MRI: Acquisition of Instruments to Establish and Promote a Green Engineering Program at Lafayette College

Lafayette College, Easton PA

Investigators

Abstract

Tavakoli 0521439 The underlying theme common to the proposed research activities is green engineering. The requested instruments and equipment will support the research efforts of the PIs in projects pertaining to the development of environmentally benign processes and/or products. More specifically, these faculty members are involved in catalytic production of oxygenates as fuel additives, catalytic conversion/destruction of non-biodegradable organics in industrial waste streams, green engineering separation using ionic liquids and other advanced solvents, as well as the production of biodegradable plastics from renewable biological sources. Acquisition of these instruments will enhance the depth and breadth of the PIs' research activities, provide opportunities to our advanced undergraduate students to conduct more sophisticated research, and enable faculty to incorporate more green engineering discussion and experiments in their classroom laboratories. The intellectual merits of this program are centered on improving the research opportunities for faculty at this exclusively undergraduate institution and, in turn, increasing the participation of undergraduates in advanced research projects focusing on green engineering. The broader impacts of this project include, enhancement of eight courses enrolling more than 100 undergraduate engineering students annually at Lafayette College. Students enrolled in honors projects and independent studies will also be major beneficiaries of this acquisition, as will faculty and students from other disciplines with an environmental focus.