In January, the University of Rhode Island received $500,000 from the Champlin Foundation to go towards cutting edge research and technology.
The projects funded this year included providing engineering students anywhere, anytime access to computer tools, purchasing robotic equipment for Field Oriented Robotic Education (FORE) and purchasing equipment to grow organs. Each of these projects will allow students new educational opportunities in their given field.
Dr. Jyothi Menon, an assistant professor at URI, is one of the principal investigators of the organ growth project. This project received $185,000 to purchase a Human Emulation System and a 3D Bioprinter. This technology will allow students to create 3D cell structures and emulate how the tissue would function in a human body. The Human Emulation System allows researchers to better understand how new therapies will affect humans.
“I’m grateful to [the Champlin Foundation] for this funding,” Menon said. “These kinds of cutting edge technology are the kind of pieces that our students need to be exposed to. It’ll help them get that competitive edge when they graduate and look for jobs in pharmaceutical companies.”
These pieces of equipment will be used in three colleges‒ Pharmacy, Engineering and Arts & Sciences. This will grant around 400 students new pharmaceutical learning opportunities each year.
In the future, these technologies could solve many problems such as the organ shortage crisis. Menon’s research lab is working on developing 3D tissue-engineered organ and tissue models to test new therapies.
The FORE project will allow students to gain real-world experience in using land and sea robotic instruments. Initially, 120 students will have access to this technology, but more will have access after the University develops and refines using the technology.
Anywhere, anytime access to technology for engineering students will allow them to use virtual desktop environments remotely on the university’s server from their devices. This will ensure that students will be able to access the full breadth of engineering programs, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
The Champlin Foundation is a private foundation based in Rhode Island that grants money to nonprofit organizations for capital projects. They have awarded the University over $15 million, most of which has funded cutting-edge projects at URI.
Katie McGwin, assistant director of communications at the URI Foundation, said that 20 to 30 projects are pitched to URI’s review board for the Champlin Foundation, but that is usually whittled down to three to four projects, which are then pitched to the Champlin Foundation. She noted that most projects that get to the Foundation are funded due to URI’s thorough review process.
“The Champlin Foundation first granted money to URI in 1970,” McGwin said. “The University and the Foundation have formed a close relationship in that time. There are members of the Champlin Foundation that have been working with URI for a long time and who have become a part of the community.”