Dr. Medina-Bolívar, colleagues receive USDA grant Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolívar, ABI and Plant Metabolic Engineering, and colleagues Dr. Nirmal Joshee of Fort Valley State University, Ga., and Dr. Prahlad Parajuli, of Karmanos Cancer Institute, Mich., received a grant of $ 465,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture recently. The ASU component of this 3-year collaborative project entitled "Scutellaria as a Medicinal Crop: Cryopreservation, Hairy Root Culture, Organic Farming, and Anticancer Activity" will focus on the generation of hairy root cultures of Scutellaria as bioproduction systems for potential anticancer compounds. Plants of the genus Scutellaria have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat many human ailments. Currently, extracts from this plant are widely used by prostate cancer patients as supplementary treatment. Dr. Pratte elected a 2008-09 SENCER Leadership Fellow Dr. John M. Pratte, chair, Chemistry and Physics, has been elected a 2008-09 SENCER Leadership Fellow by the National Fellowship Board of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement. SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) is the signature program of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement, a research center affiliated with Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Pratte is one of 76 Fellows chosen from among the 1,300 eligible faculty members and academic leaders who were nominated. Fellowships honor educators for their exemplary leadership and commitment to the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and provide opportunities for honorees to continue their efforts. SENCER Leadership Fellows are elected to 18-month terms. Supported by the National Science Foundation, SENCER stimulates student engagement in science and mathematics through courses and programs focused on real-world problems. For details, see the NewsPage release. Brown works as field producer for Chickasaw Nation Alex Brown, Radio-Television, recently worked as a field producer for the Chickasaw Nation Media Department based in the tribal capital of Ada, Okla. Brown, a tribal member, was contracted by the tribal government to do research, script consulting, audio, and videography. During the month of June, Brown researched and created the itinerary for a tribal staff trip to record significant Chickasaw homeland sites. Brown accompanied the crew from Ada to coordinate videography on location of various sites in Northeast Mississippi, Tennessee, and Eastern Arkansas. Locations included Chucalissa Village, the Tombigbee River in Tennessee, and the Parkin Archeological State Park and Museum, along with several other sites. For details, see the NewsPage release. Back to the top