Science & Engineering

Facilities AND EQUIPMENT

Anderson University provides students in the School of Science and Engineering with exclusive one-on-one time with the excellent equipment, facilities, and faculty members, while also integrating faith and learning. Discover more about the opportunities waiting for you to start your story!

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Biology Equipment

  • Tissue culture laminar flow hood and incubators
  • Spectrophotometers
  • DO meters for river sampling
  • state of the art river sampling equipment
  • anaerobic chamber
  • flow cytometer
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Chemistry Equipment

Students use research-grade instrumentation at AU to prove the chemical structure of compounds never before synthesized, or identify the heavy metal content in ancient artifacts, historical texts and everyday products. Opportunities in industry, research and graduate school await the students with understanding and experience in using chemistry instrumentation.

Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy

AU has a Varian 800 Scimitar™ FT-IR with Pike MIRacle™ single reflection ATR (attenuated total reflectance).Bonds in molecules vibrate at a frequency based on the bond strength and polarity. FT-IR spectroscopy can determine the type of bonds present in a molecule by the frequency of energy they absorb. It is used by chemists to identify the presence of functional groups in a molecule.

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Sometimes student projects turn into valuable pieces of instrumentation for the department, such our XRF. X-rays are focused on a material of interest. These bombarding x-rays cause the object of interest to emit characteristic x-rays that are unique to each element, thus allowing elemental analysis. Students have utilized this equipment on projects involving ancient artifacts, historical texts and identifying lead in toys.

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

AU has a Varian AA240 Fast Sequential AAS. Most metals and metal ions in samples that can be dissolved in solution are readily analyzed with AA. The AA 240FS draws a solution up into an atomizing chamber where the droplets are drawn into a flame. Light of a specific wavelength for that metal is passed through the sample and is absorbed. The degree to which it is absorbed corresponds to the amount of metal species present.

Gas & Liquid Chromatography

AU has several different types of chromatographs: GC-FID (flame ionization detector), GC-MS (mass spectrometer detector), HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet diode array detector) as well as TLC (thin layer chromatography) and various other column type exchanges.
Students at AU have used these various types of chromatography to perform research analyzing a range compounds from pesticide residues on apples to particulate matter left after fires where arson was suspected.

Fluorescence Spectroscopy

AU has a Cary Eclipse Fluorescence Spectrophotometer. One of the most sensitive instruments in our lab relies on a molecule’s ability to fluoresce. It can be used in a computer controlled ratio mode as a fluorescence spectrophotometer with measurement modes for fluorescence, phosphorescence, chemiluminescence and bioluminescence. It also has a temperature control probe for analysis at conditions other than room temperature in kinetic studies.

Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy

AU has a Cary Model 1E UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. This is a double beam spectrophotometer capable of making concentration measurements, scans and kinetic analysis.

Fourier Transform-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging Spectroscopy

AU has an FT Anasazi upgrade on a 60 MHz EFT NMR with a 1H probe and a 13C probe. Atoms with an odd number of nucleons, like 1H and 13C behave like magnets. When a sample is pulsed with radiofrequency energy, they effectively line up with the magnetic field then relax giving a signal that is characteristic of their environment. In the medical field, this technique is called MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

A 1H NMR gives information about the structure of a molecule. It gives the number and kinds of hydrogen attached to it. Left shows a plot of areas where different types of hydrogen produce signals and a spectrum.

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Computer Science Facilities

Students in the computer science department have direct access to cutting-edge servers with more than 20 physical cores and 256GiB of RAM, plus enterprise level switches, routers, and firewalls, which are connected over a 400Gbps optical interconnect fabric. In addition, two departmental computer labs, two on-campus internship facilities, and our departmental server room provide hands-on experience connected with classroom learning.

For sophomore-level courses and higher, students in the computer science department complete most of their assignments on their personal laptops, often connecting to departmental servers to complete their coursework. Students can choose any of the standard operating systems: Windows, MacOS, or Linux. A set of recommended minimum specifications can be found within the computer science major

Study space is available within the computer science office area which allows students to work in groups on programming projects and to study closely with our faculty.

On-Campus Internship Facilities

Two companies value Anderson University students highly enough to establish permanent, year-round internship centers on campus. Genesys established an on-campus internship center in Decker Hall in 2016, providing up to six students with year-round employment and learning. In 2019, Ontario Systems established the Talent Incubator, known as the Cube, also employing six interns year round. At both internship centers, full-time employees with a heart for mentoring and education guide the interns through their work, aiming to enhance the students’ education. These two internship centers are located in Decker Hall, just around the corner from the computer science classrooms and offices, allowing the interns to balance their education and work throughout the day.

Computer Science Departmental Network

The department’s computers and servers are connected through a departmental network, segmented from the main university’s network. This departmental network allows freshmen and sophomores to gain hands-on experience through internships, working with faculty to configure and maintain all the resources used, from the network configuration to the server management. The firewall, routers, and domain name servers within the Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory are also maintained by students, allowing both computer science and cybersecurity majors to gain valuable experience early in their undergraduate career.

Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory

The Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory (known as the CEL), which opened in October 2017, provides significant additional computing and networking resources, with more than 20 physical cores, 256GiB of RAM, enterprise level switches, routers, and firewalls, which are connected over a 400Gbps optical interconnect fabric. The department runs two primary production servers to support the departmental computer labs, plus a number of other servers used for academic purposes, including several Linux-based servers. Upper-level cybersecurity and computer science courses make heavy use of the CEL, providing students hands-on experience in the classroom that models their future industry experience. 

Computer Science Lab: Decker 346

This lab hosts the freshman-level classes, as well as several upper-level courses. With 28 Windows-based desktop computers, students can explore introductory computer science and cybersecurity courses, without the requirement to purchase a compatible laptop. Summer internships are available to work with computer science faculty to upgrade and maintain the equipment in all computer science departmental facilities.

Computer Science Lab: Decker 351

Recently updated, this classroom is reconfigurable, allowing standard lecture-based instruction as well as group work. The room is designed to facilitate Agile Development, containing 24 stations that allow student laptops to be connected to external monitors, plus an additional four iMac computers, and the ability for students to project their work onto the main instructional screen. Anderson University’s ongoing partnerships with industry leaders emphasize the importance of teaching techniques such as Agile Development, teamwork, and collaboration. This classroom is ideal for creating a real-world environment for students to gain experience prior to graduation.

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Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory

The Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory is located in the Engineering Center. This laboratory allows for state of the art learning opportunities for students in the School of Science & Engineering, especially in cybersecurity, computer science, and computer engineering majors. It was opened on Oct. 31, 2017.

The Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory houses several high-capacity servers including a blade chassis. It also houses a set of enterprise access switches, edge switches, core switches, core routers, and wireless devices connected over a 40Gbps optical interconnect fabric.

The laboratory allows students to gain real-life experience, as most large companies have a similar server room or data center. In computer science and engineering courses, students can write code on their laptop or a lab computer, then they can connect through a high-speed network to the laboratory, and run their code on the servers, which have more than 20 physical cores and 256GiB of RAM, allowing complex code to be executed quickly. Faculty can also use it to work on their research or more computationally complex projects in upper-level courses.

Ascension Technologies (formerly Ascension Information Services) was the lead sponsor for the Cybersecurity Engineering Laboratory, with generous support from their friends at Integration PartnersExtreme Networks, Inc. (formerly Avaya), and Dell EMC. This laboratory will also provide opportunities for Ascension to bring their staff to AU’s campus for periodic training. The value of the room and equipment is nearly $1 million.

The laboratory was built in part with Bolt-A-Blok, an innovative new building material from 3B Construction Solutions, Inc. The Bolt-A-Blok system is four times as strong as traditional blocks, can be assembled by a layperson, and can be disassembled and redeployed.

In the news:

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Electrical Engineering Laboratory Equipment

The Electrical Engineering Laboratory at Anderson University is a modern electronics lab with highly qualified equipment widely used in the industry. The lab includes dual/triple DC power supplies, digital precision multimeters, digital arbitrary waveform generators, and digital oscilloscopes. Students benefit from hands-on training on this equipment in electrical circuit, electronics, digital logic, and microcontroller courses. The EE Laboratory has 10 student workstations and one instructor station.

Dual Output DC Power Supply

Anderson University has an Agilent U8001A Single DC Power supply on each workbench. This power supply provides a balanced DC voltage to electrical circuits. The voltage and current ranges are between 0V to 30V/3A maximum LCD, and a tracking nob allows for the display and control of voltage and current. The power supply is widely used in the industry.

Triple Output DC Power Supply

Anderson University has an Agilent E3630A Triple DC Power supply on each workbench. This power supply provides clean power with excellent regulation and fast transient response. The voltage and current ranges are 1V to 6V/1 A to 2.5A and 0V to 20V/0.5A. An auto-tracking feature lets you use one voltage control to adjust the +20V to -20V output simultaneously.

Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generator

Anderson University has an Agilent 33521B Functional/Arbitrary Waveform Generator. This is a 30 MHz synthesized waveform generator with built-in arbitrary waveforms (sinusoid, square, and saw) and pulse capabilities. Its combination of bench-top and system features makes this waveform generator a versatile solution for any current and future testing requirements. The generator is frequently used to apply arbitrary waveforms to electrical functionalized circuits for further device tests.

Digital Multimeter

Anderson University has an Agilent 34410A digital multimeter. The digital multimeter (DMM) is the industry standard and offers improved accuracy, expanded measurement capability, dramatically improved measurement speed, and modern computer interfaces including LAN and USB. It measures DCV, ACV, DCI, ACI, resistance, frequency, period, continuity, diode test, capacitance, and temperature.

Four-channel Oscilloscope

AU has an Agilent MSOX2014A Oscilloscope. The Oscilloscope has the fastest waveform update rate in its class, providing superior viewing of signal detail and capture of infrequent events. This is coupled with the industry’s only optional integrated function generator and offers more capabilities to engineers and educators with highly constrained equipment. In addition, it has capability to debug mixed-signal designs using analog and tightly correlated digital signals simultaneously. Major features are a 100MHz bandwidth and digital storage, 8-channel mixed-signal, and math waveform with the ability to subtract, multiply, and FFT, and a LAN/VGA module for connecting to a network and displaying.

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Engineering Center

The Engineering Center has a total of 7,500 square feet.

The main area consists of 5,000 square feet:
  • Wood working shop
  • Sheet metal shop
  • Welding shop
  • Metal machining shop
  • Strength and Materials Lab
    • Tension & Compression Tester
    • Bending & Torsion Testing Machine
    • Impact Testing Apparatus
    • Fatigue Analysis Machine
    • Metallograph
    • Hardness Tester
Dynamics and Kinematics Lab
  • Six-Axis Programmable Robot Arm
  • Rotor-Balance Testing Machine
  • Cam & Follower Apparatus
  • Slider-Crank Mechanism
  • Compound Pendulum
  • Shaking Table
  • Gear Mechanism (with motor)
  • Multi-Stage Spur Gear Apparatus
  • Coriolis Effect Apparatus
  • Cantilever Beam Apparatus
  • Fixed Beam Apparatus
Fluids and Thermo Lab
  • Wind Tunnel (Flight Demonstration)
  • Wind Tunnel (Subsonic, Starter Set)
  • Fan from Aerovent
  • Multi-Tube Manometer Apparatus
  • Bernoulli’s Equation Apparatus
  • Boundary Layer Apparatus
  • Flow Visualization Apparatus
  • Natural & Forced Convection Apparatus
  • Boyle’s Law Apparatus
  • Vertical & Horizontal Condenser
  • Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger
  • Flat Plate Heat Exchanger
  • Pump (Reciprocating, Centrifugal, or Screw)
  • Turbine (Francis & Kaplan)
  • Water Pump (Piston, Gear, Vane, or Swash)
  • Small Petrol Engine (w/ test set)
  • Small Diesel Engine (w/o test set)
  • Modular Air Flow Bench
  • Tapped Airfoil Apparatus
Metrology Lab
  • Coordinate Measuring Machine and probes
  • Surface plate (18 x 24 approx.)
  • Height gage (0-12″)
  • Digital Caliper in both SAE & Metric – 6″
  • Dial Calipers – 6″
  • Dial Calipers – 8″
  • Vernier Calipers
  • Micrometers (Set Zero to 6 inch)
  • Depth Micrometer set 0-6″
  • Telescoping Gage Set 5/16″ to 6″
  • 1/4″ – 3/8″ – 1/2″ Drive Click Type Torque
  • Wrenches
  • Beam Style Torque Wrenches – 0 to 800 in-lbs, 0 to 150 ft-lbs, 0 to 60 in-lbs
  • Gage block set
  • Feeler gages
  • 5 inch sine bar
  • 1, 2, 3 Bars
  • 2 Feeler gage sets
  • Thread gages (plug and ring)
  • Radius gages
  • 3 – Magnetic Base with fine adjustment and .001″ Dial Indicator
  • Plug gage set
  • Pin gages
  • 1-2-3 blocks and other assorted fixtures and clamps
    •  Printed Circuit Board Lab
Foundry: 750 Square Feet
  • Heat Treat and Casting Equipment
  • 2 Ton Hoist
Project Build Area (formerly glass fab): 780 Square Feet
Automobile Assembly and Repair: 225 Square Feet
  • 2 ton Hoist and Tooling
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Hartung Hall

Hartung Hall, a state-of-the-art science building, was part of a $5.5 million, 30,000-square-foot expansion and renovation project. New classrooms and quality instrumentation make AU one of the best study opportunities available. Laboratories are equipped with such instruments as physiographs, binocular oil scopes, tissue culture equipment, various centrifuges, and other state-of-the-art equipment.

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Mathematics Facilities

Located on the third floor of Decker Hall, the AU Department of Mathematics is an open and inviting space.  Four faculty offices open into a common area with whiteboard walls. All who pass through can see mathematics being done.

Decker 338 is a classroom that has been specially designed for mathematics courses. Distinctive features include floor to ceiling whiteboard walls and easily movable furniture. Tables in the room provide ample space for notebooks, textbooks, and a laptop. The versatile nature of the furniture allows the room to be transformed to accommodate lectures with 35 students, students working in groups, and smaller seminar based courses.

Decker 330 serves as the department’s mathematics lab. This room is used for tutoring, seminar space, and a place where students can work on projects together.

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The Rozelle Observatory

 
Dedicated in June 1977, the 14-foot motorized dome facility was originally one of Indiana’s largest. AU astronomers now use a 16” diameter reflecting telescope. The new telescope offers detailed planetary and binary star viewing.
 
For openings and hours, follow @AUTelescope on Twitter. Observations are weather-pending with openings an hour after sunset for up to 2 hours.