MRI: Acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope to Strengthen Research Capabilities at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

Eastern Washington University, Cheney WA

Investigators

Abstract

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award will enable the acquisition of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at Eastern Washington University (EWU), a primarily undergraduate and regional, comprehensive institution. This instrumentation will allow faculty and students to pursue research in multiple disciplines (biology, chemistry, environmental science, geosciences, and engineering). In addition to its use in research, this state-of the-art equipment will be integrated into coursework in several academic departments to allow students, many of whom are in underrepresented groups in STEM, to explore the microscopic world. This will be the only SEM at an academic institution in the greater Spokane, Washington area (which hosts three universities and three community colleges) and is intended to be part of a multi-user facility. The SEM will also support educational outreach activities for K-12 students and teachers including research experiences in the classroom, virtual field trips, and in-person field trips. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) generates nanometer-scale imaging and elemental analysis of solid materials which can be applied to a wide range of scientific, engineering, and research-training activities. The SEM will facilitate the investigation of 1) nutrient and heavy metal transport in soil, 2) ozone production in ground-level atmosphere, 3) plant and animal evolution and fossilization, and 4) timing and environmental conditions of regional igneous and metamorphic processes. Along with sample preparation equipment acquired with these funds, the SEM will provide critical research instrumentation for early-career investigators, foster interdisciplinary research, and improve the research infrastructure at EWU and nearby universities and community colleges. EWU faculty have a strong record of supervising research by undergraduates - many of whom are underrepresented in STEM. About 50% of EWU students are first-generation college students, 28% of the students identify as a minority, and 44% are PELL eligible. The SEM will enable novel hands-on research and training activities in multiple fields across EWU. 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.