Rep. Doris Matsui Announces $350,219 for Sacramento State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, June 19, 2009

CONTACT: Alexis Marks or Mara Lee

(202) 834-0282

Rep. Doris Matsui Announces $350,219 for Sacramento StateRecovery Act Funds Will Create Research Opportunities for Faculty and Students

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) announced California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) will receive $350,219 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for several research programs. The federal funds will allow Sacramento State faculty, undergraduates, and local high school students the opportunity to research various areas in the sciences, and will allow CSUS to remain a leader in preparing highly qualified math and science teachers.

"I commend Congresswoman Matsui's outstanding work to help Sacramento State's students and faculty members, especially during these challenging economic times," stated Sacramento State President, Alexander Gonzalez. "I look forward to continuing our strong partnership and realizing more funding opportunities from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act."

Today's announcement supports three different projects, all of which enrich Sacramento State's science programs. The first allocates $257,795 for research on solid phase microextraction to determine emission rates of sesquiterpenes from terrestrial vegetation. It provides funding for one Master's degree and one undergraduate student to research and have meaningful data to present at regional and national conferences.

The second provides $74,760 from the federal Noyce Teaching Fellowship Program for an effort among the colleges of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Education that will create new training programs for math and science teachers. Without the stimulus funding, that program, the Beyond Seamless Transitions: Blurring the Boundaries Along the Learning-to-Teach Continuum, would not have been funded.

"Dr. McReynolds and Dr. Baker are two of our brightest and most research-active faculty members in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics," said Dr. Joseph Sheley, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Sacramento State. "These awards are for important research: Dr. McReynolds' grant will support summer research for two undergraduate students and an advanced high school student and will advance the understanding of natural and synthetic compounds and their impact on the body's biochemistry. Dr. Baker's grant, which will also help fund student research activity, regards the study of emissions from vegetation, which can release aerosols that are not well understood and are critical in influencing global climate. These grants are reflective of the quality of the applied research taking place at Sacramento State. "

Dr. Sheley added that the NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship planning grant for Dr. Deidre Sessoms and Dr. Jennifer Lundmark is a partnership among the colleges of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Education at Sacramento State, and area school districts, including the Sacramento City Unified School District. "This planning grant is an important collaboration with our public school partners and will ultimately help Sacramento State develop a more rigorous and discipline-based focus in new teacher support programs for mathematics and science teachers."

Finally, $17,664 has been awarded for two undergraduate students and one high school student to study anti-viral drugs, specifically looking at novel water-soluble glycodendrimers as anti-HIV agents.

"The combination of these grants is great news for Sacramento State and our community," said Congresswoman Matsui. "It is imperative that we continue to support math and science with federal funding, and I am pleased to see additional recovery funds continue to support our local schools."

To see where all of the recovery funds have been allocated throughout Sacramento to date, visit www.matsui.house.gov/recovery for a complete list and interactive Google Map.

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