RU Professor named national recipient of Master Education Grant

Associate Professor of Biology Tara Phelps-Durr was named one of two national Master Educator Program (MEP) grant recipients by the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB).

With the grant, Phelps-Durr will be supported in focused, substantive and practical professional development with the aim of developing undergraduate plant biology instructional materials.

"It is truly an honor to be selected," said Phelps-Durr. "I hope to create a series of student-centered classroom activities to help students understand and appreciate the molecular mechanisms underlying plant development."

Among Phelps-Durr’s noteworthy recent projects are modeling proteins and analyzing plant genotypes/phenotypes using ICM pro, a software package that analyzes and models protein structure. The project is targeted for upcoming publication and presentation at a future Plant Biology meeting, the annual ASPB meeting which covers all aspects of plant biology and includes scientists from more than 40 countries.

ASPB is a professional society devoted to the advancement of the plant sciences, including cellular and molecular biology, genetics, development, evolution, physiology and biochemistry.