Peter Kennedy Receives NSF Grant

Peter Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Biology, was awarded a $317K grant by the National Science Foundation. His project, entitled RUI: Ectomycorrhizal functioning and specificity in a global tri-partite symbiosis, will build both scientific infrastructure and education. The combination of field and lab-based analysis will expose a post-doctoral researcher and undergraduate research assistants to a wide range of research techniques. Direct collaboration with investigators in France and Mexico will provide excellent opportunities for scientific and cultural exchange. Finally, the proposal will involve collaboration with a high school biology teacher, which will result in a teaching module about plant-microbial symbioses and their importance in Pacific Northwest, USA forests. (July 2010)