YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- New equipment recently installed in Youngstown State University's X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory places the institution "second to none" among universities in Ohio and among the best in the country when it comes to materials analysis, officials say.
"The importance comes from the work we do with local companies and especially the students who are trained in using the facility," said Allen Hunter, professor of chemistry at YSU. Several local companies are using the lab to examine materials that they work with every day and are instrumental in the success of their products, he noted.
University President Jim Tressel and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-13 Ohio, joined Hunter, YSU faculty members and students to officially inaugurate the new updated lab during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
Hunter was the principal investigator for a $475,000 National Science Foundation grant that YSU secured so it could purchase and install two new diffractometers at the lab. The new diffractometers were installed about six months ago.
"It delivers a lot more X-rays at a lot higher quality," Hunter said, and allows for more precise analysis on a sample of material. "We can look into crystals as low as 0.01 millimeters. Even with a microscope, you'd have a hard time seeing it."
Diffractometers shine X-rays through samples and allow researchers to see the atomic makeup of different materials. Businesses use this equipment to analyze metals, polymers or crystals that can make their products stronger or more reliable.
Hunter sees opportunities in the future working with companies involved in ceramics, metals and even the oil and gas industry.
Tim Wagner, chairman of YSU's chemistry department, calls the additions the "latest and greatest" in cutting-edge technology and X-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction is usually the first step of analysis once a sample material is synthesized, he says.
The laboratory is open to all students enrolled in YSU's College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, Hunter notes, which gives chemistry undergraduates a particular edge in their education compared to those at other institutions.
Jennifer Miller, a junior chemistry student at YSU, said that this summer, she had the opportunity to participate in an internship program at another university, but found that most of the high-end equipment was reserved for faculty or graduate students.
"I realize how special and unique the opportunities are at YSU," she said. "At YSU, I feel I'm limited only by my capabilities. If I'm willing to put the work in and receive the necessary training, I have access to every piece of equipment on this campus."
She emphasized such access is crucial to building her resume and making her skills more marketable once she graduates and, in her case, pursues advanced degrees. "If I don't get this experience and I don't have these opportunities, how could I know what all my possibilities are?" she asked.
Tressel said that the equipment ranks the university as "second to none" for materials science in the state and among the best in the country.
"This has been a critical component to supporting our new materials science and engineering Ph.D, so this is an extraordinary opportunity for us," he said.
Such investments are necessary in order to grow the economy of the future and afford young people the opportunity to pursue rewarding careers in the Mahoning Valley, Ryan said.
"It's great to know that this is going to be done at Youngstown State University. Ultimately, the goal is how do we help young people make a good living and be able to stay in our area," he said.
Pictured: Chemistry student Jennifer Miller in Youngstown State University's X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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