This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This award supports a renovation project to provide infrastructure improvements to approximately 1000 square feet of existing research space into a lab shared by six chemistry and biochemistry faculty, their instrumentation and equipment, and undergraduate research students. The renovated facility will improve research conditions for faculty pursuing research projects with undergraduates studying the mechanisms of viral genome evolution; several high-value areas of organic chemistry: high-spin molecules and their metal complexes, carbonyl and heterocycle chemistry, and organofluorine chemistry; solid/aqueous phase and interfacial chemical reactions influencing the fate of trace elements through bench-to-pilot scale experiments; environmental sampling, analysis, and remediation of soil, vegetation, wildlife, and water resources on the college campus; and developing "green" oxygenation catalysts that are organometallic in nature.
The renovated laboratory will provide the faculty and their students interested in pursuing careers in the chemical sciences modern and safe facilities in which to develop their interests.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project renovated an existing, general purpose research laboratory into a first-class laboratory for chemistry and biochemistry research for faculty and undergraduate students at the public, 4-year, bachelor degree granting, Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, GA. The renovation was completed during summer semester of 2011. Faculty, undergraduate, and high school students conducted chemistry and biochemistry research in fall 2011, spring 2012, summer 2012, fall 2012, and spring 2013 semesters. An average of 9 faculty and 19 students worked each semester, with many of the students from groups (female, race, ethnicity) typically underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. The renovated lab space offered faculty and students authentic chemistry and biochemistry research opportunities, which are essential to keeping STEM undergraduates on the trajectory for post-graduate and professional careers in STEM. As a result of the research work, faculty and students published 3 peer reviewed journal articles, 18 peer-reviewed conference presentations, and 30 non-peer reviewed presentations for the public at large. While the actual science accomplished as a result of the renovation project does not dramatically impact the fields of chemistry and biochemistry with new discoveries, the most important aspect of the project is that it has further developed human resources (faculty and students) to help keep the U.S. competitive in STEM fields.
