The Chemical Technology Department offers multiple degrees including a 5-yr bachelor of science degree in Chemical Technology. This BS degree program is a unique laboratory-driven curriculum emphasizing analytical chemistry and featuring six quarters of cooperative work in industrial or government laboratories. This project develops a number of new laboratory experiences and courses to improve and add technical content to the Chemical Technology program based on acquisition of a gas chromatography / mass spectrometric system capable of performing tandem mass spectrometry. Incorporating new laboratory course work is enabling our students to develop working skills with the most advanced techniques and instrumentation currently used in industry and government laboratories. Existing courses directly affected by this project include: Chemical Technology V, Chemical Instrumentation, Senior Project, Biotechnology, Preparation and Analysis of Organic Compounds, and Basic Pharmaceutical Technology. New courses planned under this project include Sample Preparation, Special Topics in Mass Spectrometry, and Design of Experiments. Instrumentation being used to accomplish this project is a Varian Instruments Saturn 2000 Gas Chromatograph/Ion-trap Mass Spectrometer (GCIMS) workstation. This equipment is designed to separate and detect organic chemical species at the parts per billion level. With the heavy use of the instrument and the time required to perform each experiment, use of three computers with mass spectral software and NIST libraries installed permits considerably expanded student participation for data manipulation and tutorials for interpretation of mass spectral data. Collaborations to disseminate these laboratory experiences to additional students at the Raymond Walters College and Clermont College, branch campuses of the University of Cincinnati, and the independent Cincinnati State Technical and Community College are underway. Southeastern Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Miami U niversity in Middletown, Ohio, and six regional alliances of schools, colleges, and industries are participating as users and evaluators of instructional materials. Further, applied student research and senior projects in the Chemical Technology department stemming from project products will be on going for students resulting in published papers and presentations at national and regional meetings. *
