BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Associate Professor of Chemistry Ram Mohan has received a $380,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue his groundbreaking work on green chemistry. It is the largest grant in the history of the chemistry department.
The fact that NSF bestowed the grant is unique, said Mohan. “It is extremely unusual for a four-year school to receive a renewal grant,” he said. “The grants typically go to larger, research schools.” The money is a renewal grant for Mohan’s research. He received a $205,000 grant in 2003.
The grant is particularly exciting for Illinois Wesleyan, because it will enable Mohan to create a post-doctorate research fellowship, the first for the University. “We are delighted that a postdoctoral researcher will be joining Dr. Mohan’s team,” said Rebecca Roesner, IWU chemistry department chair. “This highly trained associate will allow Dr. Mohan to extend his research in new directions.”
Mohan, a member of the IWU faculty since 1996, works to discover environmentally friendly processes for chemists to use at pharmaceutical and other companies. “We do not create the life-saving drugs or the pesticides,” said Mohan. “We develop the processes that can be used to make products in a way that will not harm the environment.”