ExPo: Exploring Polymers in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum at Chicago State University
Abstract
From creating polymer ammunition magazines to reduce weapon failure rates to embedding nanotubes into fabric to provide uniforms that can respond to environmental changes, polymers play a critical role for the military. In fact, polymers are crucial to modern American society with over 300 tonnes manufactured yearly, both as new materials and as a growing environmental concern. Since the DoDÕs STEM initiative, created to develop a Òtalent pool with minds for innovation, diversity of thought, and the technical ability to sustain the DepartmentÕs competitive edge,Ó has goals to graduate one million additional students with STEM degrees over the next 10 years and to increase the number of STEM graduates in historically underrepresented student groups, improving training in polymer science is critical. Chicago State UniversityÕs accredited ACS chemistry program is redesigning its undergraduate curriculum to incorporate polymer science into every level of the degree. With the goal of exposing all students to a wide variety of polymer concepts, we will be developing at least one new inquiry-based chemistry laboratory focused on polymer science in each of our chemistry laboratory courses. In order to ensure that these activities will provide current and appropriate learning experiences, this proposal seeks funding to purchase equipment focused on polymer physical property determination, including ultraviolet and near IR spectrometers, two permanent magnet NMRs, a Differential Scanning Calorimeter, an accompanying Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer, and a High Performance Liquid Chromatography system, to introduce polymer science across the curriculum. In addition to servicing 100 to 150 STEM majors each semester (59% of them females and 75% African Americans) this instrumentation will allow us to conduct outreach activities to the local high school military academies, high school STEM programs (through the Science Fair Central program), and CSUÕs growing number of ROTC participants. This new instrumentation will also strengthen and enhance our current military related research projects, open up new cross collaborations with our engineering studies and physics faculty, and offer students a multitude of new polymer science based senior thesis projects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910519
Entities
People
- Kristy Mardis
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Chicago State University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense