The School of Science offers students many unique research opportunities that are not typically available to undergraduate students.
We have specialized labs and equipment that give our students the opportunity to conduct research and experiments examining many different scientific areas. This hands-on learning experience is a crucial element of a science education, and prepares students for success in post-baccalaureate studies and professional work.
Our Biology program has several labs in Hayden Hall and the Leo Building. These are specific labs dedicated to research and teaching in the following areas:
There is also a greenhouse, as well as ample equipment and supplies for our students to conduct cutting-edge research. Students are involved in the entire process of scientific investigations, from learning about a subject to building and testing hypotheses, conducting experiments, analyzing results and evaluating data in the context of previous scientific evidence.
Our Chemistry laboratories provide state-of-the-art instrumentation including:
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility
An X-ray generator
Fourier-transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers
A double-monochromator fluorimeter
A recording double beam absorption UV and visible spectrophotometer
Computer interfaced, scanning spectrophotometers
A mass spectrophotometer
An atomic absorption spectrophotometer with graphite furnace
Four high-performance liquid chromatographs, rotovaps and gas chromatograph
Computer simulation facilities using state of the art hardware and software packages
Our Biochemistry research laboratory includes:
A cold room
Preparative centrifuges and an ultracentrifuge
Automated fraction collectors
Equipment for protein and nucleic acid biochemistry
Our Physics laboratories include two labs dedicated to experimental optics, as well as labs where research is conducted on modern physics and theoretical physics projects.
In our optics laboratory, students conduct experiments on topics including:
Geometrical optics (lenses and mirrors)
Our laser laboratory includes equipment that can be found in professional industrial and research laboratories. In this lab, students have access to automated data acquisition, lock-in amplifiers, higher-power lasers, spectrum analyzers and other equipment and components. Experiments are designed to address current issues in optical science, and students learn how to conduct experiments, use research equipment, collect and analyze data, and present results.
Our research lab is dedicated to work on modern and theoretical physics projects. For example:
The classic experiments (e.g. Frank Hertz, Rydberg)
Gamma-Spectroscopy with a computer controlled multi-channel analyzer
Electron and nuclear spin resonance
Using a Beta spectrometer to study Beta decay (and demonstrate the existence of positrons)
Using Hall Effect measurements to determine the Band Gap in a semiconductor
Senior-level students do more advanced experiments such as studying superconductivity using a SQUID. Associated with the lab is a student machine shop (with a Sawzall, drill press, metal lathe and more), a photographic darkroom and a well-equipped electronics lab that students can use for both school and personal projects.
Computer Science Facilities
The Computer Science facilities include a Linux lab, as well as a number of Windows-based labs. There is also access to a high-speed Beowulf computer cluster for high performance computing.
Kakos Center for Scientific Computing
Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Michael J. Kakos ’58, and Mrs. Aimee Rusinko Kakos, the Manhattan College School of Science is honored to have the Kakos Center for Scientific Computing.
Located in Hayden Hall, the Kakos Center offers our students cutting edge computer facilities with eight Windows workstations that include:
Linux Open Source Scientific Software
Complete suite of Linux Open Source scientific software
State of the art proprietary Quantum Chemistry Molecular Orbital and Density Functional Theory software
Matlab (coming soon)
In addition, the Kakos center includes the following servers designed by Lawrence Meche ’12:
A file server, this liquid cooled Ubuntu 14.04 LTS GNU/Linux platform with 64 GB of RAM, is optimized for parallel computing scientific applications. Designed by Lawrence Meche ’12 Chemistry, the Dionysus platform boasts 4 NVIDIA Tesla graphics cards, and so is also an astoundingly fast GPU system – the fastest at the College.
The Cube (Coming Soon)
This new custom designed and built liquid cooled GNU/Linux server will house 6 new GPU cards and 512GB of RAM on 44 processors, with 2 x 1 Terabyte solid state drives.