Felician University in Lodi, New Jersey, was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Conference Memorial National College, or Pittcon, grant program. The university will use the money to supply their chemistry labs with fluorescence spectroscopy units, instruments used in biochemical, medical and chemical research for analyzing organic compounds.

The grant proposal, which was co-authored by Felician Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Alfredo Castro and Felician Assistant Chemistry Professor Dr. Balwant Chohan, was chosen from a pool of 48 applicants. Both professors are excited about what having this equipment will mean for students and their research, as fluorescence spectroscopy units are something many students don't even see until graduate school.

Professor Chohan says the units will give students hands-on experience and because they are low-power and low-maintenance, they will allow Felician to "deploy multiple units, and every student will get to spend time with the units and we won't have to line up 30 deep to use them."

Dr. Castro added, "We are committed to providing a rigorous up-to-date lab application at Felician, and this financial support is going to allow us to buy analytical equipment that will greatly enhance our curriculum. We want our students to be prepared for what lies ahead, be it graduate school or medical school."

Dr. George Abaunza, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, who provided a letter of support as part of the grant application, shared his enthusiasm: "The School of Arts & Sciences is committed to supporting our science courses and grant awards that enhance our degree programs, develop our faculty, and encourage student-centered learning and research. The acquisition of this new equipment will allow our faculty to do what they know best - engage our students in collaborative active learning experiences."