Proposal

Narrative

The Jupiter campus Anthropology Lab has existed since 2009, providing an active learning environment for undergraduate students in anthropology classes and a research space for students engaged in independent research. The lab’s founding was supported by an external grant, which provided materials for the lab for the past 15 years. We are applying for this grant to update outdated equipment (lab computers and calipers), plus add new equipment (microscopes and a 3D printer). These will allow us to keep pace with new technologies in the field, enabling our students access to current research and to develop new skills. The calipers and microscopes requested are used for lab exercises in required General Education courses. These courses are popular for featuring hands-on labs, however our current equipment is limited and outdated. The iMac computers will be lab workstations for students, replacing unusable 15-year-old lab computers, and will be used by students for video editing and qualitative data analysis in a variety of classes. The purchase of a 3D Printer will allow us to print reproductions for study, adding to the few dated biological and cultural specimens we currently use. As many institutions upload 3D scans of archaeological finds and specimens to file sharing sites, with a 3D printer we will be able to print all the specimens needed and access new research materials. For example, at the Morphosource site, 971 different museums and labs (e.g. Smithsonian, Yale Peabody Museum, etc.), have uploaded 3D data for the world's natural history, cultural heritage, and scientific collections. This will save us thousands of dollars in lab costs and allow access to the latest research data. The Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament is a non-toxic material that will allow us to print items safely without need for additional ventilation. The filament is biodegradable and made from renewable resources, so we will not create unnecessary plastic waste.

Facilities

No renovations or upgrades required.

Hardware Requirements

Digital Vernier calipers: 30 calipers, $19.99 each- $599.70 Used for lab exercises by students in courses that are part of our General Education requirements, including ANT 2000 Honors Introduction to Anthropology and ANT 2511 Honors Introduction to Biological Anthropology. Handheld microscope: 30 microscopes, $29.99 each- $899.70 Used for lab exercises by students in General Education requirements, as listed above. Bambu Lab X1-Carbon 3D Printer combo ($1,449.00), with stability feet ($7.99), and maintenance kit ($29.99)- $1,486.98 total A 3D printer in the Jupiter camps anthropology lab will allow us to print out specimens for student study, used in general education courses, as well as undergraduate students’ individual research work for their honors theses. 3D printer PLA filament, 2 year supply of approximately 30 spools- $750 Quality PLA filament spools cost approximately $25 (with some variation depending on brand and style), this budget of the printer material should purchase approximately 30 spools of filament, and last for two years. iMacs: 2 computers, at $2,698.99 each - $5,735.98 These iMacs (Apple M3 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 2TB SSD storage, 24GB unified memory) will be lab workstations for students, suited for video editing tasks, pre-installed with pro apps bundle for education. The pricing quoted here is the education discount pricing with Apple Care, provided by Jupiter campus OIT.

Software Requirements

The requested computers will come with pre-installed software for video editing. All other necessary software is already owned by the lab. The Jupiter campus OIT office will set them up with standard campus software, no additional software is required.

Personnel Costs

No personnel costs.

Other Costs

No other costs associated with this project.

Timeline

Purchasing will be completed Spring 2025, dependent on date of award and vendor speed.

Sustainability

We have maintained an Anthropology Lab on the Jupiter campus since 2009, supported by a start-up grant from the Bradford-Ingalls Foundation. The initial grant funds have supported the lab for the past 15 years, and we now need to update the worn and dated equipment from the original purchases (computers, calipers), as well as add new equipment (microscopes, 3D printer) to keep pace with new technologies in the field and ensure our students are trained on current technologies. We expect that these updates will support the needs of our facilities for at least the next ten to fifteen years based on the previous use patterns. The Honors College faculty will maintain and update all of the equipment as needed, in the lab space provided on the Jupiter campus. The project is therefore highly sustainable.

Resource Matching

None

Implementing Organization

This project is implemented at the college level, and will be supported by the Wilkes Honors College. The desktop set-up will be completed by the Jupiter campus OIT department, with the support of the project manager, Dr. Jacqueline Fewkes. Dr. Fewkes will implement set-up and use of the 3D printer, as well as proper storage of the digital calipers and handheld microscopes.