9352151 Weaver Title: Upgrading and Automating an X-ray Diffractometer for Use in Undergraduate Teaching and Research X-ray diffraction is one of the basic tools for identifying and understanding the structure of geological materials. The current x-ray diffraction equipment was purchased in 1965 and is now obsolete. The project will upgrade this equipment and computerize the data acquisition and analysis tasks associated with it. This equipment will be used in a new series of "hands- on" experiments in Mineralogy and Crystallography, Petrography and Advanced Mineralogy, and Theoretical Petrology. These experiments are designed to promote active learning and empower the students with the knowledge and experience of using a powerful tool that is beneficial in the study of a wide variety of geological problems. An upgraded x-ray diffractometer will provide important support for student research, a key component of the geology curriculum. ***
