Prestigious professor gets grant to test hypothesis
Andrei L. Barkovskii, the associate professor of Microbiology at GCSU, is recognized internationally for his experimentation and his exceptional work in guiding students. His knowledge of microbiology and the world affecting it has brought him heaps of recognition and support from various scientific institutes. He has won many awards, most recently Excellence in Research and Publication Award at GCSU.
Moreover, Barkovskii recently received a grant providing financial freedom to test a hypothesis that students and himself conceived. Awarded $45,700 from the National Pork Board and National Sea Grant College Program, he plans to conduct a study on whether swine-feeding and the swine’s compost contribute to antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment.
However, Barkovskii is not working alone; instead he has formed a team. His team consists of Candace Coleman, Aredla Srikanthredy, and Lashaundra Pierce.
Coleman, a second year grad student, plans to use this experiment as her master thesis. A lot of the background research was supplemented by previous student Ahmet Bozdag, who is currently at North Carolina State. The experiments results will be important for environmental safety and effective in these students’ futures.
According to Barkovskii, the experiment, including datatanalysis and interpretation, should take about two years to complete. He plans to start in work in May 2008, and wants to finish by May 2009. If they need to, the team can apply for an extension, but the process may take another year.
“An extension to continue working depends on what we want and what we get,” Barkovskii said.
The process of receiving a grant is tedious and wearisome. When asked how time consuming it is to apply for a grant, Barkovskii says, “Oh yes, it is extremely hard. Applying takes immense previous research.”
While applying to get a grant you have to fill out a great deal of paperwork, as well as explain in detail your plans for the experiment.
“Usually 1/20 to 1/30 gets the grant. It is a lot of work to present ideas right to be given the grant and receive support from the right agency,” Barkovskii said.
According to Barkovskii and his students, this experiment is imperative because of environmental importance and public health concerns. If the swine’s waste affects the antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment, the cleanliness of water conditions must be questioned, as well as the soil in which our food grows.
The team will be traveling to present their experiment in Boston, Mass., and in Spain. Candace Coleman will be representing the experiment as her graduate thesis in Boston in June 2008. Professor Barkovskii will be going to Spain to introduce the test, assembling with many other international professors.
Overall, from the Saratov Institute of Medicine in Russia to GCSU, Barkovskii has been an effective teacher and a master in his skill. His teaching has empowered many students and inspired others.
“He has been a true inspiration to me especially in the way he has influenced me to become a more confident lab researcher,” Coleman said. “Although he is a very demanding professor, Dr. Barkovskii inspires his students to work hard and take pride in their work/results. He is a great teacher, who applies real scientific research into his lectures to make them more interesting.”
His experiments are relevant to the environmental concerns of today and continue to question things that will largely affect our ecosystem. The findings of this experiment, along with the other two projects also being carried out right now, will largely affect aspects of our natural world.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 28 2007. Filed under News.
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