The grant includes $25,000 for Flagler College Professor Matt Brown’s San Sebastian River Water Quality Research Project. Additionally, Siemens gave $5,000 as the lead/title sponsor of Science Week, underscoring Siemens' commitment to fostering scientifi c education and innovation.
Brown’s research uses fecal bacteria such as Enterococcus as indicators of untreated waste, with the goal of tracing sources of fecal input to local waterways. He also aims to study the response of Enterococcus bacteria to saltwater exposure and its connections to the broader microbial community. The results will help the city of St. Augustine target their funding for sewer conversion to the areas that need it the most.
“The Empower+ grant will provide our students with the tools to explore topics such as biofuel optimization and partitioning of contaminant compounds. Allowing students to see the applications of their new skills right from the start is a powerful motivator for learning,” said Brown.
Specifi cally, the funds will allow the College to purchase critical laboratory equipment, provide research stipends for undergraduate student researchers, and cover travel and research dissemination expenses.
Steve Hoiberg, Director of Siemens Empower+ Programs, emphasized the importance of such transformative research endeavors. "Transformative research such as the study of the San Sebastian River and related environmental issues is not only an important part of the College’s core mission, but it’s critical to the State of Florida’s sustainable future," said Hoiberg. "This is the innovative, forwardthinking work that Siemens’ Empower+ program is passionate about supporting."
Empower+ from Siemens expands partnerships and supports customized programming in various areas, including sustainability, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), student success, workforce development, energy effi ciency, and community engagement. Through initiatives like Empower+, Siemens aims to collaborate with communities, schools, colleges, and universities to inspire the next generation of leaders.
