Cape Fear Community College

News and Events

Chemical Technology Program Awarded $150,000!.

Date: April 29, 2010
In October 2009, the Chemical Technology Department submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the division of Undergraduate Education. This proposal targeted the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program that focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drives our nation's economy. On April 29, 2010, the Chemical Technology Department was notified that their grant was approved by the NSF. Since Cape Fear Community College was new to the ATE program, the CHEM TECH department at CFCC is in a very elite group of approximately 15 awards nationwide! The $150,000 award was the maximum budget that could be requested by an institution new to the ATE program.

According to the NSF database, only 40 proposals have been awarded to community colleges in the state of North Carolina since 1969. The last NSF award CFCC received was in 1969 in the amount of $13,325. In 2010, only one ATE award (ours) has currently been awarded to NC community colleges.

Tracy Holbrook, CHEM TECH lead instructor, states: "We are very excited about working with the NSF. More importantly, we are very excited about improving the quality of education that students will receive within our own program. With the help of this grant, CFCC will purchase a Purge & Trap Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (P&T GCMS) and an ion chromatography (IC) system and we will be one of the few community colleges in the state of North Carolina with this technology."

Here is a brief abstract of the project: Project "Ways to Amplify Teaching and Education in Regard to Science" (W.A.T.E.R.S.), in conjunction with the Chemical Technology Program, is enhancing student learning by strongly reinforcing difficult theoretical concepts in the laboratory environment through the use of state-of-the-art equipment commonly found in an industrial job environment. Students are gaining hands-on training on the use and operation of a Purge & Trap Gas Chromatography system coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS) and an ion chromatography (IC) system.

With the aid from the NSF, students will learn how to: follow standardized methods enforced by regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carry out multifaceted and advanced experiments, interpret chromatograms and mass spectra data, and operate computer-based instrumentation. Results from project W.A.T.E.R.S. should show that fundamental changes within a science curriculum involving laboratory objectives coupled with appropriate discussions on theoretical concepts allow STEM students to clearly understand advances within the scientific field. Project W.A.T.E.R.S. will also provide professional development opportunities to Cape Fear Community College faculty and local K-12 STEM educators. Underrepresented groups in the STEM community are benefiting through the introduction of new instrumentation which will allow students to become more competitive in today's job market and/or to provide a better transition to a research-intensive university. Finally, the project will also help support an annual in-depth water study for the community that will monitor over 80% of EPA's regulated primary and secondary contaminants.

Chemical Technology Begins Agreement with NC State.

Chemical Technology graduates may transfer to North Carolina State University (NC State).  The Department of Chemistry has agreed that the CTC courses in the CHEM TECH program are equivalent to the general chemistry and organic chemistry courses offered at NC State.  CHEM TECH graduates will receive chemistry electives (provided a grade of C or better) at NC State allowing the student to enter as a junior in the B.S. Chemistry program.  If a B.S. in Chemistry is not desired, graduates may receive chemistry credit toward a program of their choice.  For more information about this transfer opportunity, please contact the lead instructor of the program, Tracy Holbrook, tholbrook@cfcc.edu.

Chemical Technology Begins Agreement with UNCW.

Chemical Technology graduates may complete placement tests in general and organic chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW).  If the student achieves satisfactory scores, UNCW will award chemistry credit at their institution so that he/she may enter as a junior in the B.S. Chemistry program.  If a B.S. in Chemistry is not desired, graduates may receive chemistry credit toward a program of their choice.  For more information about this transfer opportunity, please contact the lead instructor of the program, Tracy Holbrook, tholbrook@cfcc.edu.

Chemical Technology Begin Agreement with East Carolina University.

The agreement allows student to finish a Bachelor of science in industrial technology at ECU. Student who complete the two year AAS degree in Chemical Technology at Cape Fear Community College can transfer to ECU as a junior and complete there bacholar. All ECU course are available online