Chemistry (12) We are developing a program of cooperative instructional use of a Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance (FT-NMR) spectrometer. Using a network workstation, students from several nearby institutions have access to data acquired on a 300 MHz FT-NMR instrument located at Rider University. The other collaborating institutions include Mercer County Community College, Raritan Valley Community College, Bucks County Community College, Middlesex County Community College, and Delaware Valley College. Cooperatively used NMR instruments have been installed at other locales with the assistance of NSF-ILI grants. We are using these models as a basis for our project. Since the participating institutions outside of Rider had been unable to include experimental FT-NMR in their curriculum, this program exposes students from a number of geographically related two- and four-year undergraduate institutions to the modern experimental techniques of FT-NMR. Additionally we are developing a web-based tutorial for use by all students participating in the program.
The project includes the installation of a 300 MHz network-capable NMR at Rider University. Initial training of students and faculty from other locations is the responsibility of an NMR trainer/coordinator. After their initial training using the web-based tutorial, students prepare NMR samples at their own institution and transport them to Rider. Once the raw spectral data have been acquired, they are available on the network for full analysis at the remote location. In this way students learn how to analyze and produce their own NMR spectra under the guidance of their own instructor. This type of remote access and workstation driven system is fairly common in most large chemical research laboratories. Given the prevalent use of NMR in the field of chemistry, the exposure to this kind of environment for the students at the participating institutions better prepares them for any future work in chemical research or industry.
