September 13, 2004

Riverside, CA - La Sierra University received a Directed Program Grant from the United States Department of Education for $132,215. This congressional award will provide vital equipment for upgrading and strengthening the instructional laboratory programs of La Sierra’s physics and biology departments.

“The grant comes through Congressman Ken Calvert and his office,” says Jim Beach, La Sierra University dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “It is to be used to purchase equipment for science instruction. The funds for this particular grant are split evenly between physics and biology.”

Funds from the grant have purchased 26 Dell laptop computers that will be housed in two labs in San Fernando Hall at La Sierra University. The network will be wireless and have access to two new printers according to Ed Karlow, La Sierra University chair and professor of physics. “Also purchased with the grant are three Nuclear Gamma Ray Spectrum Analyzers to assist with physics experiments by analyzing nuclear radiation”.

“All of our data used to be acquired by hand,” says Karlow. “Now we are all silicon based. The only paper used is when they print the final report.”

Karlow and Ivan Rouse, La Sierra University professor of physics spent the summer setting up the labs. “The computers are just one part of the instruments in the lab environment,” says Karlow. Several other small items were also purchased with the grant funds to be utilized during lab.