This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This project will renovate laboratory space in Smith Hall, which was first occupied in 1968. Smith Hall houses the Chemistry, Physics, and Computational Science Department and the aquaculture laboratory of the Environmental Science and Biology Department. The building does not have air conditioning, and lacks hood space, adequate power, and a vacuum and distilled water distribution system. These infrastructure issues are the target of the proposed renovation. The effort is part of a larger renovation project funded by the State University Construction Fund that is limited to asbestos abatement and energy efficiency improvements.
The renovation of the research laboratories will benefit at least eleven faculty members who have a strong track record in securing extramural funding and publishing in peer-reviewed journals. The renovations will enable and improve research infrastructure which is heavily used for undergraduate student training. Several faculty members are involved in research concerning ionic liquids, which are salts that are liquid at or near room temperature and have received increasing attention because of their unique properties and their use as neoteric solvent in chemical synthesis and processing. Other faculty collaborate on research to grow and characterize layers of thin films of superconducting metals or are working on computational aspects of mathematical knot theory.
About 50% of SUNY Brockport science graduates go on to graduate school. These students will benefit from improved research facilities and be better prepared for success in graduate school. Improved facilities will further help in recruiting research-active faculty, helping to grow and expand SUNY Brockport's thriving program.
This award provided partial support for the renovation of the Smith Hall Science Building at The College at Brockport, a primarily undergraduate research institution (PUI). Specifically, the renovation of all laboratory spaces dedicated for research and research training in Smith Hall was covered by the award. All habitants of Smith Hall moved out of the building into temporary spaces during renovation, which allowed the renovation of Smith Hall to be completed within 15 months. This was the first major renovation of Smith Hall since it opened in 1968. The renovation couldn't have come at a more pressing time because the number of science students at The College at Brockport increased significantly. For example, the number of students in General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry doubled during the past five years, and the number of majors in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry have more than doubled. With the improved logistics and space usage that resulted from the renovation, it was possible to accommodate this significant increase in science students and departmental majors. In addition there has also been a marked increase in student engagement in undergraduate research. Specifically, during the most recent Spring14 semester, a record number of chemistry/biochemistry students signed up for independent research for credit, well more than double that of historic levels. The faculty can also attest to the positive impacts of the improved facilities on undergraduate research and research training that most intensely takes place during the hot summer months. Some exemplary improvements include the following: Now that Smith Hall is climate controlled (temperature and humidity and dust) temperature in the labs is stable between 70-75F throughout the year as opposed to temperatures that even exceeded 90F in some instances. The much lower humidity and dust levels, as well as more stable electrical power will all clearly increase the use and longevity of delicate instruments. The increased number of electrical outlets allows for more flexibility and accessibility of instrumental stations for student researchers. There are modern fume hoods with increased fume hood size, which provides for more efficient space use to set up for chemical synthesis. Supply of distilled water is now coming from central distilled water lines rather than a point source from and to 60 Gallon water carboys needed to be lugged. A Faraday cage enclosure in the low temperature physics laboratory allows now measurements of much reduced radio-frequency noise level. Both the low temperature and the surface science labs are benefitting from the availability of very clean electrical power. As a result of these infrastructure improvements student responses to a survey that was conducted annually during the award period show a marked improvement from pre to post renovation. A student comment from the latest 2014 survey sums up pretty well the positive impacts of the Smith Hall renovation: "I love the new building and I feel that it helps with my learning. It makes for an easier and more enjoyable experience in the laboratory".
