RESEARCH FUNDING

2025:

1. Awarded Perry College Project Funding for Fall 2025; Co-PI in Dr. Ana Stanescu’s research project: Training Genomic Language Models for the Annotation and Functional

Validation of Plastic Degradation Pathways in Novel Bacterial Strains. ($500).

2. Awarded Perry College Project Funding, spring 2025: Biochemical and bioinformatic characterizations of a novel Microbacterium species strain Clip185, isolated from a contaminated Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (a green micro-alga) medium plate.  ($5000)

2024: 

1. Awarded Experiential Learning Support Funds: Biochemical characterizations of two novel,non-model plastic-degrading bacterial strains, Perry College of Mathematics, Computing, and Sciences Professional Development Funding, October. ($768.73).

2. GA-AL LSAMP  funding for lab supply purchase ($750)

2023: 

Awarded Georgia-Alabama Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (GA-AL- LSAMP) grant, FY2023-FY2024 for undergraduate research student stipend. ($8000)

2021: 

1. Awarded Student Research Assistance Program (SRAP) grant, July.  ( $1400)

2. Awarded UWG Faculty Research grant, March. ($4134)

3. Awarded summer Student Research Assistance Program (SRAP) grant  April. ( $2000)

4. Awarded Georgia-Alabama Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (GA-AL-LSAMP) grant. summer.  ($1000)

5. Awarded Georgia-Alabama Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (GA-AL-LSAMP) grant, spring. ($200)

2020: 

Awarded Student Research Assistance Program [SRAP] grant, August. ($1945)

2019: 

Awarded SRAP grant, May. ($1570)

2018: 

1. Awarded Georgia-Alabama Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (GA-AL-LSAMP) grant, September. ($1000)

2. Awarded Plant-BLOOME grant by the American Society of Plant Biologists, August.  ($35,919) (competitive external peer-reviewed grant for curriculum development and educational outreach)

3. Awarded SRAP grant, May. ($1,450)

4. Awarded College of Science & Mathematics (COSM)-Faculty Research Grant (FRG), April. ($1,900)

5. Awarded ORSP-FRG Travel grant, April. ($2,763)

2017: 

1. Awarded Student Educational Enrichment Program (SEEP) research grant, September. ($1,700)

2. Awarded GA-AL-LSAMP research grant, August. ($8000)

3. Awarded COSM-FRG grant, May. ($1,500)

2016: 

1. SEEP research grant, September. ($1,700)

2. LSAMP research grant, January. ($4000)

3. Awarded COSM-FRG grant, July. ($1,400)

4. Awarded SRAP grant, May. ($1475)

5. Awarded UWG FRG-Office of the Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, April. ($3,314)

2015: 

1. Awarded COSM-FRG grant, August. ($1,100)

2. Awarded GA-AL- LSAMP grant, August. ($6000)

3. Awarded Uwise grant, August. ($5000)

4. Awarded GA-AL-LSAMP summer research grant, May. ($300)

5. Awarded SRAP grant, April. ($1,700)

2014: 

1. Awarded Faculty Research Grant, UWG College of Science and Mathematics, October. ($1,250)

2. Awarded GA-AL-LSAMP grant,September. ($6000)

3. Awarded Uwise research grant, September. ($5000)

4. Awarded LSAMP summer research grant,May. ($3000)

5. Awarded SRAP grant, April. ($1,800).

6. GA-AL LSAMP research grant January. ($6000)

2013: 

1. Awarded Uwise grant October. ($4,800)

2. Awarded COSM-FRG May. ($1,250)

3. Awarded SRAP grant, April. ($2000)

4. Awarded the Internal Development grant, UWG office of Research and Sponsored Operations, January.($8,207)

2012: 

1. Awarded UWG Uwise grant, November. ($6,700)

2. Awarded Student Research Assistance Program grant, July. ($2000)

3. Awarded COSM-Faculty research grant, April. ($1500)

4. Awarded UWG Uwise research grant, January. ($600)

5. Awarded COSM Research Incentive grant, UWG College of Science and Mathematics, January. ($3000)

2011: 

1. Awarded SRAP grant, July. ($2000)

2. Awarded UWG Learning Resources Committee-Faculty Resource grant, January. ($2000)

3. Awarded COSM Research Incentive grant, April. ($3000)

4. Awarded Summer Seed Grant for scholarship, UWG Office of Academic Affairs, March. ($10,778)

2010: 

1. Awarded SRAP grant, June. ($2000).

2. Awarded Research Grant by the Sponsored Operations for Faculty research (SOFREA) January. ($2,500)

3. Awarded College of Arts and Science Faculty research grant, January. ($500)

LIST OF EXTRENAL GRANTS SUBMITTED

1. Co-PI on the NSF-MRI grant: Track1: 400 MHz Liquid- and Solid-state NMR to Advance Chemistry, Biology, Geology, and Materials Science Research and Undergraduate Research Training (submitted 11-15-2024; $922,150; not awarded).

2. Submitted NSF-RUI-IOS preliminary proposal on 18th January 2017. Title of the proposal: Molecular Characterization of two high light-sensitive Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants defective in a novel functionally uncharacterized gene. (BUDGET NOT REQUIRED; $0) (not invited for a full proposal submission).

3. NSF-IOS-CAREER: Functional genomic characterization of two Chlamydomonas reinhardtii photosynthetic mutants. Submitted on July 21st, 2014 ($958,334) (not awarded).

4. NSF-MRI (as a Co-PI): MRI: Acquisition of a Time-Resolved Emission Spectrometer for Interdisciplinary Research and Undergraduate Training. Submitted in January 2014 ($212,705). (not awarded).

5. NSF-IOS-CAREER: Functional genomics of eukaryotic oxygenic photosynthesis under different light irradiances in the model green micro-alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Submitted on July 22nd, 2013 ($730,121). This proposal is technically my first NSF full proposal submission (not awarded).

6. Submitted NSF-RUI-IOS preliminary proposal on 16th January 2013. Title of the proposal: Employing functional genomics to study chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis in the model green micro-alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. (not invited for a full proposal submission) (BUDGET NOT REQUIRED; $0).

7. Submitted NSF-IOS (Integrative Organismal System)-Research Opportunity Award (ROA) application. This application was officially submitted by my Ph.D. mentor Dr. James Moroney (LSU) on 21st December, 2012. This award is given as a supplement to an NSF funded PI with an active project, to allow a faculty from an undergraduate institution to conduct research in the PI’s lab ($25,000) (not awarded).

8. NSF-RUI-IOS preliminary proposal submitted on 11th January 2012. Title of the proposal: Characterization of a heme deficient Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant that shows a light intensity dependent chlorophyll deficiency. (not invited for a full proposal submission) (BUDGET NOT REQUIRED; $0).