9350822 Mertzman The EDAX Component of a Scanning Electron Microscope An energy dispersive x-ray microanalytical system (EDAX) for a scanning electron microscope is being used by the students in the geosciences department and to a lesser extent by students in physics and biology. The curriculum is being impacted by this instrumentation throughout the four year undergraduate experience. To get the students excited about science and to show them what is possible in order to fire their imaginations, students are making use of the instrumentation at least twice in each of the introductory courses, dynamic earth and oceanography. Sophomore and junior required geosciences courses, particularly the lab experiences in sedimentology, mineralogy, petrology, structure, and paleontology are being modified considerably in light of access to this instrumentation. The microworld is now accessible to chemical characterization in addition to the macroworld. The breadth of experience, the depth, and the sheer number of undergraduate research opportunities is being substantially increased. Students from outside our institution are being impacted by this improvement, too, through our very active participation with eleven other geology departments in the Keck Geology Consortium. ***y
