Dr. Kim Bullington (adjunct faculty and HIED Ph.D., ’14) was recently awarded a $9,395 grant from the Virginia Space Grant Consortium along with Dr. Lisa Horth (Biological Sciences) and Dr. Orlando Ayala (Engineering Technology) entitled Veterans in Biology & Engineering (VIBE) Technical Training: A Summer Research Experience, Inclusive of Service Learning.” This grant is a by-invitation technical training workshop designed for ODU military veteran students who are interested in STEM careers but might not yet be NASA bound. VIBE will provide a novel combination of multidisciplinary interactive lectures, discussions, and hands-on training that cannot be garnered by taking college courses. The VIBE leadership team is uniquely qualified, given the intersection of their expertise which includes fluid dynamics, engineering, 3D printing, soilless (hydroponic) plant growing, and veteran education. VIBE participants – military veterans attending ODU – are historically underrepresented, often first-generation students with a suite of strengths enabling them to be well-suited for STEM careers. Participants will work with a local group, Teens with aPurpose, to grow and plant strawberry seedlings in Norfolk’s Promise Park community garden. Participants will learn how to design and 3D print hydroponic systems to use for growing plants in water and participate in a design competition. Participants will be able to keep their hydroponic systems to grow fresh, pesticide-free produce in their homes.
Bullington awarded research grant
