Chemistry students in the ten Chicago area community colleges (CC) are being introduced to environmental mass spectrometry analyses using the GC/MS and LC/MS instrumentation available at Loyola University in Chicago, IL. Students acquire and analyze mass spectrometry data through remote internet access. The three environmental analysis experiments are designed so that their purpose and endpoints are easy for beginning chemistry students to grasp. The exposure of CC students to modern analytical methods and instrumentation applied to solving problems whose importance is compelling is expected to encourage more interest in chemistry among those students and to encourage more of them to pursue a bachelor's degree in chemistry. Students are analyzing chlorinated and brominated organic molecules that are by-products of the water disinfection process. These experiments were chosen because they are good vehicles for teaching basic mass spectrometry interpretation to students whose background in organic chemistry is likely to be limited. Another goal of these laboratories is to acquaint the CC students with different types of mass spectrometry experiments, in particular those that are used to determine the empirical formula and/or identity of a compound versus experiments that are used to quantify targeted analytes. The six participating Chicago CC professors (3 co-PIs and 3 other participants) are attending training seminars for the use of the GC/MS and LC/MS instruments, conducted by the instrument manufacturer at Loyola University. The CC professors are encouraged to participate in online demonstrations and to create educational modules that may be incorporated into the InterLaboratory Network (ILN) as part of the dissemination of this work. The assessment plan evaluates whether students who are exposed to environmental mass spectrometry using internet-based technologies are more likely to go on to a 4-year institution and complete a bachelor's degree than students who do not take part. The plan also measures student perceptions of careers in chemistry and whether interest in environmental issues motivates students to pursue a career in chemistry. The assessment tools are being incorporated into the online access to facilitate gathering of information. Results of this project will be presented at the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education and at American Chemical Society meetings. This project aligns with the NSF initiative to enhance the cyberinfrastructure of educational institutions to promote the sharing of online resources.
