MRI: Acquisition of Tunable Laser System and Atomic Force Microscope

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This Major Research Instrumentation program will support the acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), tunable laser, and detector system at Oakwood College. The AFM will be used at Oakwood College to analyze substrates including synthetic and biological membranes, polymers, and liquid-liquid interfaces. This acquisition will provide a better understanding of atomic nature of matter to undergraduate students; it will give hands-on experience in collecting images and post-image data analysis to science, engineering and mathematics major students; strengthen and increase research, research education and training of underrepresented minority students from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science departments at Oakwood College. This acquisition will also facilitate cutting-edge research of national interest towards sensing chemical and biological warfare agents. The research instrumentation is necessary to conduct cutting edge nanoscience research for advancing the knowledge of materials research. The specific research projects that will directly benefit from the requested instrumentation include: i) AFM characterization of novel chemical sensing materials; ii) probing the selective catalytic properties of oil/water interfaces; iii) Laser induced biochemical signaling in green plants; and iv) High resolution spectroscopy to analyze thin films for ultra fast memory devices. The Major Research Instrumentation program will enable Oakwood College to acquire Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), tunable laser and detector system. These instruments will be located in the Cooper Science Complex and will be used to initiate multidisciplinary research activities involving underrepresented minority students from Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Computer Science departments. The AFM, laser and detector system will be used as routine tools in the college curriculum for research and education purposes. This acquisition will expand the scope of research at Oakwood College in high performance data storage, optical switches, optical filters and routers using nanocrystals, crystals, glasses, polymer materials and thin films. This acquisition will benefit the students by the introduction of new courses that will equip them to pursue challenging academic and industrial research summer internships and future careers. It will aid in supporting ongoing research and other programs at Oakwood College. It will also increase the infrastructure of the institution and enhance the recruitment and retention of students and faculty. This will enhance a research atmosphere complimentary to undergraduate teaching, training and development of young, highly talented minds in the sciences.