Pullman, Washington State
March 31, 2008
Washington State University (WSU) genomicist Amit Dhingra
and Pullman High School agriscience teacher Tina DaVault have
received a $15,000 Partners in Science grant from the M. J.
Murdock Charitable Trust.
The competitive grant will enable DaVault and several of her
students to conduct Rosaceae genomics research in Dhingra’s lab
for two summers. In turn, DaVault will take what she learns in
Dhingra’s lab back to her Pullman High School classes, where she
will train students in cutting-edge lab techniques and
eventually develop a curriculum in the area of horticultural
genomics.
The Rosaceae family includes Washington’s largest
crop--apples--as well as cherries, peaches, strawberries,
raspberries, roses and nuts. In terms of economic volume,
Rosaceae is the third most important family in the U.S. and
other temperate regions of the world. Its aggregate wholesale
value in the United States is more than $8 billion, representing
8.5 percent of total crop production value in the United States
in 2006.
“This is a great opportunity for students,” said DaVault. “It’s
great to be able to expose students to university research.
“The equipment involved is pretty much general lab equipment,”
she added. “It’s the techniques that have evolved so rapidly
that we need to stay current in order to give our students the
skills they need to succeed.”
Some of DaVault’s students will have the opportunity to intern
in Dhingra’s lab.
“In addition to academics, we also teach job skills. We’ve
placed high school students as interns in WSU labs, where they
continue to work through college and sometimes beyond,” DaVault
said.
“I’m passionate about getting young people involved in science,”
said Dhingra, whose research includes the sequencing of the
Golden Delicious apple genome. “I really admire the energy and
creativity high school students can bring to research. Everyone
benefits from partnerships like this.”
The Partners in Science grant program aims to provide high
school science teachers with opportunities to work at the
cutting edge of science, and thus to revitalize their teaching
and help them use inquiry-based methods in the teaching of
science. Awardees are selected based on the qualification of
partner members, the quality of the research proposed and the
potential for its impact on high school students.
The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust seeks to enrich the quality
of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants and
enrichment programs to non-profit organizations that seek to
strengthen the region's educational, spiritual and cultural base
in creative and sustainable ways. The Partners in Science
program is one of its many efforts to do so in its grant-making
region. |
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