Twenty high school students of high ability and limited chemistry education background will work for 8 weeks during the summer of 1988 in the Chemistry Department of Georgia State University. Women and students from minority groups will be especially encouraged to apply. Participants will develop basic research skills and knowledge of chemical science as they work with practicing scientists in an intensive, hands-on, laboratory-oriented project. In general students will evaluate the fundamental character of their assigned mixed ligand solvent extraction reagents, and attempt to use the extraction reagents to find a solvent extraction system for separating and recovering a vital metal from a low-grade ore, scrap metal, industrial by-product, or waste effluent. The need to solve the practical laboratory problem will provide the rationale for lecture-recitation topics. Personal contact with the participants will be maintained about once a month during the following academic year. About 25 percent of the lecture time in the summer and academic year will be devoted to career development and science ethics topics. A 2nd summer continuation project is planned wherein about 3/4 of the first summer's participants return to work with their choice of a faculty research director.
