Equipment: MRI Track 1: Acquisition of an Ion Chromatograph for Environmental Research, Student Training, and Community Engagement

About This Grant

This grant acquires an Ion Chromatograph, enhancing the STEM undergraduate research performed at Wilkes University and with the local community. This instrument will also support laboratory-based classroom learning in upper-level chemistry and environmental engineering courses, providing these students with a hands-on foundation for understanding natural environmental cycles and how these can be optimized through engineered systems. Students will develop the skills to design water treatment processes as potential careers. Undergraduate research using this instrument will be shared through presentations at regional, state, and national conferences, participation in design competitions, and publications in trade and peer reviewed literature. Wilkes University has established partnerships with local community organizations, schools, and nonprofit groups who may participate in laboratory work or have the students perform analysis on samples relevant to their work. The Wilkes University undergraduate population is comprised of approximately 50% first generation college students primarily from northeastern Pennsylvania. This instrument will allow students to explore local environmental science questions, preparing them for future work with regional, statewide, national, and global environmental challenges. The instrument will also support younger students in middle and high school who participate in the Wilkes University’s We’re Empowered by Science (WEBS) and through a partnership with the Salvadori Center. The research conducted using the instrument will be shared with these students and their families to encourage interest in STEM and its impact on local communities. The Ion Chromatograph will support research in 1) Water quality, 2) Regenerative farming improvements in base cation retention and nitrogen cycle optimization, 3) Source apportionment to address pollution sources in the Northeast United States, 4) Fundamental understanding of the nitrogen cycle in secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment, 5) Habitat optimization for native fish populations as a function of cation distribution in natural water, 6) Evaluation of corrosive conditions for concrete. This instrument will also be leveraged to develop future research opportunities as part of the STEM research infrastructure at Wilkes University. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.