MonticelloLive

A University of Arkansas at Monticello faculty member has been awarded an $18,900 grant from the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to enhance research and classroom teaching in biomedical education at UAM.
            The grant was awarded to Dr. Marvin Fawley, assistant dean of the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, to purchase equipment to be used in laboratory courses in molecular biology and cell biology as well as microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry labs. The equipment will be used primarily for exercises and research involving DNA analysis and DNA sequencing.
            “This grant will give our undergraduate students the opportunity to work with advanced instruments typical of a biomedical research laboratory,” said Dr. Morris Bramlett, dean of the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. “The students’ work will lead to professional publications and presentations of their research results at state, regional and national meetings. Experiences like these are valuable for students who are planning to attend medical school or graduate school in one of the biomedical fields.”
            Dr. Marvin Fawley and Dr. Karen Fawley, an assistant professor of biology, are currently conducting research projects on the biodiversity, taxonomy, and phylogeny of algae as well as studies using DNA markers for identifying cryptic vascular plants and population structure and evolution of a plant pathogenic virus. The new equipment will allow students to assist the Fawleys in their research.
            Dr. Marvin Fawley is an adjunct professor as well as assistant dean. He holds a bachelor’s degree in botany from Cornell University, a master’s degree in biology from San Francisco State, and a Ph.D. in botany from Miami University. He joined the UAM faculty in 2006.
            Dr. Karen Fawley holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in biology from Old Dominion University, and a Ph.D. in botany from North Dakota State University.
            The Arkansas INBRE program is funded by a grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), under the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program of the National Institutes of Health. The IDeA Program was established for the purpose of broadening the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research.
            For more information, contact the School of Mathematic and Natural Sciences at (870) 460-1016.