students in chemistry lab

Ashland University Receives Grant to Support Science Research

Published on Nov. 05, 2013
Ashland University

11/5/13 ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University has received a $25,000 grant from the Gerstacker Foundation in Midland, Mich., to support research in the science programs at the university.

“We are very grateful for the ongoing support of the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation,” said Dr. Dawn Weber, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “Collaborative research between faculty and students is a significant component of our science programs. This gift will directly impact several ongoing research projects.”

Dr. Rebecca Corbin, associate professor of chemistry and lead principle investigator for the grant, said the grant will be used to purchase a liquid chromatography (LC) system in AU’s Kettering Science Center.

“This equipment will be interfaced to a mass spectrometer and used in chemistry teaching as well as research,” Corbin said.

She said the classes impacted by this grant will include quantitative analysis and instrumental analysis. These analytical courses are taught by Corbin and Dr. Jeffrey Weidenhamer, trustees’ distinguished professor of chemistry. 

“These courses have had record-high enrollments in recent years, and the ability to provide students with hands-on experience with instrumentation is central to the mission of Ashland's chemistry program,” Corbin said.

Corbin said the grant also will enable the expansion of student-focused research opportunities, which range from the measurement of phytotoxic chemicals in plants and soil with Weidenhamer and Brian Mohney, associate professor of chemistry, to the structural characterization of proteins with Corbin, to the identification of covalent modifications that impact eye lens protein structure over the course of aging with Dr. Mason Posner, professor of biology.

Ashland University, which has been ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. ###