The analytical chemistry sequence at Seattle University consists of two ten-week courses: Quantitative Analysis and Instrumental Analysis. We have been working within this sequence, primarily in the junior/senior level Instrumental Analysis course, to engage our students in cross-disciplinary, socially relevant environmental projects that are designed to provide research-like experiences to the students. With this goal in mind, we initiated an academic service-learning project aimed at determining soil lead levels, which are of interest to a local community organization. Other projects have included students using GC-MS to monitor terpene levels that various conifers emit in response to predation by bark beetles, developing a LC-MS-MS method to track pyrethroid pesticides in a local waterway, and using HPLC in studying the photochemical degradation of several emerging pollutants. I will present aspects of our curriculum design and revision, output, and lessons learned through this process.

Bridging research and teaching: Incorporating environmental research-like experiences into the undergraduate analytical teaching laboratory

248th National Meeting (2014)

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