Transitioning Undergraduate Research in Science at Wesley to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century

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Abstract This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Funds are provided to improve the current research laboratory conditions in Cannon Hall at Wesley College. Wesley College is a leading private liberal-arts institution with 1600 full-time traditional age undergraduates and a total enrollment of 2200. The Departments of Science and Mathematics are housed in Cannon Hall, where the 1960s vintage science laboratories and facilities are substandard. The building was designed at a time when the primary mission of the college was teaching. Recently the science department has responded to Delaware's emphasis on productive competitive research partnerships with a significant growth in its mentored undergraduate research programs. The facility was not designed to handle the level or size of the research programs and does not meet contemporary research standards since research has become more complex and utilizes more sophisticated equipment than when the building was built. The proposed modernization of available research facilities, will address critical research laboratory deficiencies by renovating obsolete laboratory spaces (Cannon 215, Cannon 214, and Cannon 115) to contemporary laboratory building standards including adequate ventilation; demolition of existing mechanical/electrical/ gas/plumbing systems, workstations, and floor finishes; constructing new workstations, flammable storage cabinets, mechanical/electrical/gas/plumbing systems, floor and wall finishes; and the construction of a cold room for protein purification (FPLC). This will provide much needed space for the growing Wesley undergraduate mentored research participants. Furthermore, with the convergence of communication applications and operating systems from consolidating and upgrading the cyber infrastructure for Cannon Hall will meet the connectivity demands of the next-generation applications and devices. Alignment of research with state needs and a capability to leverage renovations into valuable research is a significant benefit from the renovations. The broadest impact of the proposed modernization will be an increased ability to seek out, attract, and prepare Wesley's very diverse research participants (70% women, 21% from underrepresented populations, and 29% first-generation college students).