John Z. Kiss (right foreground), dean of the University of Mississippi Graduate School, stands with his hand on the experimental containers with seeds that will be launched on SpaceX2 for the Seedling Growth experiment on the ISS. Kiss is shown with the personnel at the Ames Research Center (NASA) who are involved in the preparation of the space experiment.
As the state of Mississippi’s flagship institution of higher learning, the University of Mississippi has a proven track record for conducting major research projects in every discipline imaginable. Faculty, staff and students continued to make progress this year, thanks to substantial grants and partnerships with other universities and agencies.
While athletics and academics continue generating the lion’s share of media attention for UM, here are six of the most interesting research stories of 2014 that you may have missed:
- Research Program Has Staying Power. The National Institutes of Health-funded search for antifungal antibiotics marked its 30th year at the university.
- Ole Miss Research Headed Into Space. NASA scientist and UM Graduate School Dean John Z. Kiss developed hybrid seeds that were sent to the International Space Station.
- Biologist Research Makes News. Ryan C. Garrick’s study of giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands was published in a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal.
- Professor Receives DOD Grant for Cancer Research. Pharmacologist Tracy Brooks was awarded more than $333,000 by the U.S. Department of Defense to continue her lifelong search for a cure to the deadly disease.
- UM Technology Transfer Division and Research Partners Land National Award. Three organizations have won a Federal Laboratory Consortium 2014 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for their work to develop, study and bring to market pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries, grapes and other small fruits. In studies, pterostilbene has demonstrated promise for improving cardiovascular health, glucose levels and cognitive function.
- Kenneth Sufka is Carnegie-CASE Professor of Year. The UM professor of psychology and pharmacology was recognized for his exceptional teaching and research activities.
What interesting UM research projects will make headlines in 2015? Stay tuned Ole Miss News for the latest.