POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam Associate Professor of Chemistry Fadi Bou-Abdallah was recently selected as a recipient of the 2016 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.

The award provides an unrestricted research grant of $60,000 to faculty members at primarily undergraduate institutions who are “accomplished researchers and committed educators,” according to a press release from the college.

"The Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award will help support undergraduate research at SUNY Potsdam, and offer students a meaningful research experience that prepares them for graduate work in the chemical and health-related sciences," Bou-Abdallah said.

Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar nominations are submitted by undergraduate institutions from throughout the United States.

"Research support at undergraduate institutions is very important," said Mark J. Cardillo, executive director of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.

"Nearly half the chemists who earn a doctorate degree receive their bachelor's degree from an undergraduate institution, and research is a fundamental part of chemistry education," Cardillo said.

Bou-Abdallah was one of seven professors from across the nation chosen for recognition this year.

“He is in distinguished company,” with faculty from the University of San Diego, the University of Richmond, Pomona College, Franklin and Marshall College, Carleton College and Swarthmore College rounding out the list of recipients, according to SUNY Potsdam.

"Dr. Bou-Abdallah is a passionate and tireless educator, an exceptional mentor to undergraduate students and one of the most active researchers at SUNY Potsdam," said Steven Marqusee, dean of SUNY Potsdam's School of Arts and Sciences.

"His ability to combine world-class research with excellent undergraduate teaching and mentoring makes him an especially valuable member of the SUNY Potsdam academic community," Marqusee said.

One of Bou-Abdallah's major research projects is to study how iron (Fe), an essential trace element required for most living organisms, is taken up and released by the major iron storage protein, ferritin.

"At a molecular level, understanding such crucial biological processes and how certain mutations in this protein lead to abnormal accumulation of iron in the central nervous system has clinical and practical implications that will allow the design and development of new treatments for iron-related diseases," he said.

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of the chemical sciences. It was established in 1946 by chemist, inventor, and businessman Camille Dreyfus, who directed that the foundation's purpose be "to advance the science of chemistry, chemical engineering and related sciences as a means of improving human relations and circumstances around the world," the release said.