Summer Research Scholar Programs
Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Chemistry at James Madison University
Principal Investigator and Site Director: Daniel M. Downey, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator: Gina H. MacDonald, Ph.D.
INTRODUCTION
In the late 1980s it was
recognized that significant numbers of undergraduate science majors
were graduating without the opportunity for involvement in
undergraduate research activities as part of their academic
development. In response, the
National Science Foundation established the Research Experiences
for Undergraduates (REU) program to provide site
and supplement summer opportunities.
In chemistry, most of the original sites were located at
universities with established Ph.D. programs. However, some were funded at schools that
offered only Bachelors degrees. To
receive an REU grant at a principally
undergraduate institution, it had to be demonstrated that the
department had a significant track record of undergraduate
research, quality instrumentation, laboratory space and other
infrastructure in place, a significant institutional level of
support and a need for the funding.
The chemistry department of the principally undergraduate
institution James Madison University has been successful in
supporting an REU site since 1990. This site was initially funded to serve a need
for providing opportunities in the Appalachian region as
follows.
Anglo-European
colonization of the United States began in the middle Atlantic
states. Colonial emphasis on
education resulted in the creation of numerous seminaries, boarding
schools and military academies supported mostly by private or
religious groups. These schools
evolved into the many fine four-year liberal arts colleges and
universities in the region. In
Virginia alone, there are about three dozen colleges offering B.S.
degrees in chemistry, graduating about 350 chemistry majors per
year,1 with about 65% from the smaller colleges. Similar numbers may be found in
Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and other surrounding
states. When the JMU Chemistry
Department received its initial NSF REU funding in
1990, its mission was, in part, to extend outreach to these
institutions by providing summer opportunities to participate in
research. It was recognized that most
of these schools individually graduated small numbers of B.S.
chemists each year, but without a critical mass of interaction for
research activity. Furthermore, the
high cost of modern scientific instruments led to deficiencies in
access for many of these students.
The small numbers of chemistry faculty coupled with high teaching
loads at some of these schools prevented many from engaging in
undergraduate research. Yet it has been recognized that small
liberal arts colleges contribute significantly to the national
supply of chemists.2 Thus
the mission of the REU site at JMU was (and is) a
place where some of these students and faculty could come to do
summer chemistry research in a community of scholars consisting of
students and faculty from JMU and the smaller schools in the
region.
The concept of undergraduate research being an important part of a B.S. chemist's training has become firmly established in the beliefs of many chemical educators.3,4,5,6 All too often, students tend to spend the first several college years in introductory courses, become disillusioned and leave the discipline. The inclusion of a student in undergraduate research has been shown to be a major road mark in many chemist careers, especially at this critical juncture. It is an invaluable tool for retaining students in science, especially the historically under-represented: women, minorities and the disabled.7 In a dedicated summer program, students are removed from things that clutter their academic lives outside of science: sports, band, plays, campus newspapers, fraternities, etc. and learn to appreciate the beauty of chemistry by active continuous participation in a group effort, unfettered by distractions. Once the momentum is initiated, students move with renewed vigor into their next school year when research is often continued, papers written and presentations at conferences are made. Many are motivated to go on into graduate study, where they may "hit the ground running". Whether or not a student involved in REU chooses to go forward to graduate study, the quality of the undergraduate education has been generally improved, there is retention of students in science and the nation's need for men and women of science, fulfilled.
SITE DESCRIPTION
James Madison University
is located in the central part of the Shenandoah Valley of
Virginia, which is geographically near the middle of the
mid-Atlantic region. With an
undergraduate enrollment above 15,000, it is the largest of the
four-year liberal arts schools in the region. The fourteen faculty member chemistry department
offers ACS approved B.S. degree programs, but no graduate
degrees. Yet due to the emphasis on
undergraduate research as an integral part of the student's
education, the faculty have been quite successful in obtaining
research and equipment grant support, including a regional NMR
facility. Thus, the size, location,
emphasis on undergraduate research, and laboratory facilities have
made JMU an excellent location for a chemistry REU
site. In brief, an annual program
consists of twelve students and their faculty mentors engaged in
10-week summer research projects. At
least five of the students and two faculty members come from small
regional schools, while the remainder are from JMU. In addition,
chemistry faculty with other grants include their summer students
in the REU site. The
program provides plenty of student-student and student-faculty
interaction via projects, seminars, luncheons, field trips, and
external speakers. A dormitory is
reserved for housing the participants. Along with three staff people serving the
project, the total research experience involves a minimum of 23
people each summer. In the summer of
2002, with other grants and support included, there were more than
35 (students and faculty) participants. A materials science REU site (funded in the
physics department and located in the same building) increased the
size of the program to more than 50 participants.
The NSF REU site has not only been a regional site to serve the smaller schools, but has also attracted a large number of female participants (72%). JMU was a woman's college years ago and a number of schools in the region (Mary Baldwin, Hollins, Hood, Sweet Briar, Randolph Macon Woman's College, etc.) still enroll only female students and have been significant participants in our REU site. Furthermore, in our most recent summers (2000 &2001), we made significant strides in outreach to hearing impaired people from Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB), the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Gallaudet University. By including students and teachers from these institutions, we have learned the importance of undergraduate research as a means of recruiting and retaining this historically underrepresented segment of society in science.
At least 65,000 students enrolled in kindergarten through the 12th grades in the United States have significant hearing loss (U.S. Department of Education, 1996). The 10% increase that occurred between 1990-91 and 1994-95 is likely to raise the incidence to more than 70,000 by the end of the 2000-2001 school year. Hearing-impaired students include both those who are deaf (with severe or profound losses that make the acquisition of spoken language difficult) and those who are hard-of-hearing (with mild and moderate losses). Hearing-impaired students are educated in a number of settings, including schools for the deaf. Eighty-one percent of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, though, are educated in their local schools where accommodations may include special teaching, speech-language therapy, and educational interpreting. Unfortunately the lack of science knowledge on the part of interpreters tends to result in hearing impaired children being steered away from science. To attract the deaf to careers in science we need to start earlier than college.
NATURE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Research Objectives
In general terms, the
goals of research in chemistry at JMU are to help the student
mature, to develop confidence, independence and creativity, to give
the student an opportunity to work in close association with a
faculty member, and to help identify areas of chemistry that are of
particular interest to him/her.
Specific goals include: applications of modern instrumentation,
spectra interpretation, and use of chemical literature; developing
in-depth knowledge, skills and techniques in an area that expands
previous chemical experience; and acquiring oral and written
communication skills. Quite simply,
the faculty does not see undergraduate researchers as "data
collectors" but as learners and contributors. We agree with
Wenzel's definition of undergraduate research3 being an
investigation that makes a contribution to the discipline, but we
also believe it is more than that. We think the undergraduate research
experience is a variation of teaching, and as our departmental
mission is excellence in teaching, we have embraced the research
experience as part of this. Unlike in
a traditional lecture course, research is pure Socratian teaching
with the student in a close mentor relationship with the faculty
member. This discovery-based problem
solving approach to learning provides the student with life-long
learning skills that the student will use throughout his/her
career. Indeed, unlike in most
laboratory courses the student is given the opportunity to fail,
and from the failures a better understanding of chemistry is
gained.
The student activities during the summer research program focus on a particular faculty member's laboratory project. In order to achieve the most interaction, no faculty member supervises more than two REU undergraduate students. Students are expected to participate in the planning, organization, formulation of working hypotheses, design of experimental procedures, data collection, data interpretation, formulation of conclusions, and communication of the results. While it is necessary to stimulate the initial activities of most undergraduate researchers with appropriate questions and suggestions, the student becomes more independent as he/she gains experience. Some guidance is maintained so that students do not become entangled in unproductive work that limits progress. Above all, each student is considered as an individual who must develop at his/her own rate. From our experience, however, it is reasonable to strive for a considerable degree of independence after five weeks of full-time research during a summer program and most students perform better and enjoy the experience more when challenged.
A unique aspect of the
JMU program has been the inclusion of faculty and student teams
from small colleges. We have
found that appropriate function of the program to bring in faculty
and students from a neighboring school who, after completion of
summer projects, can return to their home department and continue
research throughout the academic year. These faculty have been provided with their own
laboratory space while they are at JMU. As evidenced by previous interests, some faculty
participants prefer to work in conjunction with JMU faculty, while
others will pursue their own projects. Either way, it is expected that the inclusion of
external faculty catalyze undergraduate research that might not be
initiated otherwise.
Project Descriptions
Brian Augustine, "In-situ Biodegradation in PHAs Thin Films" and
"Surface Engineering of Biomaterials"
Research in Brian Augustine's lab has been in the area of Materials Science. There is considerable overlap with the projects in this lab with the projects conducted by other faculty supported by the Materials Science REU site (which is a separate site funded in the JMU physics department). Some typical projects are as follows.
|
SEM of 6 mm etch feature in Au film selectively etched using hexadecanethiol alkanethiol SAM molecular resist. Pattern was generated usingm-CP. (Light region is SAM protected Au film, darker is unprotected etched Au) |
Polyhydroxyalkanoates
(PHAs) are a biologically produced class of polymers used by
bacteria as an energy storage media when carbon levels are high and
other necessary nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate, and sulfur
are low. PHA is efficiently produced as an intracellular inclusion
body (called a "granule") occupying up to 90% of the dry cell
weight of the bacteria. When there is a
deficiency of carbon, the bacteria are able to produce a
depolymerase enzyme to break down the PHA and use the energy stored
in the inclusion body. The bacteria
capable of this energy transformation exists naturally in nearly
all water, soil and sewer environments, and thus PHA-based polymers
are all naturally biodegradable. We are using atomic force
microscopy (AFM) to monitor the biodegradation of PHA thin films in
both in-situ and ex-situ
experiments.
|
10 mm AFM images of (A.) as-deposited P(3HB-3HV) thin film, and (B.) ex-situ biodegradation after 1.5 hour exposure to Streptomyces depolymerase. |
Several unresolved issues in understanding PHA
biodegradation can be addressed through AFM studies. The first is a better understanding of whether
the depolymerization preferentially occurs in amorphous or
crystalline regions in these thin films8. We have used the high-resolution phase imaging
capability of AFM9 to characterize the P(3HB-3HV) thin
films. A lamellar structure is observed using phase contrast AFM
within the PHA spherulites that is not seen in ordinary topographic
AFM (data not shown)10.
The size of the lamellae are on the order of 12 nm. We believe that the contrast observed is due to
differences in the mechanical response of the crystalline and
amorphous regions of the thin film10.
A second area of inquiry is in the surface engineering of biomaterials using soft-lithographic patterning techniques. We can control the location of PHA deposition using self-assembled monolayer (SAM) technology and microcontact printing (m-CP) reported by Xia and Whitesides.11 Alkanethiol self-assembly to gold12,13 surfaces has been widely reported in the last decade. Coupled with polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) stamp fabrication, a novel means of fabrication using molecular SAM resists has been developed.13,14,15 We have reproduced Xia's results16,17 by using m-CP and SAMs as molecular resists to etch Au and Ag films. An example of this work is shown in Figure 2.18 In addition to selective etching, one can control the adhesion properties and hydrophobicity of a surface by changing the terminating functional group of the adsorbed alkanethiol. It is well known that PHAs are highly hydrophobic materials,19 and we believe that by controlling the surface chemistry through SAMs and m-CP, we will have a method of patterning thin films of PHA for an internal height degradation standard. This method has been used to pattern polyurethane by selective dewetting.20 To date, there are few means of microfabrication of biological surfaces as conventional pattern transfer technologies developed for the semiconductor industry such as photolithography and etching are often destructive to organic and biological materials. The development of these soft lithography techniques is very important to future improvements in biological materials and interfaces.21 These techniques can be extended to many other biological surfaces and represent and exciting path to the microfabrication of biologically active surfaces.
B.A. DeGraff, "Luminescent Sensors"
The major focus of the DeGraff research effort has been the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of luminescent transition metal complexes that may be suitable molecular reporters. There is a strong interest in developing materials for use as sensors in applications as diverse as monitoring blood chemistry in critical patients to remote sensing of ocean water quality. Luminescence based sensors offer some distinct advantages and luminescent sensors based on transition metal complexes are among the most promising.
One area of research is concerned with the design, synthesis, photochemical and photophysical characterization, and sensor evaluation of materials which may be suitable sensors. Current emphasis is on sensor materials for monitoring pH and CO2. Longer term projects involve materials which are sensitive to and specific for Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. In order to rationally design these materials, basic studies are undertaken to understand how chemical structure can control the specificity and sensitivity of the desired sensor. Projects involve organic and inorganic synthesis, structural analysis using FTIR, NMR, GC/MS and other techniques; and luminescence studies using UV-Vis and emission spectroscopy, lifetime measurements, and polarization studies. Students are exposed to virtually all major areas of chemistry in this research.22,23
T.C. DeVore, "Metal Oxide Catalyzed Chlorocarbon/Water Reactions"
Many of the smaller chlorocarbons, a generic class of organic molecules that contain carbon and chlorine, are widely used as industrial solvents. Since there is growing concern about the harmful effects that these compounds can have when they are released into the environment, there has been considerable research into finding solvents that can be used to replace these compounds in industrial processes and to find methods that can be used to destroy stockpiles of these compounds.24,25,26 Catalytic oxidation has shown promise, but no "universal catalyst" that will oxidize all types of chlorocarbons has yet been discovered. There is a lack of knowledge about the kinetics of the key reactions that contribute to this catalytic oxidation process. Increased understanding of these processes could lead to the design of more efficient catalysts. One possible mechanism is that the metal oxide first reacts with the chlorocarbon vapors. The products of this reaction then react with the oxidizer to give the final products. In order to test this mechanism, flow kinetics, evolved gas analysis-FTIR, GC/MS, and powder x-ray diffraction have been used to investigate the kinetics of the metal catalyzed reactions between CCl4, CH2Cl2, or C2H4Cl2 and air or water vapor. TiO2, V2O5, Cr2O3, Fe2O3, MnO2, Co3O4, NiO, CuO, and ZnO will be used as catalysts. These investigations follow the procedure published previously.24,25 Three sets of reactions have been explored for each system. First, the products produced using all of the reactants have been determined. Once this was completed, the reaction rates and products have been measured for the reaction between the chlorocarbon and the metal oxide. Finally, the reaction between the metal chloride and water vapor were investigated. This data should establish the viability of this mechanism.
Daniel M. Downey, "Environmental Analytical Research Projects"
Research in this group is currently focusing on three areas of
environmentally oriented research.
Inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) is being
studied for use in the analysis of mercury in biological and other
samples. EPA approved mercury
analysis involves sample processing to convert methyl mercury and
other forms of mercury to the elemental form, followed by cold
vapor atomic absorption.27
The ICP/MS method28 also involves the formation of
elemental mercury, which is swept as a vapor into a plasma
torch. Low analytical results are
obtained when mercury is lost in processing. To measure Hg loss, 199Hg stable
traceras been introduced to samples and the 199Hg and
202Hg signals measured.
Extension of this work involves mercury speciation with column
chromatography prior to the ICP/MS analytical finish. A second area of research is in the use of super
critical fluid extraction for recovery of pesticides and herbicides
from soil samples. Currently we are
studying the recovery of triclopyr CO2 a pyridine
herbicide, from samples with supercritical CO2 and
methanol mixture,29 followed by analysis with
GC/ECD. We are particularly
interested in extending this work to the recovery of dimilin, a
popular gypsy moth pesticide, and its degradation
products.30,31 The third
area of research has been application of ion
chromatography32 and other methods for assessment of
"acid-rain" impacts. Field data have
been collected in these studies and used to help fisheries managers
develop mitigation management strategies. Students involved in these projects collect
samples in the National Forests or State Game Lands of Virginia,
and return them to the laboratory for analysis. Data thus generated are used to assess the
relative impact of acid deposition on water
bodies.33 Students are
expected to learn data interpretation as well as the analytical
methodology involved.
Scott Lewis, "Synthesis of Poly-Fluoro Compounds"
Research in the Lewis group revolves around the synthesis of
fluorinated aromatic compounds. The
physical, chemical and electronic properties of organic molecule
can be greatly altered by the inclusion of fluorine. Recently, fluorinated aromatic compounds were
found to be stronger inhibitors of the enzyme carbonic
anhydrase.34 The
preparation of fluoroaromatics from benzene itself can be a
difficult process employing noxious reagents. Most of these known reagents also fail to
produce polyfluoroaromatic compounds.
Our research focuses on extending the methodology for a reaction
that produces a difluoroaromatic compound in a one-pot
reaction.35
Currently the preparation of various cyclobutenes is under way. These include 1,2-dibenzylcyclobutene, 1,2-di-n-propylcyclobutene, and bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene. Once reaction conditions are firmly established using these hydrocarbon compounds, cyclo- butenes with various other functional groups attached will be investigated. Ultimately, this methodology should lead to the rational synthesis of polyfluorocompounds with beneficial biological activity. An attractive target for this type of synthesis would be a fluoroanalog of diosphenol (2,6-diiodo-4-nitrophenol), which is currently used as a veterinary antiparasitic.
Gina MacDonald, "Difference FTIR Studies of Nucleotide Binding to RecA"
Currently in the
MacDonald laboratory we are investigating the specific structural
changes induced by nucleotide binding to the protein, RecA. To this end we utilize FTIR spectroscopy
in conjunction with the photolytic release of caged
nucleotides. RecA is an Escherichia coli protein that performs DNA strand
exchange utilized in DNA repair and genetic recombination. Nucleotide binding to RecA regulates
function by stabilizing alternate protein conformations in a manner
similar to other ATP binding, energy-transducing proteins. Initial experiments focused on generating
infrared difference spectra associated with ADP and ATP binding to
RecA.36 The differences observed between the RecA-ADP
and RecA-ATP spectra may ultimately lead to the identification of
important amino acids and regions of secondary structure that are
responsible for converting RecA between its active (high affinity
for DNA) and inactive (low DNA affinity) structures.
The outreach and educational focus of my laboratory is extended during the summer months when high school teachers and Gallaudet students participate in research that involves designing new experiments for the upper level JMU biochemistry laboratory. As described in a recent news article about our work in assisting the deaf in research,37 the goals of the educational focus of my laboratory are twofold. The first goal is to test new laboratories that can be integrated into JMU, Gallaudet, VSDB (Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind), and MSSD (Model Secondary School for the Deaf) laboratories. The second goal is to simply expose hearing impaired students and teachers to new biochemical techniques and instrumentation that may not available at their home institutions.
Donna S. Amenta,
"Synthesis of Crown Ether Containing Metal Complexes"
Over the past several years our attention has centered on the synthesis of crown ether-containing transition metal complexes in which catalytic activity and/or product selectivity is "switched" on or off through binding of simple cations by crown ether units.38,39 One project addresses our hypothesis that the migratory insertion reaction depicted in Scheme 1 for a transition metal carbonyl complex can be accelerated by the addition of added cation when R is a crown ether.
|
There is precedent in
the literature to support this hypothesis. The presence of Lewis acids has been shown
to activate the carbon of metal carbonyl complexes toward
nucleophilic attack.40 Included among the reports are
increased reactivity induced by cations held in proximity to
metal-bonded CO's by crown ether and crown ether-like
ligand.41-46 Preliminary
studies38,39 performed in our laboratory, suggest that
the number of intervening methylene groups between the metal site
and the benzo-crown ether are critical in providing the
correct conformation for interaction
between a CO and the cation trapped within the crown. CPKTM molecular models and Sybyl
molecular modeling program indicate that a three methylene group
spacer provides the flexibility required to place the crown ether
in a favorable conformation for complexation with a terminal
carbonyl group. It is therefore
proposed that the migratory insertion reaction of a crown ether
substituted transition metal carbonyl complexes with a three
methylene group space between the metal and the crown ether,
Complex 1 (Scheme 1, x = 3) be investigated both in the presence
and absence of added cation. The
rates of these reactions will be determined using variable
temperature nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Prior to beginning the kinetic studies,
complex 1 will be synthesized. The
proposed method for synthesis is a modification of several
literature procedures.41 A
similar study of a crown ether prototype of complex 1 is well under
way.38
Barbara A. Reisner, "New Methods for the Synthesis of Open-Framework Transition Metal Phosphates"
Microporous transition
metal phosphates are an important class of materials because of
their applications in the fields of catalysis and separation
science. The properties of these
materials depend upon both the chemical composition and the pore
structure of the framework. Solvent
effects play a key role in the stabilization of framework topology
and solute-solvent interactions provide the driving force for
framework formation under the synthetic conditions employed. Recent work using alcohols and molten
chlorides as solvents demonstrates that it is possible to
synthesize open-framework materials with compositions and
structures that cannot be made via
hydrothermal routes.47,48,49 With the exception of the synthesis of cobalt
phosphates, however, nonaqueous solvent systems are rarely used to
synthesize transition metal phosphates. New synthetic routes to microporous transition
metal phosphates with unique compositions and structures will be
developed by employing non-aqueous organic and inorganic liquids as
solvents. Solvents to be explored
include organic ionic liquids, alcohols, and molten chlorides and
nitrates. The structural, catalytic, thermal and magnetic
properties of these materials will be investigated. The overarching goal of this research is to
develop new routes for the synthesis of inorganic
solids.
Rosa Rivera-Hainaj, "Molecular characterization of SH3 domains in proteins"
|
Figure 1: SH3 domain with peptide bound. |
Currently, in the Hainaj laboratory,
we are investigating the specific molecular changes induced by
proline-rich peptide binding to the SH3 domain of the proteins
c-Src and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). To this end we utilize difference FTIR and
fluorescence spectroscopies in conjunction with site-directed
mutagenesis. c-Src is a SH3-domain
containing protein involved in signaling pathways and deregulation
of this protein has been linked to cancer and other
malignancies. BTK is a protein
involved in the development and regulation of B cells of the immune
system. Mutations of BTK have been
linked to immunodeficiency disorders.
The regulation of the mentioned proteins is partly done by binding
of proline-rich peptides to the SH3 domains of the proteins. If such binding is interrupted, the
protein is not regulated properly and then can lead to
malignancy.
Brenda C. Seal, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, "Developing Tools to Assist Interpreters in Communicating Science to the Deaf"
The involvement of undergraduate students who are majoring in
communication disorders in interpreting for the deaf is complicated
not only by having to learn to sign ordinary words and phrases, but
also by their general lack of familiarity with scientific
terms. In fact, it has been noted
that this is the main obstacle for deaf and hearing impaired people
to gain access to the sciences. Few
teachers have been trained for signing in science. Often deaf students in the school systems are
steered away from the sciences by counselors and teachers who
naturally favor areas in which they themselves are more
comfortable. In the JMU REU program, student interpeters are
assigned to each research group with deaf participants. The deaf students are mentored by the chemistry
faculty member directing each group.
The student interpreters are mentored by Dr. Seal who not only
trains them and assists them on a day by day basis, but also uses
the opportunity to study the special needs for this system of
communication. The mission is
twofold: to make communication between the chemistry faculty and
deaf students as simple and convenient as possible and to provide a
research/learning experience for the interpreters. The interpreting group effort also includes one
high school teacher who can hear but is responsible for educating
the deaf and one deaf teacher who teaches science at a school for
the deaf The importance of recruiting
deaf people into science at an early age has already been
noted.. With the use of videotaping,
observation, literature use, daily journals and record-keeping and
other methods of studying the interaction, methods and tools are
being developed to assist in training interpreters. The information thus collected is currently
being disseminated through presentations at conferences such as the
"Technology and Persons with Disabilities" conference and the
"Interpreters for the Deaf International Convention" and by
publication of non-profit journal articles, videotapes and a
CD.
PROJECT EVALUATION
As students begin the program each summer, there is an assessment process that continues to the end of the summer and beyond. Two reasons that taxpayer money is used to fund undergraduate research is to add quality chemists to the nation's pool of scientists and to produce new and meaningful results in chemical inquiry. The tools we use are directed toward assessing the specific projects will be mentorship, originality, acceptability and dissemination as recommended by Hakim.51 At the beginning of each summer, measures are made by both survey and faculty evaluation of the student's skill level. Levels of motivation, interest in science, dedication to success and other attributes are estimated. Career goals and direction are determined. These are monitored through the program and a final exit survey is conducted. The first goal is met if students have an overall positive experience, seek to continue to acquire knowledge, obtain better course grades in subsequent semesters, enter graduate school, industry or teaching and have a better perspective of career options. Quality research performance is manifested in selection for funds to attend and present results at conferences, publication in peer reviewed journals and honors theses. Long term tracking of participants is necessary, but with email and the internet, this is easier now than in the past. Of critical importance in evaluation is the impact this program has on providing more access to deaf students. We are particularly interested in insuring the tools developed for communication between the mentors and other faculty, who can hear, to the deaf are disseminated within the Speech and Language Disorders community. A final assessment is prepared for each student, the projects (and for the program in general) to identify strengths and weaknesses for future work at the end of each summer program.
RESULTS
The funding for the JMU Chemistry REU site has come from four NSF REU grants, two NSF RET grants and a considerable amount of matching funds from the host institution. The breakdown of this funding is as follows:
"Undergraduate Research in Chemistry: A Regional Site at James Madison University," CHE 9000748 and CHE 9300261, 1/1/90 12/31/95. Total Awards (2): $245,400. Total match by JMU: $196,000. Daniel M. Downey and John A. Mosbo, Co-PI.
"Undergraduate Research in Chemistry: A Regional Site at James Madison University," CHE 9731912 and CHE 0097448, 4/1/98 12/31/03. Total Awards (2): $369,000. JMU Match: $341,932. Daniel M. Downey and Gina M. McDonald, Co-PI.
"Research Experience for Teacher and Student in Biodegradable Materials: REU Supplement," Summer 1999. Award: $11,500. JMU Match: $1250. Brian H. Augustine and Daniel M. Downey, Co-PI.
"Research Experience for High School Teachers and Students in Chemistry," Summer 2000. Award: $50,200. JMU Match: $14,358. Daniel M. Downey.
In evaluating the impact of the program as described above, we have found significant positive changes in interests, attitudes, self-discipline, commitment to chemistry, and understanding that are supported by written responses. We believe that GPA's have generally improved in the year following participation in the REU site. Although these things are difficult to quantify, we can report that there has been a significant increase in attendance by our students reporting research at scientific meetings. About 55 student papers have been presented in the last three years at conferences such as NCUR, national and regional ACS meetings, and other discipline specific conferences, including two of our REU students (one from JMU and one from Bridgewater College) at the CUR presentation of research on Capitol Hill.53 There are currently about a dozen papers in print or in preparation for publication.
Institutional Support
James Madison University has embraced the chemistry REU site by providing a generous amount of matching money. Even though matching money is not an REU requirement, the university will have provided $553,540 by the twelfth year of NSF REU funding. This money has been used to provide housing to student and some faculty participants at no cost to the grant or participant, to support additional REU students, for travel, for faculty salaries for outside faculty members, for JMU faculty who did not have other support, for supplies, etc.
Vital statistics (thru, including summer 2003):
REU students enrolled at JMU: 76
REU students from other schools: 71
Students in summer program supported by other grants: 98
REU students from historically underrepresented groups: 19 (13%)
REU Students (Deaf/Hearing Impaired): 10
Male / Female Ratio of REU students: 27% / 73%
REU Participants enrolled in graduate school or planning graduate study: 66%
REU Participants enrolled in medical/dental/health profession or planning study in these areas: 14%
REU Participants enrolled in Chemical Industry at Bachelors level: 7%
REU Participants in High School or other K-12 education: 11%
REFERENCES
• Peterson's Four Year Colleges 2001, Princeton, NJ, 2000. J. Cass and M. Birnbaum,
Comparative Guide to American Colleges, 15th ed., Collins Publishers, NY, 1991.
2. S. Wilkinson, "Liberal Arts Colleges are Good Ph.D. Incubators," Chemical and Engineering
News, August 3, 45-46 (1998).
• S. Tobias, Revitalizing Undergraduate Education: Why Some Things Work and Most Don't, Research Corporation, Tucson, AZ, 1992.
• T. J. Wenzel, "What is Undergraduate Research", Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 14, 87 (1993).
• S. Ege and O. Chapman, A Report on Conference for Innovation and Change in the Chemistry Curriculum, Division for Undergraduate Education, NSF, Washington, DC, 1993, Panel B Bringing Research to the Classroom.
6. T. J. Wenzel, "Undergraduate Research: A Capstone Learning Experience", Anal. Chem.,
72(15), 547A-549A (2000).
7. D. A. Wubbah, Schaefer, D., Gasparich, G., Brakke, D.F., McDonald, G., Downey, D.M.,
Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 120-126 (2000).
8.