MRI: Acquisition of a Isotope Ratio Mass Spec for enhancing undergraduate research and training across the sciences at Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute

华盛顿和李大学获得一个同位素比质谱仪，并通过与邻近的弗吉尼亚军事研究所的各种合作来分享它。该光谱仪将使这两个主要本科院校的教师和学生能够检查跨学科研究和培训的样本。研究将侧重于与理解和维护地方、区域和全球系统有关的环境问题，特别是人类干扰的影响。 碳、氢、氧和氮稳定同位素比率的分析将跨越时间尺度（天数至千年），学科（考古学、地质学和生物学）和生物学组织水平这种强大而复杂的仪器将加强教学，改变培训，使科学与更多的申请人和学生相关并吸引他们。（包括代表性不足的少数群体），并增加对社区和区域的外联和服务，努力保护环境。光谱仪是华盛顿和李的科学仪器的重要补充，补充了实验室和新的综合和定量科学中心的不断扩大的阵列，该中心得到了霍华德休斯医学研究所和NSF的赠款，以强调计算和可视化。该大学的目标之一是让更多的学生参与科学，无论他们的专业或职业目标如何。光谱仪及其许多用途也将加强密集的，个人的教师学者的学习和研究方法，特点是华盛顿和李和VMI，学生和教师一起工作的研究项目，分享出版物和正式演示的信贷。这种密切的互动准备和鼓励学生追求科学事业。

An award is made to Washington and Lee University to acquire an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and to share it through a variety of collaborations with neighboring Virginia Military Institute. The spectrometer will enable faculty members and students at the two primarily undergraduate institutions to examine samples for research and training across academic disciplines. The research will focus on environmental issues related to understanding and maintaining local, regional and global systems, notably the impact of human disturbance. The analysis of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen stable isotope ratios will range across time scales (days to millennia), disciplines (Archaeology, Geology and Biology), and biological levels of organization (bacteria to ecosystems).This powerful and sophisticated instrument will enhance teaching, transform training, make the sciences relevant and appealing to more applicants and students (including underrepresented minorities), and increase outreach and service to the community and region in efforts to protect the environment. The spectrometer is an important addition to Washington and Lee's scientific instrumentation, complementing an expanding array in labs and the new Integrative and Quantitative Science Center supported by grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to emphasize computation and visualization and from NSF. One of the university's goals is to engage more students in science, whatever their majors or career goals. The spectrometer and its many uses also will strengthen the intensive, personal teacher-scholar approach to learning and research that characterizes Washington and Lee and VMI, where students and faculty work together on research projects, sharing credit for publications and formal presentations. That close interaction prepares and encourages students to pursue science careers.