CARBONDALE - Recent storms took a toll on Southern Illinois University Carbondale's infrastructure, but for many faculty, staff and students, the real damage hit closer to home.

Researchers of all levels, from students to faculty and staff, lost countless amounts of research samples and other materials during the May 8 storm and ensuing power outages. Campus was without power for five days, and backup generators could not keep all the necessary refrigerators and freezers operating.

"You're talking about your career here," said Sheryl King, director of equine studies, who lost 10 years worth of research and samples. "It's gone. It's all gone."

King wasn't alone.

John Koropchak, vice chancellor for research and dean of the graduate school, said many professors from across the campus had research affected by or lost during this month's storms.

Researchers working in the fields of chemistry and biomedicine were affected, and "agriculture was really hit hard," he said.

"You can't put a price on what was lost there," Koropchak said. "Their passion and life's work was destroyed in one fell swoop."

Some individuals were able to save high-valued equipment on campus, which would have only added to the devastation if it had been damaged, he said. No one was injured, and many members of the university are looking to that as the blessing amidst the storm.

At this point, Koropchak said he's not aware of any guaranteed issues that will arise in terms of funding and grants based in the university's extensive research portfolio, but as things develop, it's possible that may change.

"There may be circumstances where it will become problematic," he said, adding the deadline for several grant applications passed during the storm recovery. Researchers and their sponsoring organizations will have to work out details, and many are hoping for extensions.

A federal disaster declaration would almost assuredly help with this process, Koropchak said. "I don't know what we can do, but we'll try to do whatever we can."

Amidst the chaos of the storm, a dedicated staff and pack of researchers took matters into their own hands and prevented what could have been a "catastrophe" from happening at the university's fisheries on McLafferty Road.

James Garvey, director of fisheries, said the fish in the facility were at "a critical point" in the spawning process when the storm hit. The system that circulates the water in their tanks runs off electricity, and generators were not offering enough juice.

"We basically thought we were going to lose our spawning fish and all our babies," he said. "If we had another day of outages, I think we'd be in bad shape."

Workers at the site circulated water by hand and ensured the proper conditions to continue the spawning process. In the end, the facility lost no fish and continued its research successfully.

"We really dodged a bullet," Garvey said.

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