Department Faculty Participate in IUP Honors College Summer Program

The Chemistry Department took part in the Honors College Summer program once again by hosting 11 students in "The Real World of Chemistry". Each morning for two weeks, from 9-12, students took part in guided lab experiments and lectures centered around the synthesis, analysis, and detection of aspirin. Labs and discussions included the concepts of organic synthesis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After lunch, students then go on to take part in Honors College programs.

This years faculty participants were Dr. Wendy Elcesser, Dr. Larry Kupchella, Dr. Nathan McElroy, and Dr. John Woolcock. The program ran daily (M-F) from July 16-27.

Chemistry Prof Investigates Biomass Conversion to Fuel & Plastics

IUP will receive $650,000 in federal funding in order to further study the conversion of biomass to biodegradable plastics and biofuels. A project already started by Dr. Keith Kyler will be funded through this appropriation. Congratulations, Keith.

For IUP press release, click here.

Dr. Keith Kyler Wins University Award

Dr. Keith Kyler was one of four faculty to be presented with IUP's first ever Academic Excellence and Innovation Awards.

Dr. Kyler's proposal, under the Innovative Research category, was entitled IUPAX (Indiana University of Pennsylvania Explosives) as New Safer, High Energy Materials for DOD Ordinance and Missile Formations. The goal of this project is to determine new high-energy materials which offer safer munitions that are resistant to accidental detonations.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania recently established the Academic Excellence and Innovation Award to encourage innovative approaches to research, teaching and other creative activities by IUP faculty. Eighteen IUP faculty members submitted fifteen proposals for consideration for the 2007-2008 academic year. Grant awards of up to $20,000 for one year or divided over a two year period were made on a competitive basis.

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Award Review Committee was comprised of the Provost for Academic Affairs, the Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, The Assistant Dean for Research, the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, and faculty members from each of the colleges selected from a list provided by APSCUF of faculty members with established records of research/scholarship.

Each proposal was reviewed based on the degree of innovation and creativity of the planned project. Three categories of innovation were utilized for proposal review. These categories are Innovative Research, Interdisciplinary Research or Creative Initiatives, and Innovative Interdisciplinary Teaching. Criteria for proposal evaluation include: the strength and quality of the proposal, potential for external funding and sustained support, attainable project milestones and realistic timetable, and appropriateness of the proposed budget to the project’s description and objectives.