In 2022, Binaya Shrestha, Scott Shaw and Mark Arnold became aware of a fantastic opportunity for the Department of Chemistry. Through a contract with the Regents Institutions in the state of Iowa, Agilent Technologies offered to collaborate with the Chemistry Department to establish a Demo Instrumentation Lab at the University of Iowa. Through this agreement, Agilent Technologies contributed new instruments valued at over $550,000 that will be used by undergraduate students as well as research groups at the University. The instruments acquired through this contract include a Fluorometer, UV-Vis, ICP-AES, HPLC, GC, GC-MS, FTIR, and CE. They also provided more than $10,000 worth of computers and software to run these instruments. 

Students studying Analytical and Physical Measurements will be the primary users of the instruments and will be able to enter the workforce with knowledge of the latest in cutting edge instruments, making them highly competitive for jobs in industry and graduate or professional programs. However, our department research groups will also reap the benefits of this new equipment. In addition to using the instruments to acquire research data, research groups across campus will be eligible to purchase them at the end of every placement cycle for a reduced purchase price, saving significant capital resources. The Department worked together with Agilent Technologies to make a seamless transition to these brand new instruments during Summer and Fall 2023, minimizing impact on instruction while installing and calibrating the new equipment to start use in spring 2024. The partnership between Agilent and UIowa Chemistry will save the department nearly $100,000 per year on the acquisition of instruments for advanced laboratory courses, funds that are now able to be used in different ways, moving UI’s Chemistry program into a more efficient and exciting direction.