Acquisition of LA-ICP-MS Instrumentation for Geochemical, Hydrological, and Archaeological Research and Education

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) to Georgia State University (GSU) is for the acquisition of a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) and a microwave digestion system for bulk sample preparation. The instrument will support research and education in two departments at GSU: Geosciences and Anthropology.

Research topics fall into several themes: geochemical: understanding the chemical makeup of the earth and its components; paleoclimatic: explaining the climate of the past; hydrologic: understanding how water moves across our landscape; and archaeological: understanding past human life from material remains. The instrument will be used to tackle compelling questions of significant Intellectual Merit in each theme.

The geochemical and paleoclimate research seeks to rebuild the East African monsoon hydroclimate over the last 11,500-years and investigate the beginnings and change over time of the continental crust. Hydrological research will study the impact of urban beaver ponds on nutrient dynamics, determining how these ponds impact total suspended solid dynamics, along with looking at a fingerprinting approach to determine the sources of heavy metals to these ponds.

Archaeological research includes investigating the manufacture and trade of artefacts in multiple regions of the ancient Americas. Specifically, data on ancient pottery from the American Southeast, the Yucatan, and Andean South America will facilitate an unprecedented opportunity to reconstruct how trade networks emerged and developed in different ecological and cultural contexts in relation to wider sociopolitical transformations.

These projects are already funded by the National Science Foundation. In addition to supporting existing funded projects, the instrument will be used to begin new research. Further, it will be used in undergraduate and graduate level courses that cover geochemical instrumentations, archaeological methods, and analytical chemistry, thus directly enhancing the teaching, learning, and training of 60 to 80 undergraduates and graduate students each year at GSU, a Minority Serving Institution (MSI).

The LA-ICP-MS will be integrated in the Experiential, Project-based and Interdisciplinary Curriculum (EPIC) program that provides unique hands-on research for students from their first semester at GSU. Moreover, this award will enable undergraduate and graduate students to train in cutting edge geochemical and archaeological analyses. This grant will also enable the diverse PI team of under-represented minorities (URM) and women to deliver meaningful and impactful activities for the Atlanta area community.

The PIs will 1) use the instrument to analyze archaeological artifacts excavated during the construction of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system and integrate those data into public exhibits, and 2) create short online videos targeted at K-12 and college students. For K-12 students, the videos will target general earth science literacy through short dynamic vignettes that showcase how the instrumentation is used to solve “mysteries” (i.e., research questions) in earth sciences.

Videos targeted at undergraduates and graduates will include advanced content and specialized applications better suited for integration in classes and research efforts. To broaden participation further, the PIs will 1) use grant funds to support graduate student travel to the National Association of Black Geoscientists annual conferences, 2) partner with faculty at the HBCUs, MSIs, and community colleges in the surrounding metro-Atlanta and beyond, and 3) foster the retention of URM in GEOS by providing relatable mentors in lab settings.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.