Luther receives $169,000 grant

Luther College has been awarded a $169,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to purchase a 300 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer for Luther's chemistry department.

The grant will help the college acquire the new equipment, which Luther associate professor of chemistry Bradley Chamberlain calls "the most important analytical tool in the modern chemistry laboratory; without it, one cannot study many interesting molecules, especially those at the interface between chemistry and biology."

According to Chamberlain, who wrote the successful proposal, with the new high-resolution spectrometer in place, "Luther's chemistry faculty will enact broad and deep changes to the laboratory curricula of nine chemistry courses, directly impacting more than 300 students annually."

In addition to the course curriculum changes, having the spectrometer on campus will significantly increase opportunities for students at Luther to participate in collaborative research projects with Luther's chemistry faculty, Chamberlain said.

"A high-resolution NMR spectrometer will enhance the research culture in Luther's chemistry department," said Luther President Richard Torgerson. "While teaching is the highest priority of members of the Luther faculty, all faculty members perform research and all chemistry majors at Luther must have a formal research experience in order to graduate. These formative experiences have been fundamental in securing admission to prestigious graduate and professional programs."