MRI: Acquisition of a Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope at Washington and Lee University

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This grant supports the acquisition of a variable pressure scanning electron microscope (SEM) for Washington and Lee University. The SEM is a powerful analytical tool that enables detailed analysis of materials too small to be resolved with standard light microscopes. Furthermore, the new SEM will include specialized devices that enable semi-quantitative chemical analysis and the characterization of crystallographic orientation of minerals and other materials. Together, these state-of-the-art tools will provide essential infrastructure to advance important research objectives and prepare the next generation of emerging scientists and engineering professionals. The equipment will be well-integrated into the undergraduate curriculum at Washington and Lee University, with at least nine courses across five departments utilizing the SEM.Specific research applications made possible by the SEM include the quantification of deformation within the Earth's crust, fission-track dating of zircon crystals, the characterization of novel polymers, the reconstruction of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment through the characterization of corals, the study of weathering rates and landscape evolution, the chemical analysis of materials in art paintings, ecological studies based on fish otolith growth, and the characterization of anti-reflective coatings. Washington and Lee University strongly supports undergraduate research, and students will continue to be involved in all of these endeavors.