Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • October 21, 2009 Mahwah Professor receives National Science Foundation grant Dr. Ozgur Dogru, an assistant professor of engineering physics at Ramapo College of New Jersey, has received a $741,000 National Science Foundation grant in collaboration with Rutgers University to develop technology that will assist industry by standardizing and improving measurement of C14, the carbon 14 isotope. Announcement of the grant to Dr. Dogru, and another principal investigator at Rutgers University, Professor Daniel E. Murnick, builds upon earlier research conducted by the pair in which they used carbon dioxide lasers to detect minute amounts of the element. They expect the research will yield data that will enable the development of a table-top, user-friendly instrument that can quickly and efficiently measure carbon 14 with high sensitivity. Pharmaceutical companies use carbon 14 to trace the movement of drugs in the bloodstream and environmental applications that include monitoring of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The proposed instrument will also perform carbon dating. At Ramapo, where faculty/student opportunities are encouraged and facilitated by small class sizes, Dr. Dogru will hire students to assist with the project. “The grant presents rich opportunities for Dr. Dogru to further the advances he has already made in his research and for our students to be engaged in an innovative project on the field’s cutting edge as an incorporate part of their undergraduate science education,” said Dean Bernard Langer of the School of Theoretical and Applied Sciences. “That experience is invaluable.” Students will learn high-level physics and develop skills in working with lasers, electrical circuits, mathematical modeling, and development of scientific software. “I’m pleased and excited that this project is underway and it will be beneficial to our students who will receive hands-on scientific research experience that will help them in their careers,” said Dogru, who estimates the grant will allow him to hire two to three students each semester for the life of the three-year grant. Fresh as Daisies First grade Daisy Troop 1429 participated in the Mahwah Day Parade. They are pictured holding the banner they entered in the banner contest for parade participants. Advertise in the YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 8-19-09 janine GodwinDental4x9(8-19-09) 4 x 9” 201-652-0744