Geology Purchases New XRD System with Foundation Assistance

In March 2010, a new X-ray diffraction system (XRD) arrived at St. Lawrence. Two grants, one from the George I. Alden Trust of Wooster, MA and one from the J. M. McDonald Foundation of Evergreen, CO, enabled the Department of Geology to acquire this important analytical tool that will replace an earlier model that has been on the SLU campus for 40 years! Because the XRD is a cornerstone equipment item within a comprehensive undergraduate geology curriculum, it was urgent to raise the funds to purchase a modern system. The XRD is extremely useful in helping scientists determine the composition and identity of natural and synthetic materials. It will be used at nearly all levels of the geology curriculum, from mid-level courses and labs, to higher-level research methods courses, to culminating independent senior-year experience (SYE) research projects, and student-faculty collaborative research. More than 60 geology students are expected to use the XRD annually through their coursework and mentored research. The XRD will also be used by faculty and students in the Departments of Chemistry and Physics.