ASU Gets Two Grants:
ASU Awarded $20,000 Bone Marrow Donor Awareness Grant and $4,000 Award to Continue the Fight Against HIV/AIDS.
By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
Lightning strikes twice recently with two grants being awarded to Alabama State University through its office of Diversity and International Affairs. The grants will help people with health issues and provide training for ASU's student body in ways far beyond regular classroom instruction, according to Dr. Linwood B. Whitten, assistant vice president of Student Affairs/director of Diversity and International Affairs.
"BE THE MATCH" GRANT - $20,000
The University has been awarded two grants, with the largest coming from the "Be The Match" group in the amount of $20,000.
"The ‘Be The Match’ partnership grant is a national bone marrow donor program, which seeks to mobilize higher education institutions like ASU to educate members of the Hornet Nation family on its mission and the importance of diversifying the blood and bone marrow registry so that a diverse group of individuals may be helped," Whitten said.
He explained that "Be The Match" works to educate people on the disparities affecting African-Americans who are many times endlessly searching for loved one's who are affected with blood cancers and other blood borne diseases like sickle cell anemia, but with diminished help due to the low numbers of African-Americans who participate in the programs.
FAITH AND HIV/AIDS CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT - $4,000
The University's second grant is a "Faith & HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Grant" of $4,000, which was received from the Gilead COMPASS Initiative Faith Coordinating Center at Wake Forest University. The purpose of this award is to fund new or existing projects that address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Southern United States.
"This grant will provide ASU with curricular, financial, and capacity-building support to maximize its impact in this critical need area," Whitten said.
IMPORTANCE OF GRANTS TO ASU
Whiten stated that these two different grants are important to ASU because each directly impacts the ensuing health crisis within the African-American community.
"For decades, historically marginalized populations have been affected by genetic health disparities and the epidemic caused by HIV/AIDS. As a designated awardee of each grant, ASU is able to continue its concerted outreach and awareness efforts to educate and provide resources to our students, in addition to our neighbors within the River Region. through intentional programming and other events," Whitten said.
"These grants also align with President Ross’s strong commitment to ‘CommUniversity’ through health and awareness.”
GRANTS GOOD FOR STUDENTS
The two grants also will be beneficial to ASU students.
"The 'Be The Match' program offers paid student internship opportunities so they may serve as campus representatives for the duration of the partnership," Whitten stated.
He explains that through the assistance of the ASU Office of Career Services, a student task force will be developed to support the 'Faith & HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Grant.’
"This team will include students from all demographics who represent the various entities that are enrolled here at Alabama State University. Students will be able to learn about both health crisis and how they can contribute to addressing both causes through co-curricular programming," Whitten concluded.
News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.
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