Acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope for Natural Sciences Research and Training

University Of Central Arkansas, Conway AR

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) will establish a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) facility with a R.J. Lee PSEM-2000 scanning electron microscope having both Energy Dispersive Xray (EDX) and variable vacuum capabilities; a Pelco critical point dryer; a Denton Vacuum sputter coater/etcher; and a 42-inch Plasmavision monitor for group viewing of images. The equipment will be housed in a dedicated laboratory within Lewis Science Center on the UCA campus. This SEM facility will support the research programs of a diverse group of natural sciences faculty, the instruction of science students, and public outreach activities aimed at pre-college students and science teachers. The SEM will be used by eight primary faculty, whose research covers a wide range of fields, including: paleontological studies of Cambrian life forms; analysis of models of sound propagation in porous media; study of the distributions and characteristics of sensory receptors in gastropod molluscs; understanding the genetic control of micropatterns in developmental anatomy of flowering plants, using a mold-replica technique; comparative study of characteristic structures of invertebrates in support of systematics descriptions and phylogenetic reconstructions; analysis of the formation of particulate matter in the atmosphere, and the catalytic role of metals in atmospheric particulates; and, determination of the chemical and physical properties of meteorites. SEM-based activities will be integrated into 10 courses in biology, chemistry and physics. Finally, the SEM will support three outreach programs to K-12 students and teachers: open sample submissions, an opportunity for K-12 teachers to submit samples related to a class activity; Saturday With SEM, an opportunity for high school students to gain personal experience with the SEM; and, the High School Science Workshops, where high school students gain exposure to SEM as part of a multi-activity, science promotion day. Establishment of a SEM facility on the UCA campus will allow science faculty to pursue lines of research that previously required travel to more distant SEM facilities, or were not pursued at all. Projects in acoustics, developmental biology, neurobiology, and paleontology will be the most immediately impacted, but other areas will also benefit. The SEM will also expose undergraduate and graduate students to modern instrumentation and techniques, through both course enhancements and expanded research opportunities. Finally, because SEM is a readily approachable technology, the K-12 educational and public outreach activities will improve the level of technical literacy of Arkansans.