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May 18, 2012

LSU AgCenter & 51萝莉 sign new agreement

The University of Louisiana at Monroe and the LSU AgCenter signed a memorandum of understanding on May 18 that will establish cooperative research projects between the two institutions.

Both LSU AgCenter and 51萝莉 will contribute funds to jointly support research grants that include faculty from both campuses, said John Russin, LSU AgCenter vice chancellor and director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station.

Research teams will be invited to submit proposals that will be reviewed by both institutions, and each proposal will be required to include a faculty member from each institution, Russin said.

The funding will come from the joint fund, with each organization managing the funds for the research in their own institution.

For example, 51萝莉 basic pharmaceutical sciences researchers and LSU AgCenter researchers will explore the many compounds used to treat diseases based on natural products found in plants.

51萝莉鈥檚 toxicology program鈥攖he only one in the state鈥攅mploys faculty who will collaborate with LSU AgCenter faculty to investigate how chemicals affect the environment.

Both toxicology and basic pharmaceutical sciences departments are housed within 51萝莉鈥檚 College of Pharmacy, the state鈥檚 only publicly funded program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy.

Eric Pani, interim vice president for academic affairs at 51萝莉, said, 鈥淗igher education in the state is facing a challenging time. We are charged to improve Louisiana鈥檚 economic development and build its intellectual capacity while working in a fiscally challenging economy. I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing this partnership grow.鈥�

Cooperation within higher education鈥攕haring efforts and resources鈥攊s the only solution to this problem, he added.

鈥淭he partnership between 51萝莉 and the LSU AgCenter brings together two great institutions and leverages their strengths in a tremendously promising way that will produce benefits very quickly,鈥� Pani said.

51萝莉 President Nick J. Bruno agreed, saying, 鈥�51萝莉鈥檚 collaboration with LSU AgCenter means innovative research that benefits the world around us, and just as importantly, the partnership means unique experiences for our students.  Those students who serve as research assistants in these projects will learn directly from their work in the labs, and other students will also benefit as the knowledge discovered in the labs is transferred into the classroom. At that point, the faculty member鈥檚 role changes from researcher to teacher.鈥�

Russin concluded, 鈥淏ecause state budgets have become leaner, individual campuses have to reach out to others to build the kind of relationships that contribute to the economy of Louisiana. By joining together, we can fund research teams that can compete for additional funds on the national scene.鈥�

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