Chemistry and biochemistry awarded major grant for research

The Welch Foundation has awarded Lamar University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry a $200,000 grant. The departmental research grant will gift the department $50,000 a year from June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2025.

The Welch Foundation is one of the nation’s largest private funding sources for fundamental chemical research

at universities, colleges and other educational institutions in Texas. This is the second time in recent years that LU has been awarded the grant.

“The whole department is excited about this grant,” said Ozge Gunaydin-Sen, associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences. “The grant is simply to support research, both undergraduate and graduate as well as faculty research.”

Gunaydin-Sen applied for the department grant for three years and was surprised to be awarded $50,000 for four years.

The grant funds provide important resources to integrate research components in labs for the delivery of LU degree programs in chemistry. It is anticipated to significantly enhance the experiential learning for students in different branches of chemistry including instrumental analysis. This extra layer of research exposure is a critical part in cultivating the next-generation chemists.

The Welch Foundation departmental grant program “supports research in chemistry and provides an opportunity for students to gain experience in laboratory research.” Grant funds can be used to provide students with research tools, scholarships, lab equipment and chemicals as well as travel to industry meetings and conferences. The program focuses on small and medium-sized educational institutions in Texas.