David Harvey: Analytical Chemistry
My research interests fall into two broad areas: the analysis of trace metals in sediments and the development of curricular materials.
Past projects in the analysis of sediments include a study examining the effect of tubificid oligochaetes—a small fresh-water annelid worm—on the movement of zinc ions across the sediment-solution interface; a study examining the pollutional history of Indiana lakes by measuring the concentrations of trace metals at depth in sediment columns, and a study characterizing limitations to the BCE sequential extraction scheme when applied to carbonate-rich sediments. Future work in this area will focus on exploring the possibilities and limitations of sequential extractions.
Past projects in the area of curriculum development include the design of new laboratory experiments that illustrate important concepts in analytical chemistry, the preparation of an electronic textbook for courses in analytical chemistry, and the development of materials to promote active-learning in analytical chemistry. Future work in this area will focus on developing new experiments for use in Chem 260 and Chem 450, exploring the possibilities and limitations of electronic textbooks, and using the statistical software program R to develop active-learning materials for analytical chemistry.