This project provides fluorescence, luminescence, and scintillation equipment to serve a range of biology and chemistry laboratory courses. The department has been successful in modernizing and enhancing curricula in biology and chemistry supporting classroom instruction and independent student research. The instruments tie into the existing computing network and enable students to use modern methods of data collection and analysis. The resulting laboratories and exercises consist of interdependent and multiply specialized methods as found in programs offered on many college campuses. Since the project is aimed at a cross-section of science majors and nonmajors, the improved facilities represent a cost-effective program for enhancing a modern biology and chemistry curricula. The multidisciplinary approach to the improvements spring from and enhance interdepartmental collaboration. Objectives are being achieved by using modern, efficient instruments for measurement of fluorescence and radioactive disintegrations. The specific equipment supports sensitive biological, environmental, organic, and inorganic fluorescence analysis, and biochemical and bioanalytical micro well applications. The instruments are also being used by biology and chemistry student researchers and their faculty mentors. Biology and chemistry faculty can assess student use and performance through schedule development and student reports. These can be used to inform an active cross-content development of lab exercises and course modernization as part of an ongoing process of performance evaluation for both specialized applications and networked tie-ins. The inclusion of modern methods of data analysis in the curricula can result in graduates who have an enhanced capacity to understand the nature of modern scientific data collection and analysis and a more solid foundation for future achievement in a technologically demanding society.
