Award Abstract # 1061500
REU Site: Studies in ecology, environmental and conservation biology in Ghana, West Africa

NSF Org: DBI
Division of Biological Infrastructure
Recipient: VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: April 8, 2011
Latest Amendment Date: December 23, 2013
Award Number: 1061500
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Sally O'Connor
DBI
 Division of Biological Infrastructure
BIO
 Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date: April 15, 2011
End Date: April 30, 2014 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $316,450.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $268,547.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2011 = $205,115.00
FY 2014 = $0.00
History of Investigator:
  • Daniel Wubah (Principal Investigator)
    dwubah@wlu.edu
  • Judith Wubah (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
300 TURNER ST NW
BLACKSBURG
VA  US  24060-3359
(540)231-5281
Sponsor Congressional District: 09
Primary Place of Performance: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
300 TURNER ST NW
BLACKSBURG
VA  US  24060-3359
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
09
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): QDE5UHE5XD16
Parent UEI: X6KEFGLHSJX7
NSF Program(s): RSCH EXPER FOR UNDERGRAD SITES,
International Research Collab,
UNGRAD RES MENTORING IN BIO
Primary Program Source: 01001112DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
01001314DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01001415DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01001516DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 1228, 5976, 7391, 9178, 9250, 9251
Program Element Code(s): 113900, 729800, 778300
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.074

ABSTRACT

An award has been made to Virginia Tech that will provide research training for 8 weeks for 6 students, during the summers of 2011- 2015. The award, which is also supported by the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering, supports the continuation of the international Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana that has taken place in the past 8 years. The program focuses on ecology, ethnobotany, biodiversity and conservation and environmental biology in the tropics. The students will work on defined research projects under the mentorship of Ghanaian scientists and faculty members. Students will be selected based on their academic record and motivation to attend graduate school. This program has two main research foci: i) bioprospecting for potentially useful plants and ii) ecological and biodiversity studies. Students will design experiments in collaboration with their mentors, collect and analyze their data, and present their results in Ghana. They will conduct full time research during the weekdays and attend seminars and group discussions during the evenings. Over the weekends, field trips will be made (such as to the Mole game reserve, the Kakum National forest, and the Kakum estuary) to provide the students with additional experience that will enhance their understanding of ecology and conservation. Upon their return to the US, students will make presentations at regional and national meetings. Participants will acquire skills in ethnobotany, tropical biology, aquaculture, ecology, entomology, taxonomy and analytical chemistry. They will be expected to publish their results in peer-reviewed journals. The ecological studies will yield new and valuable information on tropical species of insects and plants that may not have been described in the literature yet. Data gathered in the project will also contribute towards an inventory of potentially endangered species and conservation studies. Participants will have an invaluable cross-cultural experience. Students will be tracked through annual surveys and the program will be evaluated using various methods including the REU common assessment tool. More information is available at http://www.undergraduate.vt.edu/GhanaREU/ or by contacting the PI (Dr. Daniel Wubah at wubah@vt.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Judith Wubah at jawubah@vt.edu).

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

Note:  When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

Cockburn, C. Kwapong, P., Wubah, J. A., and Wubah, D. A. "Shelf life and variances in antimicrobial properties of honey from Melinopula bocandei and Melinopula ferruginae from the central region in Ghana." Journal of Young Investigators , v.25 , 2013 , p.10
Sims, C. A., Kudom, A. A., Mensah, B. A., Wubah, D. A. and Wubah, J. A. "Permethrin and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-resistant Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus in southern Ghana" Journal of Young Investigators , v.24 , 2012 , p.77
Sutton, A. E., Yankson, K., and Wubah, D. A. "The Effect of Salinity on Particle Filtration Rates of the West African Mangrove Oyster, Crassostrea tulipa" Journal of YOung Investigators , v.24 , 2012 , p.55
Y. Opoku-Boahene, S. Azumah, S. Apanyin, B. D. Novick and D. Wubah "The quality and infrared determination of trans-fatty acid contents in some edible vegetable oils." African Journal of Food Science and Technology , v.3 , 2012 , p.142
Y. Opoku-Boahen, S. Azumah, S. Apanyin, B. D. Novick and D. Wubah "The quality and infrared determination of trans-fatty acid contents in some edible vegetable oils" African Journal of Food Science and Technology , v.3 , 2012 , p.142

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Print this page

Back to Top of page