Grant to Fuel Valpo Student Research

(photo courtesy: Valparaiso University)

Valparaiso University says a three-year grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund will give students immersive research. The school says the funding will support its efforts to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists.

The school says 40 percent of the grant is required to support research students. Assistant professor of chemistry Jennifer Holt says the $70,000 grant will support the creation of eight funded research positions for Valpo students throughout the next three summers. She says the projects will include sophomore and freshmen students.

In a release from the university, Holt said, "The chemistry department believes undergraduate research is key to developing students’ skills so that they can go on to graduate school or industrial positions in chemistry, and this funding will provide that opportunity for several of our students."

The research will focus on host-guest chemistry with the objective to create and optimize new optical materials.