Five students and two faculty members attended the recent Texas Academy of Sciences (TAS) Conference at the University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa.
Briana Salas, PhD, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, presented at the conference March 1-2.
Adam Bynum, MS, Instructor of Biology, also attended with the following students: sophomore Environmental Science major Mia Curiel, sophomore Criminology major Victoria Muniz, freshman Theology major Emilio Gutierrez, freshman Biology major Rodolfo Morales and freshman Chemistry major Ruby Rangel.
OLLU received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) NextGEN program to help build the next generation of food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences (FANH) workforce. The award was announced June 21 during a special ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
OLLU will use the $5 million, five-year grant to support “TExAS FAST: Texas Experiential Learning and Scholarship Program for Food and Agriculture Science Training.” The program will begin in fall 2023.
Incoming OLLU freshmen majoring or minoring in Environmental Science and Sustainability will have the opportunity to apply for academic scholarships of $5,000 per year, and room and board scholarships of $8,619. In addition, they will take part in the new Environmental Science and Sustainability Living Learning Community, summer research projects, and will receive a monthly stipend of $1,000 for 24 months and a paid internship ($4,000) during their senior year.
“I am beyond thrilled to have been awarded this grant,” said Briana Salas, PhD, OLLU Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Project Director. “When I created the Environmental Science and Sustainability program in 2021, I did so in response to student interests in human impacts on the environment and a desire for additional options for STEM degrees. The program has been successful in the last two years, but this opportunity will completely transform the student experience.”
Adam Bynum, OLLU Instructor of Biology, will serve as co-Project Director.
In addition to student scholarships, the grant will fund professional development activities for faculty to revise STEM classes in a CURE format (Classroom based Undergraduate Research Experiences). The CURE format allows students who otherwise might not have the chance to experience “real” research to get those experiences in the classroom setting.
A housing scholarship is available for an Environmental Science and Sustainability student to serve as a Living Learning Community (LLC) Program Assistant.
The scholarship, valued at $8,619, covers room and board in Flores Hall with a Meal Plan B for the fall and spring semesters. Only juniors or seniors are eligible for the position.
The LLC Program Assistant will have a range of responsibilities, including to help plan and coordinate move-in activities and post on the LLC social media pages two to three times a week.
For a full list of requirements and description of responsibilities, see the flyer below.
To apply, email a copy of your resume/cv and a 200-250 word statement discussing ideas for how you would create a sense of community in the LLC to Associate Professor of Environmental Science Dr. Briana Salas at bhsalas@ollusa.edu
