The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded the Thomas More College Ohio River Biology Field Station a $50,000 grant. This leadership gift will be used to launch the 2017 year-long 50th anniversary celebration of the Biology Field Station.
The funds will specifically target the ongoing water quality research for undergraduates and related STEM Outreach programs for K-12 schools.
The Thomas More College Biology Field Station, located 30 minutes from campus in California is the only academic center for applied biological research along the entire stretch of the Ohio River. In addition to the vital research being conducted into water quality, the Station also offers STEM outreach programs for elementary through high school children, professional development opportunities for area STEM teachers, and hosts college interns from around the country each summer.
“Thomas More College has a long history of creating programs that positively impact our environment and the development of the future STEM workforce,” said Jim Henning, president of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky. He continued, “Education and sustainability are critical building blocks to success, and supporting the Biology Field Station’s water research programs will have positive, lasting impacts on our region.”
According to Christopher N. Lorentz, PhD, Director of the Thomas More College Biology Field Station, the Duke Energy Foundation has been unwavering in its support of the Field Station.
“Since 1971, Duke Energy and the Duke Energy Foundation have generously supported the undergraduate research and STEM outreach programs at the Field Station. Their financial support, including this recent grant, has advanced our scientific knowledge about the Ohio River and afforded hundreds of students the opportunity to gain invaluable research skills,” said Lorentz.
Thomas More College will honor the Duke Energy Foundation, and their gift, during a 50 yard-line ceremony at half-time of the noon football game between the Saints and the Bethany Bison on October 29.
“The Duke Energy Foundation reinforces its position in this community as a philanthropic leader with their generous gift to our one-of-a-kind Biology Field Station,” said Thomas More College President David A. Armstrong, J.D. He continued, “On behalf of Thomas More College, we are grateful to Duke for their unwavering commitment to STEM education programs and water quality research.”
The TMC Field Station will mark its 50th anniversary with a series of education, outreach, and awareness events throughout the upcoming year. The Field Station, formerly Lock House No. 35, is situated on the banks of the Ohio River in California, Kentucky and was acquired by the college from the U. S. Government on March 10, 1967.
