Virginia Tech partnership promotes national chemistry model
The Department of Chemistry in the College of Science will undergo a significant upgrade of its laboratories thanks in part to a generous gift from Agilent Technologies.
One of the equipment donations, a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS), will make Virginia Tech one of the first universities in the nation to offer high-powered analytical instruments in its undergraduate teaching labs starting in the freshman year.
“Agilent’s philanthropy and commitment to the education and training of the next generation of scientists, and this partnership will enormously enhance the undergraduate laboratory experience for all students enrolled in chemistry classes,” said Jim Tanko, chair of the chemistry department.
In addition to the donation of sophisticated lab equipment, Agilent will conduct regular training and maintenance on the equipment. The partnership will include helping with the start-up of an instrument and software loan program for new faculty members.
“The partnership with Agilent will result in unprecedented, state-of-the-art facilities in support of undergraduate education at Virginia Tech,” Tanko said.
A ceremony to announce the new partnership will take place Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2011 at 2 p.m. in 402 Hahn Hall North. Parking is available in the Perry Street lot. Visitors are required to have a parking permit, which may be obtained on the ground floor of the parking garage in the Perry Street lot.
For more than 70 years, Agilent Technologies has been the world’s premier measurement company. Agilent designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytic measurement instruments and equipment used for measurement and evaluation.
