Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/67452
Reliable resea c Minghui Chai Associate Professor Department of Chemistry Much of Minghui Chai's research into fi elds such as materials science and analytical chemistry, especially on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy in polymer and supramolecular chemistry, happens in CMU's Dow Science Complex laboratories. But she's among the fi rst to say most of her projects and the endeavors of her students begin within University Libraries. "I use the library on a nearly daily basis," she says. "Anything we want to solve in the lab, we need the information from the library as a base for our research." The updated materials available in the Libraries' in-house and online resources help Chai to review and analyze current data to better plan and predict experiment outcomes. This helps to prevent duplicating work already completed within the fi eld and enables her to focus on advancing the research and discovering answers to chemistry-related questions. "If we're looking for the protocol on how to prepare some of the chemicals or to see if somebody has done this type of work before, the library provides an easy shortcut for us, Chai says. "We can use it as a reference to do our work more effi ciently. " " She says the library made a lasting impression on her when she fi rst visited the university in 2002. Today Chai is even more impressed with how fundamental the library is in keeping university scholars connected to cutting-edge research trends and helping to conduct leading research at CMU. "The library is the best source for research, and I really think it helps to put us on a level playing fi eld with the work of other major research institutions, " she says. John Zappala MSA faculty member CMU Off -Campus and Online Programs Without setting foot on CMU's Mount Pleasant campus, John Zappala was tapping into University Libraries' resources and encouraging his students in Troy to do the same. This year Zappala, who recently retired as community education director at Okemos Public Schools, will teach on-campus and online MSA classes. "Teaching class on and off campus, I now have the privilege of working with two librarians, guardian angels: Jennifer Rundels and Judy O'Dell. 4 " he says. "It's like I will have two " e ab e esearch resour esou ce From his home in White Lake Zappala, a Master of Science in Administration faculty member in CMU's Off -Campus and Online Programs, already had connected with CMU Off -Campus Library Services librarians and online resources for assistance in researching course-related topics and writing grant proposals. The assistance he received from off -campus librarian Jennifer Rundels was so valuable that he refers to her as his "guardian angel. " "The University Libraries are a gem," says Zappala, who has taught off -campus and online programs courses for nearly 15 years. "The librarians we have here are dedicated professionals who help fi nd ways to make students successful. " In addition to completing research projects and writing textbooks using CMU Libraries' extensive online collections, Zappala says he often meets with off -campus librarians and invites them to present to his classes online and at centers throughout the state. "It's all about establishing that relationship with the librarians and helping the students, as well as myself, learn more about the resources that are available, "The library is always changing, so I learn something new each time they present to my class. " he says. "