GC trio earn ORAU Powe awards

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a consortium of U.S. universities and headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tenn., has awarded competitive research grants totaling $180,000 to 36 junior faculty from its member institutions. The annual grants are made through the company’s Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards program that provides funds to enrich research and professional growth of young faculty, a media release indicated. The recipients, each of whom is in the first two years of a tenure track position, will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2019-20 academic year to enhance their research during the early stages of their careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the ORAU award with $5,000, making the total package worth $10,000. The awards recognize faculty members for their work in any of five science and technology disciplines: Engineering or applied science; life sciences; mathematics and computer science; physical sciences; and policy, management, or education. The awards are named for the late Ralph E. Powe, who served as ORAU’s councilor from Mississippi State University for 16 years. Recipients of the Powe awards from Gulf Coast (GC) states' universities are Tanvir Faisal, University, Louisiana-Lafayette; Xiaodan Gu, University of Southern Mississippi; and Tuo Wang, Louisiana State University. (Source: Oak Ridge Today 06/09/19)