NSF Award
9952552
Chemistry (12) This project involves the acquisition of instrumentation to enhance the ability to support a hands-on, investigative approach in the laboratory: a high performance liquid chromatograph with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD), a gas chromatograph with flame ionization and thermal conductivity detectors (GC-FID/TCD), a flame/graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (AA), and a spectrofluorometer. Specific objectives include increased involvement of undergraduates in research, extension of an investigative approach to Physical Chemistry and Biochemistry, support of a broader array of investigative projects in other courses, and the extension of this investigative approach to new courses for non-majors which are being developed as part of a new Core Curriculum . This equipment is supporting laboratory experiments in several courses for science majors and for undergraduate research projects. This includes inquiry-based laboratory projects beginning in the freshman year. In addition, the equipment is being used for inquiry-based laboratory projects in new courses for non-majors (The Impact of Lead on Human Society; Nicotine and Addiction). These courses are intensive and problem-focused rather than broad surveys of scientific knowledge. The restricted focus and small class sizes are allowing the use of this instrumentation in non-majors laboratories. The approach and many of the experiments are drawn from NSF supported Systemic Initiatives including ModularCHEM and the ChemLinks coalition. Additional experiments to be adapted are drawn from traditional pedagogical literature (J. Chem. Educ.) and from research articles.
