Oct. 17, 1997 Contact Ross West (541) 346-2060 EUGENE--A pair of geography students at the University of Oregon recently received an award of $5,000 from the Joint Research Exchange Fund (JREX) in support of a 1998 project on the planning and management of watersheds in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The UO students--graduate students Coleen Fox and Nick Kohler--were among only 24 groups worldwide to receive a JREX award. A third member of their team, Chantaviphone Inthavong, works for the Centre for Protected Areas and Watershed Management in Laos. The three plan to research hydro-power development, including the effects of development on the Mekong River. "JREX is a nice opportunity for international collaborative research," said Kohler. "It is unique in its funding for graduate students." The JREX awards are usually for $5,000, with additional money provided for transportation costs. The UO team will use the grant money for equipment, making maps of the area to be analyzed, translators and housing. "It brings honor to the University of Oregon to have its graduate students compete successfully at the national and international level," said Steadman Upham, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School. -30- #G-7308/Special