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Facilities
and Locations
The Biology Research Complex contains Biology faculty offices, research facilities, teaching classrooms and laboratories, as well as the Office of the Dean of the College.
Facilities Biology
Research and teaching laboratories for biomedical and molecular sciences as well as biotechnology are found in the new addition to McCollum Science Hall. The Biology Department has many types of scientific instrumentation, such as equipment for genetic analysis, including DNA sequencing analyzer and real-time PCR instrumentation, cell biology/immunology equipment, including tissue culture facilities and a FACSort flow cytometer, as well as imaging equipment, which includes fluorescence microscopes and a scanning electron microscope. Much of the instrumentation was funded by a grant from the Carver Foundation.
The UNI Biological
Preserves System, approximately 145 acres both on and off
campus, consists of both natural habitats of native Iowa ecological
communities and reconstructed habitats for student instruction and
research.
Chemistry
and Biochemistry
New Organic Chemistry teaching laboratories feature individual student hoods and a safe flameless lab with a new FT-IR spectrometer as well as gas chromatography equipment easily available in the lab room. General Chemistry teaching laboratories feature enough fume hoods with associated computers so that every pair of students can work in a hood and also take data digitally using Vernier probes, such as temperature and pH.
Students use the department's 300 and 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometers in their courses (such as Organic Chemistry laboratory) and in their research experiences with faculty.
Computer Science
The Innovative Teaching and Technology Center provides state-of-the-art computer classrooms, two advanced hardware labs and gigabit networking.
The Linux cluster supercomputer, constructed with support from the State Farm Companies Foundation, is for course work and research in high-performance scientific computing. The final cluster will contain 64 CPUs in a single 1U chassis.
In the Real-Time Embedded Systems Laboratory (the "train lab"), students have an opportunity to construct, program and debug real-time embedded systems in a computer-controlled model railroad lab.
Earth Science
Geology research and instructional equipment includes petrographic microscopes, thin-section equipment, X-ray diffraction, and fluorescence equipment, a soils lab, and a hydrology lab scheduled to open in spring 2008.
The 25-seat planetarium, located in Latham Hall, contains a state-of-the-art planetarium projector that demonstrates the motions of the sky and the locations of the stars, moon, sun and planets at any tme and from any location on Earth.
In the Solar Electric Boat Center, UNI's solar boat team members each year design and build a solar electric boat, a cross-disciplinary project for which students must draw on their knowledge of chemistry, computer-aided design, electrical systems, mechanical drive trains, electronics controls, and wireless communication (telemetry) systems. This year's team won fourth place overall, third fastest in qualifications, and third best in engineering visual display design in the 14th World Championship of Intercollegiate Solar Boating. For more information, visit www.cns.uni.edu/eboat.
The Technology Education and Training Lab showcases some of the latest ideas in the use of modular technology systems. For example, one typical modular unit in automation and robotics includes a pick-and-place robot trainer, various consumable supplies, tools, and accessories, including computer and associated software. The lab features several of these self-contained modular units of instruction in the subject areas of automotive control systems, architectural design, artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, computer numerical control, electronics and circuitry, mechanical assembly, and flight simulation.
The Materials Testing Lab conducts evaluation of mechanical properties of metals, polymers, composites, ceramics, and construction materials. The lab has a full complement of metallographic preparation equipment and microscopes to analyze materials macro- and microscopically.
In the CAD/CAM Laboratory students learn the latest 3D modeling, analysis and manufacturing (CAD/CAE/CAM) techniques utilizing the industry standard software and methodologies. The available software includes the current versions of AutoCAD, Inventor, Solidworks, ProEngineer, Algor, Flow3D, and Mastercam. Other software tools used by construction management and graphic communication specializations are housed in the laboratory.
Mathematics
In the Mathematics Laboratory, students receive one-on-one help from a tutor who works with individuals or groups on mathematics problems.
In the Mathematics Education Lab, students receive individual assistance for math education courses. The lab contains reformed (standards-based) mathematics curricula, manipulatives, videotapes and software.
Physics
The ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is used for measuring the location of atoms.
The ultra high vacuum transport measurement and electron diffraction instrument measures transport properties, such as resistance and conductivity, as well as the crystal structure of atomic surfaces.
The recently purchased Appro computer cluster supports the department's computational condensed matter research program. It enables students to use parallel computing to model atomic and molecular systems, nanostructures and planetary collisions, as well as other problems demanding heavy computer time or memory.
Laser and holography equipment includes seven research-grade optics tables, helium-neon lasers in four different wavelengths, argon-ion laser, two rapid-scan spectrographs, two industrial position controllers, a variety of diode lasers, CW and pulsed, and specialized equipment for holography, interferometry and fiber optics, including polarization control optics.
Nanoscience equipment used for teaching includes a TESCAN Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope; gold and carbon sputter coaters; one ultra-high vacuum chamber containing thermal evaporators for creating ultra thin films (0.1 - 100 nm), low energy electron diffraction, and Auger spectroscopy; and one ultra-high vacuum chamber also containing aforementioned thermal evaporators and a scanning tunneling microscope.
Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology A cooperative program of the departments of Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Industrial Technology, and Physics
The Nanoscience Teaching Laboratory in MSH 255, scheduled to open in spring 2009, will contain a differential scanning colorimeter and a thermogravimetric analyzer. Other equipment available to students will include atomic force and scanning probe microscopes, a nanoparticle size analyzer, a fluorescence microscope and devices to prepare and analyze nanomaterials. The nanoscience equipment was purchased through a gift from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.
Science Education
The recently remodeled Science Education Resource Center in McCollum Science Hall contains science curriculum materials spanning both printed textbooks and science modules/kits for use by undergraduates and methods faculty and available through the Area Education Agency to be checked out by K-9 teachers and delivered directly to their school building.
Laboratory teaching facilities include those in McCollum Science Hall as well as a new teaching lab in Lang Hall, which is connected by an enclosed walkway to Begeman Hall. Both teaching labs incorporate educational technology through Mac book mobile labs.
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Maintained by the College of Natural Sciences Last modified: 11/8/07 |
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McCollum
Science Hall houses the Department of Biology
and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as two interdepartmental programs, Science Education and Environmental Programs. Its
recently completed 64,000-square-foot addition and a renovation of
the older portion of the building provide modern laboratory and classroom
spaces. 
Wright
Hall
houses the Department of Mathematics and also provides space for the Department of Computer Science: two general computing labs, the Real-Time Embedded Systems Lab, the Software Testing Lab, a bioinformatics lab, and a multi-purpose faculty lab for usability testing, robotics, and other faculty uses.
Latham
Hall
houses the Department of Earth Science and features well-equipped laboratories and classrooms to serve the needs of the disciplines of geology, astronomy, and meteorology.
The
Innovative Teaching and Technology Center, formerly known as
the East
Gym,
is home to the Department of Computer Science: the department office, faculty offices, three computing-based classrooms, the Networking and Systems Administration Lab, a student lab and lounge, a server room (shared with ITS-ET and Physics) that houses a State Farm-funded Linux cluster, Battelle-funded clusters for bioinformatics and grid computing, and other departmental servers. 
The
Industrial
Technology Center houses
the IT department and its state-of-the-art facilities, including the
5,000-square-foot Metal Casting Center.
The Center
for Energy and Environmental Education, a
model of energy efficiency and environmental awareness, contains classrooms,
laboratories and offices. 
Begeman Hall (formerly the Physics Building), rededicated in the fall of 2007, provides modern research and instructional
space for the Department of Physics, as well as the department office and faculty offices. 
The
Biology Botanical Center houses an extensive collection of plants that provide
a diversity of species ranging from ancient tree ferns and cycads
to a large number of economically important varieties from around
the world. The building has been remodeled extensively twice in the last five years. The first remodel included the addition of a new teaching classroom and office space for staff and students. The current remodel includes the addition of a new Plant Biotechnology research laboratory and attached greenhouse that can be used for research as well as teaching. In this facility, students can see, smell and touch living plants and learn
about climate and plant diversity and plant adaptation to various
climates and ecosystems.
ChemWall,
located in the addition to McCollum Science Hall, is an interactive
periodic table consisting of two plasma screens embedded in a wall
of lighted boxes, each representing an element in the periodic table.
By touching one of the screens, viewers can access the UNI or Chemistry
and Biochemistry Department website, view a series of videos on "Chemistry
in Action," solve chemistry riddles or watch a chemistry magic
show demonstration.
The
federally funded Science Center for Teaching, Outreach and Research
on Meteorology 
Two
observatories, the Hillside Observatory and one located in McCollum
Science Hall, house large computer-controlled telescopes.
The
Metal Casting Center is a valuable resource to the operating
foundry industry; it provides applied research, technology transfer,
service and support in preparing future professionals for the industry.
The federally funded Center for Advanced Bio-based Binders,
now a part of the MCC, is researching and developing innovations in
bio-based binders made from renewable agricultural feedstocks.
In
the Electronics Laboratory, students have an opportunity to
do research in alternative energy sources, including solar energy.
A new physical
property measurement system (PPMS) is capable of making magnetic
and resistance measurements at different temperatures and magnetic
fields. It is used to characterize various samples of interest, including
magnetic nanostructures.
The Nanoscience Teaching Laboratory in Lang 383 contains three Agilent Scanning Probe Microscopes, with vibration isolation chambers, and four chemical hoods provide laboratory space for up to 16 students. Two Agilent 5400 SPMs and the one Agilent 5500 SPM allow both liquid-based and solid samples to be investigated.