Teacher wins research grant in Camas Valley

CAMAS VALLEY — A grant will allow a Camas Valley teacher to bring new research back to his high school classroom.

Biology teacher Brock Ferguson will benefit from a $15,000 grant the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Wash., awarded to Oregon State University. The award partners high school science teachers with mentors to conduct research and bring the skills they acquire into their curricula.

Thomas Chastain, an associate professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Science, will oversee Ferguson’s research titled, “Biological Effects of Nitrogen Management on Winter Canola Production for Biodiesel.”

Chastain met Ferguson while Ferguson was a student in his classroom at OSU, and has seen him in front of a classroom.

“I wish I had biology teachers like him when I was in high school,” Chastain said. “I am really excited to work with someone like him and thankful to the trust for making it possible.”

The research is aimed at making canola crops, a biodiesel ingredient, more efficient. Scientists know that nitrogen fertilizers make canola crops produce more seeds, but Chastain said they don’t know the perfect amount of fertilizer to apply or how it affects the quality of the crop. Ferguson will conduct research during two summers to find out.

After the project’s completion, Chastain will work with Ferguson to design high school curriculum based on the experiments.