breaking NEW GROUND - Illinois Institute of Technology

The College of Science and Letters
(CSL) has been generating landmark
research that is benefiting the
environment as well as everyone
from elementary school children to
college students and cancer patients.
Safety in the Palms of Our Hands
Although only slightly larger than a penny, the
electronic sensor in the IIT ChemArray has
enormous potential. Created and tested by a
team of IIT scientists, this new sensing device
holds the potential for identifying dangerous
bacteria and dozens of other toxic agents in air,
water, and food.
Under the leadership of Dean F.R. McMorris, CSL
faculty and researchers are working at the molecular
level to reduce environmental waste and with the
public school system to help create highly qualified
science and mathematics teachers (2.2 million will
be needed over the next 10 years). The College is also
conducting research on how radiation can be better
harnessed to fight cancer, how globalization is
impacting communication and collaboration—in
essence, on a whole array of areas where possibilities
exist for improving people’s lives.
Students working in IIT’s Interprofessional Projects
program have recently created a novel way to contribute
to the greater good: they are creatively educating
their fellow undergraduates about the fundamentals
of financial responsibility with CreditSafe,
an “edutainment” game developed by students in conjunction
with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.
In outreach efforts, CSL has hosted Chinese students
in the Public Administration graduate program and
taught Taiwanese junior high students in the
Department of Mathematics and Science Education
summer program. CSL’s own students have been benefiting
from new efforts as well, including a new professional
master’s degree in Mathematical Finance, an
International Center for Sensor Science and
Engineering, and a Summer in Paris program.
Top left: Students participating in the College’s first
Summer in Paris program learned about the architectural
history of the city as well as its culture.
Bottom left: The online CreditSafe game teaches teens how to
develop sensible spending habits.
Right: IIT’s research frontier has been broadened significantly
by the addition of R.G. Mehta, an international
expert in cancer prevention who will hold joint
appointments at IIT Research Institute and in the
department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences.
COLLEGE of
SCIENCE AND LETTERS
26