Rep. Gregory W. Meeks Announces $680,700 for York College to Enhance Students’ Research in Mitochondria Bioenergetics
QUEENS, NY – Today, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) announced $680,700 in federal funding for York College from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) program. The grant goes toward students who are researching and learning about mitochondria bioenergetics by acquiring a Transmission Electron Microscope, a technique used to observe the features of small specimens.
Faculty in the Department of Biology, specifically Dr. Margaret MacNeil, Dr. Alexander Birk and Dr. Virginia Garcia-Marin, wrote the grant proposal titled “Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope for Research and Education of Students on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics.”
“York College is an instrumental educational institution in the Southeast Queens community,” Rep. Meeks said. “As a college that serves a largely minority student population, it is important that students have the funding and tools they need for success and to be competitive in the workforce. Supporting minority participation in STEM fields leads to diverse perspectives that can drive innovation and develop solutions that resonate with various backgrounds. I am dedicated to continuing the effort to develop York College into a world-class STEM institution.”
“We are excited that York students will have research experience using state-of-the-art technology under the mentorship of our outstanding faculty,” said Claudia Schrader, York College Interim President. “This federal funding will further support our efforts to increase minority representation in STEM fields. We are grateful to Congressman Meeks for his unwavering support of the College and our mission.”
The DoD HBCU/MI Program is designed to enhance the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline and increase the research and educational capacity of HBCUs/MI.
Congressman Meeks has a continued commitment to supporting premier STEM education and research at York College.
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