Sabbatical Proposal BES 2021

The following projects can be done under the current COVID restrictions:

- EPR Analysis of Diphenols

- Advance my understanding of the hemp processing and analysis:

• HPLC Cannabinoid analysis
• hemp material processing/shredding/extraction
• Potential travel to visit Pure Hemp processing facilities in Ft. Lupton, CO.

- HT Project

The following projects will be limited if COVID restrictions still in affect. - Collect LC-MS data on phenol oxidation products at Western Illinois university

Statement for Trustees:

The Chemistry Department has acquire quite a few new resources, thanks in part to the LeSuer and Kieft Endowments. In 2015, we finalized the NIH surplus acquisition of an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrometer (~$150k); in 2016 the Dept was awarded a PittConn grant for $10k and used the endowed funds to match the granted amount to purchase an Ion Chromatography (IC) instrument (~$20k); in 2017 the LeSuer Endowment funded the purchase of a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) instrument (~$28k); in 2019, my chemistry colleague Audra Gouch was a co-PI on an National Science Foundation (NSF) award to purchase a Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spec (LC-MS) instrument ($300k) housed on the campus of Western Illinois University; and in 2020 we purchased a robotic liquid handling system ($10k) to educate our students about COVID related testing procedures. During the academic year it is difficult to allocate time to fully integrate these instruments into the curriculum/research. During my sabbatical, I am planning on allocating significant time to refine my operational skills related to this new instrumentation so as to more efficiently use these tools to train our students.