William “B.J.” Kunkle, Jr. of Latrobe received an A.J. Palumbo Research Grant in April 2005 to perform his senior research titled “The Effects of Calcium Chloride Concentration on the Bacterial Growth of Gram-Negative Escherichia coli MM294 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27853 and Gram-Positive Staphylococcus aureus RN450.” Mr. Kunkle is a senior biology major who hopes to be a pediatrician. He writes the following about his research:

 “The purpose of my research project was to determine the effects of calcium chloride on the growth of various bacteria. The importance of the research comes from the fact that calcium chloride is a major component of skeletal bones; therefore, the research can potentially be related to bone infections and bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Each bacterium was grown in different calcium chloride concentrations, optimum growth conditions were identified, and the growth of the bacteria and changes in cellular structure were determined at each concentration.”