Texas State faculty land Cottrell College Science Awards

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
May 18, 2011

Two Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty members at Texas State University-San Marcos have been honored with prestigious Cottrell College Science Awards.

Todd W. Hudnall and Steven T. Whitten were both awarded $35,000 grants May 18 by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The RCSA awards support early career scientists at primarily undergraduate institutions in the United States for significant research that contributes to the advancement of science and to the professional and scholarly development of faculty, and their students, at liberal arts colleges and primarily undergraduate universities.

Hudnall was honored for “Synthesis and Reactivity Studies of Novel Janus-Type Biscarbenes Comprised of Facially Opposed N-Heterocyclic and Carbodicarbenes,” while Whitten’s recognition came for “Role of unfolded protein in functional allostery: multi-domain control of DNA binding in the tumor suppressor protein p53.”

The awards play an important role in the advancement of science, because a) they support research at primarily undergraduate institutions, which play an outsized role in graduating students who go on to earn Ph.D.s in the sciences; b) they support early career scientists, providing them with crucial recognition and funding as they establish their own labs; and c) they require student involvement in the research, and hands-on research has been proven to be an effective way to captivate students interested in the sciences.

The Awards are given for research in the physical sciences (astronomy, chemistry, and physics) or for research in closely related fields that significantly overlaps the physical sciences. Eligible faculty must be within the first three years of a first tenure-track appointment and within 12 years of receiving a doctoral degree. Undergraduate students must be involved in the research in meaningful ways.

For additional information, contact Régine Labossière at Goodman Media International: (212) 576-2700 x229 or rlabossiere@goodmanmedia.com.

About Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA)

Founded in 1912, Research Corporation for Science Advancement (www.rescorp.org)--formerly known as Research Corporation--is the second-oldest foundation in the United States (after the Carnegie Corporation) and the oldest foundation for science advancement. RCSA is a leading advocate for the sciences and a major funder of scientific innovation and of research in America’s colleges and universities.