Development of an Undergraduate Research Laboratory

We report our experience in setting up a research laboratory at a non-PhD granting institution. The intention was to create an applied electrostatics lab with the potential to become research competitive in the field after a few years of development. In the initial stages we started with a modest budget and a small lab space. However, upon very careful equipment selection and research on sources, the lab’s capabilities became a reality. Undergraduate students working in the lab in the initial stages were of utmost importance in its development. Some of the purchased devices were improved to allow for more versatile usage. The first lab results in the field of electrosprays were obtained, analyzed, presented and published within the first year of the lab’s development. These initial successes led to more student participation in the lab resulting in increased experimental setups, measurements and analysis conducted in the subsequent year. Micro and nano particle production and analysis are now available in the lab. With help from colleagues, old equipment was adapted for the study of electrosprays in reduced pressure or vacuum. New interesting results were obtained and a research course will be offered next semester that will rely on this laboratory as a primary platform. The research capabilities, after two and a half years, include electrospray and electrospinning, high speed imaging of droplets, micro and nanoparticle generation, thin films deposition, ferro-fluids, and gas discharge studies. With the development of a new science and engineering building complex, a unique opportunity to design the lab space for research became available. While the development of the lab started on a small institutional grant, proposals for future funding have been submitted to national agencies. The successful experience in lab development discussed in this article can be of interest to other instructors with similar targets