Materials Faculty Receive Inaugural Drexel Scholarly Materials and Equipment Research Awards

Three Drexel Materials faculty members are recipients of the Office of Research's inaugural Scholarly Materials and Equipment Research Award. These awards provide tenured and tenure-track faculty the opportunity to apply for funds for the acquisition and/or development of equipment, software, systems, or library collections that will enhance their research portfolio as well as increase their contributions to Drexel. Materials faculty receiving this award include:

Chris Li

Christopher Li, PhD

SerialEM Electron Tomography Software

Li will acquire state-of-the-art SerialEM electron tomography software for nanoscale three-dimensional (3D) imaging of biological and nanomaterials to expand the capabilities of Drexel’s new JEOL 2100F high-resolution field-emission transmission electron microscope (TEM). The package includes installation and setup of the SerialEM software on our system and a customized 10-day on-site training course based on our research needs. The Office of Research awarded $21,000 toward this purchase.

Andrew Magenau

Andrew Magenau, PhD

Multi-Angle Light Scattering Detector

Magenau will acquire a Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) detector for Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). SEC-MALS can uniquely provide absolute molecular weight values for all polymers and proteins requiring characterization at Drexel University, independent of molecular weight standards.  In addition to providing absolute molecular weights, SEC-MALS affords direct measurements of the mean squared radius of gyration of custom polymers.  Furthermore, the versatility of this instrument is not limited to linear polymers and proteins but it has the capabilities to measure the molecular weight of advanced polymeric architectures, e.g. stars, copolymers, and bottlebrush structures, furthering its utility to all soft material research groups at Drexel University.  The Office of Research awarded $21,000 toward this purchase.

Steven May

Steven May, PhD

Horizontal Sample Rotator for a Physical Measurement System

May will acquire a Horizontal Sample Rotator (HSR) option for the Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS) housed within his lab. The equipment will enable new capabilities in the characterization of electronic properties of materials. In particular, the HSR option facilitates measurement of the angular dependence of electrical conduction in the presence of an applied the magnetic field. Such measurements are critical to understand electronic and magnetic behavior in complex oxides thin films and two-dimensional materials. The Office of Research awarded $13,839 toward this purchase.