February 2, 2006
The National Science Foundation announced today that Dr. Takita F. Sumter, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, has been awarded a $167,428 Research Initiation Grant (RIG) for her proposed research "Determination of the Role of Protein Arginine Methylation in HMGA1a Function." The award is effective May 1, 2006 and expires April 30, 2008.
This NSF award is the largest science research grant in Winthrop University's history and represents a direct outcome of the direction taken by President DiGiorgio and the Winthrop Board of Trustees during the 1990's to completely modernize all science facilities on campus. The availability of exceptional science facilities for students and strong support for undergraduate research has attracted outstanding faculty such as Dr. Takita Sumter to Winthrop University. Dr. Sumter's passion for mentoring meaningful, student-centered research also reflects Winthrop's increased emphasis on student "Deep Learning" through engaged scholarly research at the national level as evidenced by this NSF-funded competitive grant. Award recommendations for this program are made based entirely upon peer reviews by a panel of nationally distinguished scientists assembled by the National Science Foundation.
Dr.
Sumter is a biochemist and teaches in Winthrop's General Chemistry and
Biochemistry programs; she is also responsible for Winthrop's chemistry seminar
program. Dr. Sumter completed her Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University
of South Carolina and conducted her postdoctoral research fellowship with the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She authored the recent
biochemistry self-study that has since resulted in Winthrop University now
offering one of the only three American Chemical Society (ACS)-approved
biochemistry programs available to college students in South Carolina.
Dr. Sumter is also one of six INBRE target faculty identified for support and
development to increase biomedical science research capacity at Winthrop
University.