The project is removing four perceived deficiencies in the Chemistry curriculum. The deficiencies are: 1) lack of student exposure to modern, computerized instrumentation; 2) lack of laboratory courses at an advanced level; 3) lack of any laboratory work in the important area of polymer chemistry; and 4) lack of modern instrumentation to maintain a vigorous undergraduate research program. The grant is allowing the purchase of modern computerized spectroscopic instruments, computers to control them, equipment to introduce polymer chemistry into the curriculum, and a rapid kinetics spectrometer. The instruments are being used to revamp entirely the first term of the junior level physical chemistry laboratory that is taken by all chemistry majors. In addition, the second term of the physical chemistry sequence that features kinetics and spectroscopy is also being substantially changed in order to incoporate the new capabilities into the laboratory. A new course in the chemical applications of magnetic resonance is being added to the curriculum to give students laboratory experience at the advanced level. The grantee is matching the award from non-Federal sources.
