Thanks to the efforts of Northeast Ohio’s Congressional delegation, and led by U.S. Reps. Betty Sutton of Ohio’s 13th House District and Tim Ryan of Ohio’s 17th House District, The University of Akron moved one step further to receiving $4.5 million in federal funding for several critical research, development and community outreach efforts.
For more:
In the media:
- Akron Beacon Journal: "Defense spending to include $2.5 million for new UA program"
The National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance at UA is scheduled to receive $2.5 million as part of the FY 2011 Defense Appropriations Bill. In addition, $1 million has been set aside for the university to develop new technology to redesign materials that will significantly reduce the weight and cost of mortar base plates from the standard 120mm, 81 mm and 60 mm guns while increasing durability and extended usable life for the product.
Support for wound research
Reps. Sutton and Ryan also announced that the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) is slated to receive $5 million in the FY 2011 Defense Appropriations Bill. The federal money would be used primarily to boost ABIA’s ongoing research in wound healing, capitalizing on select opportunities intersecting with musculoskeletal biology, polymer/material science and orthopedic focus areas at the ABIA’s five founding partners:
- UA,
- Summa Health System,
- Akron Children’s Hospital,
- Akron General and
- the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM).
“The University of Akron is appreciative of the support that Congress has given us as we continue to stimulate the economic prosperity of our region,” said Dr. Luis M. Proenza, president of UA. “We are especially grateful to Congresswoman Sutton, Congressman Ryan and the regional congressional delegation that our work at The University of Akron is recognized as we address some of the critical infrastructure, defense and health care issues facing our nation.”
Corrosion engineering to address costly problem
UA’s Corrosion and Reliability Engineering program is the nation’s first baccalaureate program of its kind. The program, which will begin its first classes this fall, will incorporate a multidisciplinary curriculum designed to train engineers to understand and manage the effects of corrosion. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the costs of corrosion in the U.S. are $400 billion per year.
“Corrosion is a serious issue that does not receive enough attention until sadly it is too late,” Sutton said in a news release. “Addressing corrosion – and that includes training the next generation of corrosion engineers – at the onset of a project will extend the life of critical infrastructure, reduce maintenance costs, increase public safety and save taxpayers money.”
Boost for coal-based fuel cell research
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water plans to award $500,000 to help forward the research of Dr. Steven Chuang, a professor and researcher in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering in UA’s College of Engineering. Chuang’s research on ultra-low CO² emission coal fuel cell technology, which can be useful for power generation efficiency within the nation’s electric power supply, would use the funding to test the long-term durability of each component for C-fuel cells and for CO²/SO² capture units.
Additionally, UA is scheduled to receive $500,000 via the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education to create the University Park Community Outreach Center. Working with the Akron Public Schools in creating academic and career exploration activities and college credit opportunities especially in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) areas, UA plans to create and implement academic pathways into higher education specifically targeted for K-12 and adult populations residing in the University Park neighborhood surrounding the campus.
Ryan, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a news release that these funded projects “will utilize the region’s local talent to produce world-class results and spin off into high-paying civilian jobs that keep our kids in Ohio,” and praised Northeast Ohio universities and research institutions as “doing some of the most sophisticated research and development work in the nation.”
Media contact: Laura M. Massie, 330-972-6476 or massie1@uakron.edu