The Department of Chemistry at University of the Pacific was awarded a $1 million challenge grant from the John Stauffer Charitable Trust to enhance the research opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. The grant will match donations of any amount on a 1:1 basis over the course of a five-year period to create a $2 million John Stauffer Undergraduate Summer Research Endowment in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The department is determined to provide research opportunities for its students so that their practical skills will improve and they will compete favorably in the job market after graduation. With chemistry being the second largest major in the College of Pacific, student interest in conducting research far exceeds the availability of resources to fund stipends and equipment. Once the endowment is fully funded, it will provide 15 undergraduate students with research scholarships in perpetuity.
2019 Stauffer Grant recipient Michelle Fong used her stipend to research proteins, which could lead to the development of new cancer drugs.
