MRI: Acquisition of a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) for Citizen- and Student-Driven Inquiry in Urban District of Columbia

Trinity College, Hartford CT

Investigators

Abstract

The MRI instrumentation seeks to engage neighborhoods and schools in an urban setting (Washington DC) to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups and low-income students in understanding environmental issues that affect their quality of life, health and environmental justice. A combination of research and educational tasks will advance both the understanding of urban environmental factors and inquiry based STEM education. Partnerships will be sought in neighborhoods where residents are concerned about their ambient air quality, with students informing them specifically for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), many of which are known toxins. Characterizing spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric VOCs will complement prior studies of particulate matter and metals, help inform studies of health disparities, and allow direct comparisons with other urban areas. The central instrument is a gas chromatograph / mass spectrometer (GCMS) to be housed in a new science building at Trinity Washington University, a Minority Serving Institution in Washington, D.C. with a traditional liberal arts college curriculum for women. Encouragement of underepresented minorities to actively participate in STEM fields serves, demographically, the national interst. Trinity Washington University is a non-Ph.D. granting institution as defined in Section IV of the NSF MRI solicitation