Martens Charitable Trust funds OHIO Lancaster biological lab upgrades

Ohio University Lancaster was recently awarded $100,627 in funding from the Martens Charitable Trust, a memorial gift in the name of Nannie B. Martens and McClellan Martens in memory of their son, Raymond Brandt Martens to upgrade biological laboratories on campus.  

Jacqueline Tudor and Joseph Faber, associate professors of biological science, collaborated on the development of the grant proposal by developing a wish list of items that would be important to the ongoing upgrades to the science department. The items ranged from small glass slides to an oversized hematology analyzer.

“The generous funding made available by the Martens Charitable Trust will allow OHIO Lancaster to bring world-class equipment into science classrooms that will greatly enhance the student learning experience, particularly in chemistry and biomedical laboratory courses,” Jacqueline Tudor said. “Among many other upgrades, this gift will allow the campus to purchase a cutting-edge 3D virtual anatomy system to allow for specialized instruction in clinically-oriented anatomy."

The grant will add an extra layer of support to the Ohio University Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), which will soon launch on the OHIO Lancaster campus and a proposed respiratory therapy program.  The completion of the project will impact greater than 1,500 students, including all students studying nursing, biology and chemistry.

In July 2021, OHIO Lancaster received a transformative gift from Joyce N. Herrold to establish a state-of-the-art environment for nursing students. Herrold, a native of Lancaster, Ohio, is a 1954 graduate of Ohio University who earned her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. Her desire is to provide support for the physical training space and equipment needed to provide students with the highest-quality educational experience on the Lancaster Campus. Herrold’s gift offers resources to improve a classroom outfitted specifically for nursing students and equip an open nursing practicum lab and observation lab, among other upgrades.

The Martens Charitable Trust funding will ensure that Herrold’s tremendous generosity is augmented with further support for the proper lab equipment and tools needed to meet the demands of an expanding field of study.

"I'm so grateful to the Martens Charitable Trust for providing us with the resources to improve our efforts in the fields of science and health education,” Jarrod Tudor, dean of campus and community relations, said. “These resources will help OHIO Lancaster deliver drastically needed health care personnel in Lancaster and the greater Fairfield County area."

Although the biosciences will benefit directly from this funding and the upgrades, the entirety of OHIO Lancaster will be strengthened as a result. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 16 percent within a 10-year span of 2020-2030. This provides an opportunity for the region to be at the forefront of medical research, education and technology.

"Ohio University Lancaster is thrilled to expand its portfolio of academic programs to meet the needs of a growing Central Ohio. Many of the science laboratory upgrades will be made in advance of the fall semester, and they will provide faculty with the tools needed to offer top-notch programs in science and healthcare fields,” Jacqueline Tudor said.