Upgrade of the Optical ICP at Montclair State University

Montclair State University, Montclair NJ

Investigators

Abstract

0948992 Gorring This award will fund an electronics and computing upgrade on an existing ICP-OES system at in the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies at MSU. The upgrade will support diverse research projects within a wide range of disciplines including mantle and surface processes and bioremediation. Specific efforts include: northeast United States and the Southern Andes tectonic and magmatic history; marine and terrestrial sediment and loess-soil sequence paleoclimatic variability; and water and soil pollution and remediation studies. Research programs are funded by numerous agencies including NSF. The electronics upgrade will ensure long-term instrument stability and will extend the life of the instrument allowing high-quality geochemical data generation for MSU faculty, student researchers and outside users from local universities, government agencies, and the private sector. The instrumentation will support a growing and diverse student population comprised of 60% women and 20% minorities. Students are incorporated in laboratory and field research. Students lead presentations at international meetings and are incorporated into peer-reviewed papers. The instrument upgrade will greatly strengthen regional partnerships. The upgraded instrument will continue serving both undergraduate and graduate courses. K-12 outreach occurs in the summer through several in-house programs. The PI provides instrument training and administration, prioritizes use and assists in scheduling run time. Academic researchers are asked to contribute to consumables while outside users are charged a fee for samples which supplies funding for instrument maintenance and upkeep. ***