Press Releases

For Immediate Release
January 7, 2010

For more information, contact
Cherise Oakley
(585) 395-2754
coakley@brockport.edu

Federal Grants Promote Research at The College at Brockport

Brockport, NY – The College at Brockport, State University of New York recently received two multi-year federal grants to support education and research.

Osman Yasar, PhD, professor of computational science, received a two-year $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Curriculum Course and Lab Improvement Program to support his proposal for the “Development of Collaborative Computational Thinking Inventory for General Education and Teacher Education Courses.” The program will develop teaching and assessment tools to teach the principals of computational thinking.

The underlying idea in computational thinking is the development of models and simulations of problems. It integrates human thinking with the capabilities of computers, providing a powerful way to solve problems. Course curriculum elements will be developed at The College at Brockport and K-12 teachers at the Rochester City School District and the Brighton School District. In addition, the grant will help develop a new degree major in advanced technology education at the Finger Lakes Community College.

“An interdisciplinary approach to science, technology, engineering and math education using computational thinking may be a key element in the foundation for 21st-century teachers and workers,” said Yaşar.

Laurie Cook, PhD, associate professor of biology, will receive a $219,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award Program to involve both undergraduate and graduate students in “An Investigation into the Molecular Mechanisms of Melanin-Concentrating Hormone (MCH) Receptor Desensitization.”

According to Cook, “MCH regulates a wide range of physiological functions including appetite and energy expenditures. Our experiments are designed to understand how MCH is turned off or desensitized by cells. It has the potential to help understand and fight obesity.”

Both grants will be administered by the Research Foundation of SUNY on behalf of The College at Brockport. #

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The College at Brockport, State University of New York
350 New Campus Drive * Brockport, New York 14420-2931
(585) 395-2754 * FAX (585) 395-2723 * www.brockport.edu