ISSUED: 13 November 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Students at Shepherd University will have more opportunities to participate in plant biology research thanks to two grants totaling about $60,000 awarded to Dr. Courtney Campany, assistant professor of biology.
Campany received a $30,852 LI-COR Environmental Educational Fund (LEEF) grant from LI-COR Biosciences and a $29,723 instrumentation grant from West Virginia Science and Research, a division of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The LEEF grant is in the form of a price reduction for a research-grade portable instrumentation system that can measure photosynthesis, the process in which plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
“This instrument will vastly increase the student learning experience by providing hands-on, processed-based exploration of photosynthesis,” Campany said. “We also welcome a new avenue for undergraduate students to explore research in plant biology, global change, ecology, and agricultural sciences across STEM disciplines.”
Campany said the equipment will allow for new student-led research that will cover natural and experimental investigations in Shepherd’s greenhouse, in natural environments, and with crop plants at Shepherd’s Agricultural Innovation Center at Tabler Farm.
“This piece of equipment is fundamental to my research program,” Campany said. “It will provide the opportunity to drive innovative student research in plant biology for years to come.”
— 30 —
