Skip to Main Content

Breakthrough Research Award given to Dr. Roland Wilhelm and Team

Three Purdue research initiatives recently received funding awards sponsored by the Research Development unit in the John Martinson Honors College. The award bridges Purdue's mission to deliver high-impact, experiential education with its mission to conduct cutting-edge research.

Applications were reviewed by Purdue-wide experts on their research quality, broader impact, and their strategies for undergraduate students to engage meaningfully in the research. The award is a one-time investment to conduct research, scholarship, or creative inquiry with undergraduate students in the honors college.

Among those awarded was the research team consisting of Dr. Roland Wilhelm, Dr. Laramy Enders and Dr. Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi (College of Agriculture). They will bring a team of faculty and undergraduate researchers to the Indiana Dunes to enhance the growth and climate resilience of native plant species, such as American bittersweet, by better understanding and managing the interactions between plant and microbes (the 'holobiont').

path down to Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes
Dr. Roland Wilhelm at the Indiana Dunes

This research aims to develop nature-based conservation tools that will assist land managers in mitigating the impact of invasive round-leaf bittersweet while simultaneously providing valuable insights into the application of microbiome science to rebalance competition between invasive and native species.

Each of the award winners will work with faculty and staff in the John Martinson Honors College to recruit student researchers and launch their projects this fall, followed by a kick-off celebration in Spring 2024 to begin the yearlong projects.

Learn more about this award and the other recipients:

John Martinson Honors College
Breakthrough Research Award

American Bittersweet Plant

Related News

Upinder Kaur, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, works on a robot dog that finds ticks and identifies tick activity.
Using artificial intelligence to understand the natural world

Purdue Agriculture researchers are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and...

Read More
student using a tablet in an agricultural field
Purdue Agronomy eLearning Academy Celebrates Ten Years of Serving Agriculture

When agribusiness leaders expressed a need for professional development courses to enhance their...

Read More
Rachel Stevens
Behind the Research: Rachel Stevens

Many people are involved in the remarkable range of programs, services and facilities that...

Read More
Cliff Johnston looks through a model of a clay molecule
Researchers unveil a groundbreaking clay-based solution to capture carbon dioxide and combat climate change

One of Earth's most common nanomaterials is facilitating breakthroughs in tackling climate...

Read More
Anna Paltseva, clinical assistant professor of urban science in the agronomy department, sits outside of a greenhouse, holding her Urban Soils Guide.
Framework to expand engagement in urban areas

Urban soils are essential to building sustainable cities — from supporting green...

Read More
Male researcher water collecting data from water tank
Working together to mitigate forever: Managing persistent PFAS in our environment

When Linda Lee received a sample of shellfish from an Alaskan reservation in 2005, she was...

Read More
To Top