PRESS CONTACT:
Bethanie Le
Public Relations Coordinator
bele@chapman.edu
(714) 289-3181
As universities are continuing remote learning to limit the spread of COVID-19, one of the concerns is how to replicate classes that require hands-on instruction, such as the undergraduate laboratory experience.
A solution: Chapman University shipped the equipment to students’ homes.
Approximately 600 lab kits were sent to students enrolled in microbiology, general chemistry, and analytical chemistry courses. Through this approach, first-year students studying microbiology will be able to complete four labs remotely, including an experiment testing microbial growth on different surfaces, and senior students will have at-home access to their analytical chemistry instruments like a Spectrometer, pH meter and electronic stir/hotplate.
Help is on the way for students in Fowler School of Engineering, too. Based on their coursework, students will receive a variety of equipment, from circuit components and multimeters to microcontroller lab kits and 3D printers, all of which were planned as part of the outfitting of classes in the new school.
The ship-to-home plan enables students to stay on track, while awaiting the return to campus.
As for the Kim Environmental Geochemistry (KEG) Lab, the students needed the advanced lab equipment on Chapman’s campus to conduct their iron nanoparticle synthesis, aggregation and metal uptake experiments. In response, Christopher Kim, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and the principal investigator who leads the KEG Lab, is providing mentorship and supervision remotely through a mounted phone, tripod and body camera set up. This allows Professor Kim to practice safe distancing measures while guiding his students through lab procedures from outside the lab when necessary.
Photos can be accessed through this storykit here, and videos of Dr. Kim’s lab process with the body and mounted cameras can be viewed here.
To speak to any of the involved students or professors, please contact Bethanie Le at bele@chapman.edu.
