This project is developing a chemistry of art course for non-science majors, an analytical chemistry of art course for upper-level chemistry majors and a special topics in art course for art majors. The courses develop students' understanding of the chemistry and analytical techniques using tools of analytical chemistry (UV-Vis, FT-IR, Raman, GC-MS, XRF). The project is structured around a synergistic exchange of expertise among analytical chemists, anthropologists, and art historians. Through this exchange, broader impacts are being realized on both sides. The goals of the project include: 1) creating and promoting an option for non-science majors, particularly art and anthropology majors, to increase their understanding of chemistry and its relevance to and uses in these fields, especially in art restoration and conservation, 2) increasing non-science majors' appreciation of chemistry and scientific literacy more generally, 3) developing chemistry students' understanding of and skills in using both classic and modern analytical instrumentation, and 4) increasing chemistry students' appreciation for the use of analytical chemistry techniques in non-science disciplines. Sixteen laboratory activities, many of which are original, with variations for non-science and chemistry majors for five of them, are being developed, using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence applied to problems of interest in art, anthropology, archaeology, and history. These activities are being shared through presentations at chemistry, art conservation, and archaeology conferences and professional society meetings, and through publication in chemical education, anthropology and art education journals. The project also is generating insights into how to bridge across content domains whose cultures and problems of interest seem disparate. The PI team is sharing these insights with a broader community through presentations at professional meetings. The project integrates external evaluation expertise in studying the extent to which the goals are attained, and relationships between the work executed as part of this project and the project's goals.
Enhancing Undergraduate Chemistry Education through Incorporation of Art-based Experiments The project focused on providing undergraduate students from two different backgrounds, science and non-science majors, an opportunity to understand how chemistry is applied in the arts. The activities supported by this award allowed the team of investigators drawn from chemistry, anthropology and art to enhance the chemistry curriculum by contextualizing the content with the arts. Although the incorporation of chemical principles has historically been inherent in art, integration of chemistry and art in undergraduate courses is rare, and is the underlying innovative approach in the work carried out through this grant with an emphasis on "STEAM" with A standing for the Arts. The curricular improvement focused on a chemistry elective for chemistry majors and an introductory chemistry course for non-science majors. Both courses tremendously benefited from infusing the content with the arts. External evaluation of program activities reported gains in student knowledge and appreciation of the interplay between chemistry and art for the courses developed and taught as part of this project, for both science and non-science majors. The broader impact was to expand the fundamental understanding of the sciences by a larger audience, which was accomplished in the Chemistry of Art class for non-science majors that impacted over 120 students during each year of the grant over four years, and is expected to continue. The activities of this project have resulted in two published articles in peer-reviewed journals, a number oral and poster presentations at local, regional and national conferences and a textbook titled Chemistry of Art, for non-science majors. At least five additional manuscripts are in preparation and will likely be published in peer-reviewed journals within the next two years. Several ongoing projects and long lasting collaborations across disciplines have been established. These publications and projects include undergraduate students as co-authors from various disciplines: chemistry, art and chemical education majors who are now translating this approach in their classes and research projects. The momentum gathered by this successful project has also led to the creation of outreach activities and to offering workshops to disseminate the findings even further, including a workshop for in-service teachers funded several times via the "Georgia Improving Teacher Quality, Higher Education Program", that potentially impacts a broad audience in regional high schools. The textbook, Chemistry of Art, now in its second edition, will also impact students at other college and university campuses. Beyond academics, instrumentation acquired through this grant has been used to identify chemicals in objects of cultural heritage in the possession of art conservators, archeologists, anthropologists, colleagues in the department of risk management on campus as well as citizens of the local community.
