FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2006
FY06-32
ORAU Awards Research Grants to
25 Junior Faculty
at Its Member Universities
OAK RIDGE, Tenn.—As an investment in the future of science education, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) has made its annual selection of Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award winners. For the academic year 2006-2007, ORAU has chosen 25 junior faculty from its member institutions.
The junior faculty will receive $5,000 grants, which are intended to enhance their research and professional growth and result in new funding opportunities during the early stages of their careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the ORAU award with an additional $5,000, making the total prize worth $10,000 for each winner.
The awards recognize work in five science and technology disciplines: engineering or applied science; life sciences; mathematics and computer science; physical sciences; and policy, management or education. Winning faculty members may use the grants to purchase equipment, continue their research or travel to professional meetings and conferences.
Recipients of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards for the 2006-2007 academic year are listed below:
| Award Recipient | Member Institution |
| Yongli Gao | East Tennessee State University |
| Jill Nelson | George Mason University |
| Eduardo Farfan | Idaho State University |
| Chen-Yu Liu | Indiana University |
| Laura Hurley | Indiana University |
| Fernando Galvez | Louisiana State University |
| Guoping Zhang | Louisiana State University |
| Keisha Walters | Mississippi State University |
| Salil Desai | North Carolina A&T State University |
| Scott Grayson | Tulane University |
| Sulin Zhang | University of Arkansas |
| Tamer Kahveci | University of Florida |
| Chad Fertig | University of Georgia |
| Awdhesh Kalia | University of Louisville |
| Miao Yu | University of Maryland |
| Min Ouyang | University of Maryland |
| Yu Wang | University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
| Pinliang Dong | University of North Texas |
| Brian Gorman | University of North Texas |
| W. Vincent Liu | University of Pittsburgh |
| Jie Wu | University of Tennessee |
| Guadalupe Carmona | University of Texas at Austin |
| Stephen Fong | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Montasir Abbas | Virginia Tech |
| Y.H. Percival Zhang | Virginia Tech |
In the 16 years since the program began, ORAU has awarded 308 grants totaling more than $1.5 million. Including the matching funds from member institutions, ORAU has facilitated grants worth more than $2.9 million.
Ralph E. Powe, for whom the awards are named, served as the ORAU councilor from Mississippi State University for 16 years, participating in numerous committees and special projects during his tenure. His fellow councilors elected him as chair of ORAU’s Council of Sponsoring Institutions prior to his death in 1996.
ORAU plans to offer the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award program again for the 2007-2008 academic year. Faculty members at ORAU member institutions who are within two years of their initial tenure-track appointments as assistant professors are eligible for the grants.
For more information on fellowships, awards and grants offered by ORAU, visit the Faculty and Student Programs page, or contact Ann Farler at (865) 576-1898 or by e-mail at farlera@orau.gov.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 96 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.