State Department Grant Funds Exchange Program with Chile

The delegation from Chile joined by Montclair State faculty.

Montclair State students and faculty members visited Chile in January as part of a new study and research exchange program created by a U.S. Department of State Innovation grant for President Obama's "100,000 Strong in the Americas" initiative.

As part of the same initiative, Montclair State hosted a delegation of six students and several faculty members from Universidad Mayor in Santiago, Chile, in September. The visit launched several collaborative research projects between students from both schools. The Chilean delegation also attended mini courses, workshops and seminars, and visited area pharmaceutical companies.

Chile is a South American biotechnology leader and Universidad Mayor, which has developed a strong biotechnology program, is an ideal partner for the Montclair State exchange, according to biology and molecular biology professor and grant project director Carlos Molina.

Molina and mathematics professor Mika Munakata, along with seven Montclair State undergraduate and two graduate students, welcomed in the new year with a 10-day trip to Chile, where students engaged in collaborative workshops and field trips.

"They not only learned about recent research in biotechnology, but also presented their own research," says Molina. "They had a unique opportunity to learn how to use one of only three confocal microscopes in the world, a powerful tool that creates 3-D images of multilayered plant or animal tissues."

"The biggest benefit to all the students is the fact that this is an important step in establishing productive international collaborations," says Molina.

"The results of the exchange have exceeded all expectations, particularly in the way students and faculty interacted and learned from each other," says Marina Cunningham, executive director of international affairs at Montclair State's Global Education Center.