Associate Professor of chemistry Hephzibah Kumpaty was awarded a proposal worth $146,302 from the National Science Foundation.

The project is entitled the “U.S –India Collaborative Research in Complex Natural Product Synthesis with Bio, Nano, and Green Applications at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyperbad.”

The award was given to Kumpaty who is sharing the award with undergraduate science students at UW-Whitewater to help support research efforts.

The purpose of the project is to give students the opportunity to work hands-on. Students will gain experiences in bio, nano and green application research methods. Students will also learn an entrepreneur approach to researching, along with taking site visits to the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Evolva Biotech India and Avra Laboratories.

The opportunities the grant presents will improve student’s critical thinking skills, data analysis and global intelligence.

Kumpaty’s project is hoped to produce unique experiences for the science students interested in the opportunity and motivate them to pursue a higher education.

For the next three years, four students in the field of science will be sent to the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology for six weeks. While there, students will get to conduct research in various technologies and chemical sciences. IICT is known for its collaborative research methods and premier science mentors.

Kumpaty along with Dr. Catherine Chan, an environmental biologist, will work with the Director of IICT L.S Yadav in leading the students.

Before departing for India, students will take part in a one-semester training program by Kumpaty. When in India, students will get to participate in international research experiences.