DuPont Donates $25,000 to UA Chemistry Department

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The DuPont Corp. has presented the department of chemistry at The University of Alabama with $25,000 in support of chemistry and microbiology research involving photosynthesis in plants.

The $25,000 represents the final installment of a $75,000 Young Professor Grant awarded by DuPont to Dr. Kevin Redding, assistant professor of chemistry in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences. Redding accepted the check in a ceremony also attended by Dr. Lowell Kispert, chair of UA’s department of chemistry, and Dr. Bob Wells, assistant academic vice president for research at UA.

Dr. Gail Shelly, site technology leader for DuPont’s Manufacturing Center in Mobile, presented the check to Redding.

The Young Professor Grants were created by DuPont to assist faculty members beginning research careers within five years of full-time academic appointment. They are intended to encourage highly original research and may be used to obtain matching funds through the National Science Foundation or other research organizations.

“DuPont places a great deal of emphasis on maintaining and strengthening our university relationships to broaden our capabilities and leverage the knowledge and people at select universities,” said Scott Gray, plant manager of the DuPont agricultural plant in Mobile. “With this grant, we are pleased to continue our traditional commitment to programs relevant to DuPont business needs, such as the funding of promising students and faculty,” Gray continued.

Redding is working on research geared toward breaking down chlorinated molecules, known as polychlorinated biphynel — or PCBs. PCBs are molecules which have a known risk of causing cancer, and Redding is seeking a way to eliminate the cancer-causing reaction in these molecules within the environment.

DuPont’s Mobile-area plant — located in Axis — is home to more than 200 employees, and manufactures materials applicable to food, apparel, and other home products. Founded in 1802, DuPont operates in 70 countries and employs 94,000 people.