Two University of Richmond professors receive science grants from Research Corporation

September 24, 2007

Two University of Richmond science professors have received Cottrell College Science Awards of nearly $40,000 each from Research Corporation, a foundation for the advancement of science.

C. Wade Downey, assistant professor of chemistry, received $39,822 to support his research on the aldol reaction, a "very useful way to build complex chemical structures," he said. He hopes the research will allow pharmaceutical companies to synthesize current and new drugs more cheaply and rapidly.

Matthew L. Trawick, assistant professor of physics, received $37,818 for his project, which uses an atomic force microscope to manipulate polymer surfaces on a nanometer scale. The basic scientific research will use a technique called "shear alignment" to change the orientation of rows of spheres in a thin film and examine their behaviors.

Cottrell College Science Awards support significant research that contributes to the advancement of science and to the professional and scholarly development of faculty and students at undergraduate institutions.