A leadership gift of $250,000 from American Electric Power
(AEP) will assist in the purchase of laboratory equipment
at Eastern Michigan University. AEP is one of the largest
electric utilities in the United States and is based in
Columbus, Ohio.
The gift was made possible by former EMU Regent
Michael G. Morris ('69, '73), AEP's chairman, president
and chief executive officer, and EMU Foundation Trustee
Dale Heydlauff ('78), vice president-New Generation, at
AEP. Both are EMU alumni.
 |
Morris |
"AEP is delighted to make this investment to improve the
quality of science education at EMU," said Morris. "I suspect
I used some of the equipment still in the labs when I was
a biology major at EMU. At AEP, we recognize that one of
the ingredients for our future success is having employees
with a knowledge of and passion for science.
State-of-the-art laboratory equipment is essential to
provide our students of today — AEP's future workforce
— with the skills required to meet our needs," he
added.
In identifying equipment needs, the biology and chemistry
departments targeted instructional areas most impacted
by technological change. Today, all biology students must
have at least a basic understanding of the concepts and
tools of modern instrumentation.
 |
Heydlauff |
In the biology department, a Lachet Discrete Analyzer
is part of a group of equipment purchased with funding
from the AEP gift.
"It measures nutrients in water samples and is much more
reliable and user-friendly than the equipment it replaced.
For example, it can be used to measure excess nutrients,
such as fertilizer, in lakes and rivers affected by runoff
from area residents," said Steven Francoeur, assistant
professor of biology.
EMU students in mid- and upper-level undergraduate classes,
such as ecology and limnology, will learn on this equipment
as well as graduate-level and independent studies students,
Francoeur said. It also is used in sponsored research,
such as a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project,
investigating microorganisms in wetlands.
Kevin Kuehn, associate professor of biology, also utilizes
the nutrient analyzer in his classes.
"It is so beneficial
in training undergraduates on industry-standard equipment
that is fully automated. We can do in an afternoon the
amount of work that used to take two weeks," Kuehn said.
In the chemistry department, skill and safety in applied
modern chemistry are emphasized in training students to
compete and be productive in the modern scientific workforce.
Several pieces of equipment will upgrade and modernize
the upper-level biochemistry laboratory.
"The UV/VIS spectrophotometers, the French Pressure apparatus
and the incubation chamber will support a novel learning
experience for EMU students in the instructional biochemistry
lab to investigate the structure and function of proteins.
"This equipment complements other equipment obtained by
a group of EMU biologists and chemists through National
Science Foundation funding, the purpose of which is to
enliven the experience for students in the laboratory by
replacing the 'cookbook' method of running the instructional
lab with one that is research-based, and thus much more
exciting and interesting," said Steven Pernecky, associate
professor of chemistry.
Another set of instrumentation is being used in the upper-level
analytical laboratory.
"We are currently using the Fourier
transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer to investigate the
structure of different fabrics and to identify unknown
fibers. This is a precursor to a forensic science type
of experiment we will be implementing in the fall, where
students will be given 'fiber evidence' from a crime and
use the spectrometer to compare this 'evidence' to fibers
recovered from a 'suspect,'" said Ruth Ann Armitage, associate
professor of chemistry.
Funding from the AEP gift also enabled EMU to qualify
for a Kresge Foundation Science Initiative (KFSI) challenge
grant.
The KFSI challenge grant program was established to upgrade
and endow science equipment and laboratories in colleges
and universities. It encourages institutions to raise the
visibility of its needs through a challenge grant. Once
EMU raises two-thirds of the equipment costs, KFSI could
donate the final third. At that time, EMU is responsible
for raising a $1 million equipment endowment within an
18-month period. Upon reaching EMU's goal, KFSI would contribute
the final gift for an overall endowment of $1.25 million.
This will help ensure the maintenance, repair and replacement
of the equipment well into the future.
