The National Science Foundation’s Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology has awarded Delaware State University a five-year $5 million grant in support of DSU’s Optics Program.
Photo information: DSU Provost Alton Thompson, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, Dr. Noureddine Melikechi (principal investigator of the competitive grant), DSU President Harry L. Williams, U.S. Chris Coons, and U.S. Rep. John Carney.
The grant represents the NSF’s validation and financial renewal of DSU’s Center for Research Excellence in Optical Sciences and Applications (CREOSA) as a multidisciplinary program of research, education and outreach. The five-year grant will fund CREOSA’s phase II work that will build on the accomplishments it has achieved over the previous half-decade.
CREOSA has been instrumental in the prolific development of DSU’s Optics Program. Over the last five years, CREOSA has established master and doctoral optics programs (DSU is the only school among Historically Black College and Universities with a Ph.D. optics program), has helped lead to the graduation of a new generation of optical scientists mostly from minority groups underrepresented in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) area, and assisted in the creation of a DSU culture of innovative integration to foster interdepartmental and multidisciplinary research and education.
Through this NSF funding, CREOSA will move to the next level of excellence and national prominence in research and education in the optical sciences, said Dr. Noureddine Melikechi, DSU’s dean of the College of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology and the vice president of research. He added the funding is critical to the growth of the DSU Optics Program and allows it to reach a point where it can be sustained.
“This grant provides mechanisms to inspire, encourage and train the next generation of optical scientists, and in particular students from underrepresented groups.” Dr. Melikechi said. “We will contribute to the growth of the ever growing field of optics by performing cutting-edge research that has the potential for profound impact on human health through the development of novel nano-opto-medical technologies that can be used to detect early signs of diseases.”
DSU President Harry L. Williams said the University is proud of the accomplishments of its Optics Program.
“Our Optics Program has truly taken on a profound life of its own, and this grant validates all the work that has led to its research accomplishments, collaborations with NASA on the current Mars mission, state funding support for a new optics research facility on campus, and many other achievements,” Williams said. “This communicates to DSU and the world that the National Science Foundation approves of our direction in optics and wants to see it continued.”
With the support of Delaware’s Congressional Delegation – who were all in attendance at the Sept. 27 media event – administration officials at DSU were able to secure funding to continue the program.
