In this CAREER award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Alexander V. Benderskii of Wayne State University and his graduate and undergraduate research students will use ultrafast, non-linear spectroscopic techniques to study the dynamics of water at interfaces. The goal of the research is to learn how the nature of the interface influences the structure and dynamics of the interfacial water.
In addition to his research activities, Prof. Benderskii will work with high school students and middle and high school teachers in the predominantly African-American Detroit School District, through the Wayne State University Office of Minority Student Initiatives. The bulk of this effort will be focused on developing Chem Demos to assist pre-college teachers in enhancing student learning, particularly targeting areas highlighted in the Michigan Curriculum Science Benchmarks.