Arts and Sciences | Featured | NewsDecember 01, 2025

$50,000 Grant to Fund Microbiology Labs, Research

Written By: Rachel Putman

A $50,000 faculty recruitment grant will help the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith build its microbiology program, equip a new shared research lab, and expand hands-on opportunities for undergraduate students through the Arkansas INBRE network.

The Faculty Recruitment Award, funded by Arkansas INBRE (Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence), supports recruitment at predominantly undergraduate institutions to strengthen biomedical research across the state. This year’s award to UAFS will provide shared laboratory startup support for two new assistant professors in microbiology, Dr. Radwa Hanafy and Dr. Susie Boles, who joined the biological sciences faculty this semester.

Rather than funding prospective hires, the timing of this year’s program allowed UAFS to write the proposal around newly hired faculty and design a shared lab environment tailored to their work. The university identified existing equipment that will support both Hanafy and Boles and will use the new funding to add key capabilities: anaerobic chamber instrumentation for Hanafy’s research, and a real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) instrument and supplies for Boles.

The award aligns with an institutional push to prioritize undergraduate research, even as a teaching-focused campus.

“In larger institutions, new faculty often receive ‘start-up’ packages, financial awards that allow for the initial set up of their laboratory to fulfill an expectation of scholarly work,” said Christopher Pierret, professor of biology and department head. “Because our institution focuses primarily on teaching, such packages are not typically awarded. In cooperation with the Arkansas INBRE, this award bridges these two worlds, allowing these new faculty to engage in meaningful and impactful research with students within our teaching environment. Taylor Martinez, in her role as Director of Research and Sponsored projects, is positioning our team to be better prepared for these opportunities.

Dr. Hanafy joins UAFS from the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Toxicological Research and holds a doctorate in microbiology.

“I plan to use this grant to build a student-focused research program where undergraduates can learn anaerobic microbiology, molecular techniques, gut microbiome, and genomic analysis, so students will have the chance to investigate how microbes influence health, disease, and the environment,” said Hanafy. “What excites me most is the impact this work will have on our students. Many of them are experiencing research for the first time, and these projects give them space to explore new ideas, build confidence, and see themselves as scientists. Such opportunities not only prepare students for internships, graduate programs, and careers in health sciences and biotechnology, but also help strengthen a culture of discovery and curiosity here at UAFS.”

Dr. Boles comes to UAFS from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she completed a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology. She has conducted research in the Kendrick Lab in UAMS biochemistry and molecular biology and in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, studying DNA secondary structures as potential therapeutic targets in lymphoma.

“I plan to use equipment purchased with this grant both to introduce more modern laboratory methods in teaching labs and for student-driven research to discover how changes in DNA structure affect gene expression and microbial behavior, particularly in opportunistic pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections,” Boles explained. “As someone who grew up in rural Arkansas whose interactions with scientists were limited to watching episodes of Nova on PBS, I know the transformative power of student-driven research at small public institutions like ours. For our students, research opportunities provide far more than just lines on a resume; these projects allow them to see a career in scientific research as a realistic, achievable goal right here in the natural state.”

“I am exceptionally proud of Drs. Boles and Hanafy, as they represent an infectious (micro puns intended) energy toward student-driven research,” Pierret added. “Biological sciences here at UAFS is a pretty special team.”

The Arkansas INBRE program is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program of the National Institutes of Health. The IDeA program was created to broaden the geographic distribution of NIH support for biomedical and behavioral research; NIGMS currently supports INBRE programs in 23 states and Puerto Rico.

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• Biology
• microbiology
• STEM