No Time? No Money? No Problem:
Solutions for Innovative Analytical Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Sunday, March 2, 2008
1:00 p.m., Room 235 

Organizer:

Gretchen E. Potts, Department of Chemistry, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Speakers:

1:05   Investigating Nanoparticle-Enhanced Fluorescence Using LED Excitation DAVID RUSAK, University of Scranton

1:35   NSF CCLI Help for Researchers at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions ARTHUR L SALIDO, Western Carolina University

2:05   Environmental Research in the Analytical Lab: Approaches to Research on a Budget GRETCHEN E POTTS, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga

2:35   Recess

2:50   Why Would a PUI Want a LC/TOF? The Challenges and Rewards of Conducting Environmental Research at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution MELISSA M SCHULTZ, The College of Wooster

3:20   Development of Cavity Enhanced Spectroscopic Methods for Environmental Analysis at a P.U.I. JON EDWARD THOMPSON, University of Nebraska, Kearney

Overview:

The emphasis on research at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) has increased drastically over the past decade. While professors at PUIs continue to focus on undergraduate students, teaching 12 – 15 hour loads, they also are required to produce original research.  Unfortunately, funding for undergraduate research (which could provide release time) has not increased over the past 10 years.  Universities and colleges require professors to publish and receive grants prior to the tenure review, but little to no funding is provided.  External funding options, specifically for PUIs, are extremely limited.  Additionally, the sources that are available have low funding rates, require matching, or do not allow for release time.  All of the speakers that I have invited to this symposium teach at PUIs that offer little/no start-up funds and that do not strongly support the financial aspects of research.  The speakers have endured and they strive to produce quality, novel research with undergraduate students, without the funding to support it.  We hope to generate significant discussion about the lack of support, but also aid new professors in their endeavors to find avenues of funding.  We also hope to provide suggestions for running a research lab on a limited budget.