Project Grant CE152844

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - 221 COLLEGE LN, SALEM, VA 24153 DIRECTOR: DR. KATHY J. WOLFE (EMAIL: KWOLFE@ROANOKE.EDU, PHONE: 540-375-2203) WEBSITE: WWW.ROANOKE.EDU TOTAL REQUEST: $505,000 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: ROANOKE COLLEGE'S CURRENT STEM EQUIPMENT IS BEYOND ITS' LIFESPAN AND SUFFERS FROM SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION. NEW EQUIPMENT WOULD BE UTILIZED IN THE REVITALIZATION OF THE CAMPUS' SCIENCE FACILITIES, AS WELL AS THE MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR SCIENCE CENTER SCHEDULED FOR CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY 2024. HAVING UPDATED EQUIPMENT WILL SOLIDIFY THE STEM DEPARTMENTS AT ROANOKE COLLEGE AS CUTTING-EDGE, AS THE NEW SCIENCE FACILITIES ARE ONLY AS EFFICIENT AS THE TECHNOLOGY THEY HOUSE. THIS FUNDING WOULD FACILITATE THE PURCHASE OF NEW EQUIPMENT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS IN PARTICULAR, AND WILL BE USED FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AS WELL AS RESEARCH. THIS WILL STRENGTHEN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND ROANOKE COLLEGE BY CREATING A PIPELINE OF QUALIFIED AND WELL-ROUNDED INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN BENEFIT THE REGION AND MAKE IT INTO A DESTINATION FOR CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH. ROANOKE COLLEGE IS A LIBERAL ARTS, UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION THAT SERVES APPROXIMATELY 2,000 STUDENTS EACH YEAR. ROANOKE COLLEGE'S SURROUNDING REGION OF THE ROANOKE VALLEY IS THE FOURTH LARGEST METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA (POPULATION ~ 315,000). THE REGION IS RAPIDLY GROWING IN HEALTHCARE ADVANCEMENTS, AND THE UPDATED STEM EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY AT ROANOKE COLLEGE WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON RESEARCH AND LEARNING FOR STUDENTS AS THEY FEED INTO THE LOCAL CAREER PIPELINE POST-GRADUATION. EQUIPMENT OUTLINED WITHIN THE PROPOSAL WILL SUPPORT DAILY CLASSROOM LEARNING, FACULTY-LED RESEARCH, AND STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. AN INJECTION OF FEDERAL FUNDING ($505,000) WOULD BE INSTRUMENTAL IN SOLIDIFYING FURTHER PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL WORKFORCE ENTITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS VIRGINIA TECH (30 MILES FROM ROANOKE COLLEGE). THESE UPGRADES TO EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY WILL ALSO BOLSTER THE REGION'S HEALTHCARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS, ALONG WITH THE GROWING LOCAL FOCI OF NEUROSCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. STUDENTS WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ROANOKE COLLEGE'S SCIENCE AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS' UNIQUE COLLABORATION ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MINOR IN EDUCATION AND MAJOR IN SCIENCE, OPENING THE DOORS TO TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND SCIENTISTS THROUGH K-12 LEARNING. THE PROPOSED EQUIPMENT PURCHASES OUTLINED WILL NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE TECHNOLOGY OF ROANOKE COLLEGE BUT ALSO THE EDUCATION AND CAREERS OF TOMORROW'S LEADERS, THINKERS, AND TEACHERS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.