Environmental Molecular Science Institute: Actinides and Heavy Metals in the Environment - The Formation, Stability, and Impact of Nano- and Micro-Particles

以巴黎圣母院大学为中心的环境分子科学研究所(EMSI)的总体目标将是对影响纳米和微型粒子的形成、稳定性和影响的因素提供定量的、机械性的、分子尺度的了解。该EMSI与几个国家实验室(Argonne、Oak Ridge、Sandia)和工业(杜邦工程技术公司)的合作者有着密切的联系。该研究所进行的研究将从分子水平上了解重金属(Cd、铜、铅)和鳗系元素(U、Np)与环境中的纳米和微米粒子的相互作用。该研究所的科学活动将把传统的宏观和微观技术与最先进的分子尺度方法相结合，如X射线吸收光谱、原子力显微镜和分子动力学建模。在这些科学活动的同时，该研究所将作为一系列创新教育项目的重点，其目的是：1)向科学界以外的受众传播最先进的环境化学知识；2)向大量环境分子科学本科生和研究生提供广泛的跨学科教育经验；3)培训传统上代表性不足的群体中的环境分子科学学生。我们将设立M.SC。该计划专门针对来自代表性不足群体的有才华的本科生，他们的先决条件略低于常规招生标准。我们觉得进入理科硕士的录取。该计划将使这些学生中的一大部分发展壮大，然后这些成功的学生将继续在圣母大学或其他地方攻读博士学位。无论是哪种情况，我们研究所都将在增加在环境分子科学最高级别工作的少数族裔人数方面发挥关键作用。

The overall goal of the Environmental Molecular Science Institute (EMSI) centered at the Univesity of Notre Dame will be to provide a quantitative, mechanistic, molecular-scale understanding of the factors affecting the formation, stability, and impact of nano- and micro-particles. This EMSI has strong links with collaborators at several National Laboratories (Argonne, Oak Ridge, Sandia) and in industry (DuPont Engineering Technologies). Research conducted at the Instititue will provide a molecular-scale understanding of heavy-metal (Cd, Cu, Pb) and actinide (U, Np) interactions with nano- and micro-particles in the environment. The scientific activities of the Institute will integrate traditional macroscopic and microscopic techniques with state-of-the-art molecular-scale approaches such as x-ray absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and molecular dynamics modeling. Concurrent with these scientific activities, the Institute will serve as a focus for a range of innovative educational programs with the purpose being: 1) to disseminate state-of-the-art understanding of environmental chemistry to an audience outside of the scientific community; 2) to provide broad, interdisciplinary educational experiences to a large number of undergraduate and graduate environmental molecular science students, and 3) to train students from traditionally underrepresented groups in environmental molecular science. We will set up a M.Sc. program specifically aimed at talented undergraduate students from underrepresented groups whose pre-requisites fall slightly below regular admissions standards. We feel that admission to a M.Sc. program will enable a large fraction of these students to blossom, and these successful students will then continue on in a Ph.D. program, either at University of Notre Dame, or elsewhere. In either case, our Institute will have played a key role in increasing the number of underrepresented minorities working at the highest levels in environmental molecular science.