance their preparation for careers in natural sciences and science education.
Built in 1970, S. Frank and Wilma Blocker Hall is Virginia Wesleyan College’s only natural sciences facility. A recently completed major renovation project totaling $2.8 million has provided a much needed overhaul. These renovations allow students to access modern research facilities and instrumentation that will prepare them for advanced study and careers in the natural sciences and beyond. The renovations were predominantly conducted over the Summer 2010 and 2011 to prevent the disruption of classes. Phase 2, conducted during Summer 2011, was made possible in large part by an ARI-R2 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The $621,507 grant for the "Strategic Modernization of Undergraduate Research Facilities in the Sciences" was funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The ARI-R2 grant provided support for the renovation of six dedicated research labs and three joint teaching/research labs. The renovations included substantial changes to room configurations to ensure that lab benches and work spaces can support more student projects than in the past; significant upgrades to electrical, plumbing, lighting, temperature control and ventilation systems; addition of appropriate storage for each lab; and the addition of a cyber infrastructure to enable more effective access to the internet. Performance Metrics for Completed Project Category A – Scientific Merits – Impacts upon Current Research Projects 1. Systematics of Neotropical Harvestmen from Central America (Dr. Victor Townsend, Jr.). Dr. Townsend supervised research by two students in Fall 2011, five students in Spring 2012, and is mentoring four students during Fall 2012. Research spaces have included Blocker 4, 203, 102, 302, and 305A. 2. Ecological Roles of Fishes and Turtles in Lake Nutrient Cycles (Dr. Maynard Schaus). Dr. Schaus supervised two research students in Fall 2011 and two students in Spring 2012. Research spaces have included Blocker 101A and 102. 3. Sensory Physiology of Marine Fishes and Semi-aquatic Turtles (Dr. Soraya Bartol). Dr. Bartol was on Sabbatical during the Fall 2011 semester and did not conduct undergraduate research in Spring 2012. 4. Mercury and Tributyltin Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay (Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm). In Fall 2011, Dr. Malcolm did not supervise students. In Spring 2012, she mentored one student, who presented her research at the VWC SURS. Research spaces used have included Blocker 203 and Blocker 203A. This fall, Dr. Malcolm is mentoring two students on research projects involving Blocker 203A and Blocker 4. 5. Regulation of Gene Expression in Neurospora crassa (Dr. Philip Rock). Dr. Rock mentored one research student in Fall 2011 and no students during Spring 2012. This student’s project used Blocker 6 and 210 (renovated using non-NSF funds). Category B – Scientific Merits – Development of New Research Programs 6. Sandstone Diagenesis in the Tidewater of Virginia and Maryland (Dr. Chris Haley). The SEM was installed in Blocker 4 in Jan. 2012. Dr. Haley is mentoring two in Fall 2012 with projects involving Blocker 4. 7. Trace Metal Contamination of Waterways in Southeastern Virginia (Dr. Maury Howard). Dr. Howard’s undergraduate research program involves using FAAS for sample analysis. She mentored two students during the 2011-2012. These students conducted research in Blocker 301A, Blocker 305A, and Blocker 302. Broader Impacts Expansion and Diversification of Research Experiences. GOAL: Increase the number and types of undergraduate research training opportunities provided by the renovated spaces from 22 in 2007-08* to 48 in 2011-12, an increase of 118%. Fall 2011 Research Students: 10 Spring 2012 Research Students: 16 Summer 2012 Research Students: 2 Fall 2012 Research Students: 18 Research students often use multiple lab spaces. For example, all SEM projects require the use of Blocker 4 (SEM), 102 (dissections) and 302 (fume hoods). We are actively monitoring use of the joint spaces to ensure that they conform to prescribed limitations for non-research use with respect to time and space allocations. For 2011-2012, we experienced an 18% increase in research activities in Blocker Hall (compared to 2007-2008). For 2012-2013, the increase of 36% in undergraduate research training (compared to 2007-2008) is due to significant rise in science enrollments at the College and the acquisition and installation of new instrumentation. Increase Quality of Research. GOAL: Increase the number of manuscripts and presentations by faculty and students from 19 in 2007-08* to 27 in 2011-12, an increase of 42%. This metric was not achieved for 2011-2012. We expect to increase significantly the number of conference papers and the number of manuscripts submitted in 2012-2013, especially with completion of multiple studies begun in 2011-2012 and with the presentation of many student papers at state and regional conferences in Spring 2013. In addition, faculty in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics submitted a successful NSF S-STEM proposal during the 2011-2012 year, a NSF TUES proposal in May 2012 and a NSF MRI proposal in January 2013.
