Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund awards grant for physiology lab equipment

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund recently awarded Concordia Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Kyle Johnson a grant for $14,500 to provide Vernier brand physiology lab equipment to enhance student engagement in Concordia’s various pre-health programs. The equipment would include items like EKG sensors and blood pressure monitors.  

Johnson said that the equipment will serve to prepare students for careers in nursing and other healthcare sectors more effectively by allowing them to develop practical skills.  

“The grant I received through the Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund was used to purchase Vernier Physiology Go Direct sensors that will greatly enhance our anatomy and physiology labs by providing students with hands-on experience in measuring and analyzing physiological data in real-time,” he said. “This technology will support Concordia’s mission to provide an excellent learning environment for our science students by fostering the development of practical skills that prepare them to serve God and their neighbors in nursing and other healthcare-related fields.” 

“I’m also excited about the opportunities this grant will provide for the students to engage with real-life data, learn to understand and interpret this data, and, ultimately, learn how to communicate the implications of this data to others,” he added.  

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund was developed as part of Concordia’s SALT and LIGHT strategic plan to encourage and celebrate faculty and student scholarship, with a particular focus on how different disciplines intersect with the Christian faith. Learn more about the fund here.