The effect of trace metals on humans will become a little clearer to Wentworth students and faculty thanks in part to a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.
The NSF granted Wentworth Institute of Technology a three-year, $200,845 award for the purposes of furthering the Institute’s EPIC (Externally Collaborative, ProjectBased, Interdisciplinary Culture) learning initiatives.
Award monies will go toward a Wentworth project entitled “Acquisition of Atomic Absorption Spectrometer for EPIC Learning,” which was submitted to the NSF for consideration in January 2015 and selected by the foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program.
The award will assist Wentworth in promoting a comprehensive approach to the research of trace metals, which include elements such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. The effect of trace metals on public health, safety, prosperity, and welfare is an example of the type of research the Wentworth team plans to conduct. This research will provide the basis for the development of new scientific curriculum for undergraduate students.
The project is operating under the direction of Civil Engineering Department Chair Jack Duggan. Other faculty members playing key roles in the project include Shankar Krishnan, Gautham Das, and Haifa El-sadi of the College of Engineering and Technology, and Gergely Sirokman of the College of Arts and Sciences.
External collaborators will also work on the project, providing a framework for shared resources that will extend the impact of Wentworth’s metals analysis capabilities to other researchers and students.
—Greg Abazorius
