Rep. Panetta Announces $890,044 Federal Grant for CSUMB Biodiversity and Conservation Project

SALINAS, CA – On Tuesday, February 22, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) announced an $890,044 federal grant funded by the National Science Foundation through the American Rescue Plan for California State University, Monterey Bay, to study the evolutionary mechanisms of biodiversity and species conservation. The project will focus on classroom-based undergraduate research experiences, and the creation of a learning and mentoring community focused around biodiversity and evolutionary genetics. The project will also support the development of K-12 STEM teachers in rural communities by engaging and training pre-service teachers in the principles of evolutionary biology and research. “CSUMB is becoming a leading institution for biodiversity and conservation research, and they deserve additional federal resources to educate the next generation of scientists, teachers, and experts,” said Rep. Panetta. “This funding provided through the American Rescue Plan will serve as a model for how the federal government can support local universities in their research and education efforts. The project will engage the undergraduate community, grow the pipeline of rural community STEM teachers, and expand our knowledge of different ecological species here on the Central Coast.” "The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty who have demonstrated early promise to be leaders in their field of study and in their universities,” said Andrew Lawson, Dean of the College of Science at CSUMB. “We are incredibly proud of Dr. Alter and this award which seeks to understand the genomic processes which underlie speciation using Rockfish in the Northeast Pacific as a model.