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

华盛顿和李大学被授予获得一台同位素比质谱仪，并通过与邻近的弗吉尼亚军事学院的各种合作来分享它。光谱仪将使这两所以本科为主的机构的教职员工和学生能够检查样本，用于跨学科的研究和培训。这项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涵盖不同的时间尺度(几天到几千年)、学科(考古学、地质学和生物学)和生物组织水平(细菌到生态系统)。这一强大和复杂的仪器将加强教学、转化培训、使科学相关并吸引更多的申请者和学生(包括未被充分代表的少数族裔)，并加强对社区和地区的宣传和服务，努力保护环境。光谱仪是华盛顿和李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扩大阵列，该中心由霍华德·休斯医学研究所和美国国家科学基金会提供赠款支持，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到科学中来，无论他们的专业或职业目标如何。光谱仪及其许多用途还将加强华盛顿、李和VMI的特点--密集的、个人的教师-学者学习和研究方法，学生和教职员工在研究项目上合作，分享出版物和正式演示文稿的学分。这种密切的互动为学生追求科学事业做好了准备，并鼓励了他们。

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.