MeasureNet Settles In Firelands
The Firelands branch of Bowling Green State University has selected MeasureNet for use in the college's General Chemistry Laboratory. A ten-station network installation will include a shared visible-NIR spectrometer, pressure, temperature, and pH electrodes. Chemistry courses will also employ Measurenet's new dual-beam colorimeter and adapt existing Ohaus and Mettler balances for use with MeasureNet. It is also planned to make the system available to Biology courses for select experiments.
"Unlike the Physics Department, we have little room for PCs on our Chemistry lab benches. The spatial compactness of the MeasureNet System is very practical for us," explained Chemistry Instructor Linda Cornell. MeasureNet's easy-to-understand hierarchical menu structure and overall intuitive operation were also important considerations. "I have the expectation that MeasureNet will also be much easier to learn and use by our students compared to calculator and PC-based systems," said Cornell. Her program hosts many older, non-traditional students who juggle work and family obligations in addition to their classes. The Chemistry program provides core support for Masters in Nursing, Bachelors in Applied Health Science, and Associates of Science degrees.
Before joining BGSU-Firelands this past year, Cornell worked on projects for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the former Standard Oil Company of Ohio, and as a secondary school science instructor.
The campus of BGSU-Fireland's 1,800-strong student body is located in Huron, Ohio along the southern shores of Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo. Some 500,000 acres were granted in 1792 in this area of Connecticut's 120-mile long "Western Reserve" to compensate Connecticut victims of punitive British raids that had aimed to destroy war supplies and cripple shipping during the American Revolutionary War. Settlement got underway in 1808 after payments were completed to local Native Americans. It is the only instance in American history where civilian victims of war were compensated with land. These victims were known as the Fire Sufferers and the area's modern name Firelands is derived from abbreviating the original "Fire Sufferers Lands."
Cornell is excited about the prospects for her teaching laboratory, as well as her new data acquisition network. "MeasureNet was the only interface company to visit us to provide a workshop during our decision-making process. They have a strong level of commitment to our program and they're a lot of fun to work with!"