Prof. Kelsey D. Cook of the University of Tennessee is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program as the Principal Investigator for this Research Opportunity Award (ROA). This award enables visiting faculty from institutions involved primarily in undergraduate education to come to the Tennessee campus for a summer research experience in analytical chemistry. Important additional components of the program include interactions with scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and an interface with summer undergraduate research programs at Tennessee which can include students from the campus of the visiting faculty member. Among the goals are enhanced quality of undergraduate education in chemistry at the visitors' home institutions, enhanced student interest in careers in analytical chemistry, exchange of ideas concerning teaching matters, and career-enhancing opportunities for under-represented groups. Visitors are able to participate in a research project available from among a dozen research programs of faculty at Tennessee and staff at Oak Ridge all of which are focused on various aspects of analytical chemistry. The main thrust of this project is focused on the scientific infrastructure. By providing a summer research experience for visiting faculty from undergraduate institutions that have not had a research experience for their students, curriculum improvements at those institutions can be encouraged and positive changes in the environment to encourage students to pursue careers in chemistry result.
