FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University received more than $590,000 from the estate of Dr. Burnaby Munson to establish an endowed research professorship in chemistry. The Burnaby Munson Endowed Research Professorship will be used to support and enhance chemistry research in the Department of Chemistry, Geosciences, and Physics in the College of Science and Technology.
Dr. Burnaby Munson, a Wharton, Texas, native, had a long, distinguished career as a professor of chemistry at the University of Delaware. He was a Tarleton Distinguished Alumnus, Class of 1952. An analytical and physical chemist, Dr. Munson’s research focused on mass spectrometry, a field where he had an important impact and for which he received numerous awards.
“Endowed professorships are an important tool for Tarleton to support research, and in this case it also supports our undergraduate students by providing funding to hire chemistry students as research assistants,” says Dr. Michael Huggins, Dean of the College of Science and Technology.
Dr. Rajani Srinivasan has been named the inaugural Tarleton State University Burnaby Munson Distinguished Research Professor in Chemistry. Dr. Srinivasan, associate professor in chemistry, joined Tarleton in 2012. She earned her PhD in applied chemistry from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University in Kanpur, India.
“I am excited to be able to mentor more undergraduate students and provide them with hands-on research experience,” she said. “This will help in shaping future STEM scientists.”
Dr. Srinivasan most recently has worked in the field of green polymers as a potential drug delivery system in chemotherapy and gene therapy and their application in sustainable water treatment. She was recently awarded a patent for her invention related to the use of plant-based materials in water treatment.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Phil Riddle
817-484-4415
[email protected]
