The University recently received its largest federal grant ever—$850,000 through the U.S. Department of Education. The grant is for the creation of a new office to focus on providing assistance and meeting the needs of students who are low-income, first generation college students or disabled.

Other grants received include:

• A $25,000 grant from the Clare Boothe Luce Program for Women in Science and Engineering. The money is for scholarships for female science majors.

• A $123,800 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program. Coupled with a $20,000 challenge grant from the John Hauck Foundation, the money is to purchase a thin film deposition system for research as well as for use in physics laboratory courses.

• A $96,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Bioscience. The award went to Ed Fenlon, assistant professor of chemistry, for his RNA research.