Undergraduate Research Education and Training

URGREAT Undergraduate Research Education and Training

Sponsored by UNE MBRS-RISE y MSEIP Programs Seminar and Workshop with Alanah Fitch, Ph.D. Loyola University, Chicago

Day: Friday, April 1 2005. Time: 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Place: Conference Room of the International School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (ISTHM), Universidad del Este, Carolina, PR

Program 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Registration 9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome from Institutional Authorities 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Single Analyte (Lead) Problem Based Learning: Community Derived Samples for Undergraduate Chemistry Major Class in Instrumental Analysis 10:15 – 10:30 a.m Break 10:30 -- 1:00 p.m. Workshop: Incorporating research and community service into university courses 1:00 pm Lunch

For information contact Ms. Carol Cirilo: (787) 257-7373, Ext 3930 o Mr. Karlo Malavé: Ext. 3953,3956 Alanah Fitch, Ph.D. Dr. Fitch received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology/Latin American Studies in 1975 from Antioch College, Ohio. During the course of her undergraduate studies she lived for a total of two years in both Colombia and Mexico. Her original post-college goal was to work in international development which moved her from Anthropology into Soil Fertility (1977, M.S. University of Arizona) to Soil Chemistry (Ph.D. University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, 1981, Frank Stevenson). Her chemistry experiences inspired her into a career in chemistry (postdoctorals in Electrochemistry, 1981-1984 U.W. Madison (Dennis Evans) and 1984 Northwestern University (Don Smith and Rick Van Duyne). In 1985 she joined the faculty at Loyola, becoming full professor in 1995. Her research focus (60 publications to date, EPA and NSF funded) uses clay- modified electrodes to study transport phenomena in thin clay films (http://www.luc.edu/chemistry/faculty/fitch/fitchgroup/Clays.htm ).This work has applications in natural phenomena, remediation of polluted environments, support matrices for sensors, and microelectronics. Dr. Fitch was named Loyola University Faculty scholar in 2000. In 2004 Dr.Fitch was awarded an NSF Discovery Corps fellowship to bring Loyola's GC-MS online for use (http://www.scienceblog.com/community/article2893.htm) in joint teaching and research with institutions in East Africa (http://www.luc.edu/chemistry/faculty/fitch/GLIC/GLIC%20web%20page /index.html ).