Instructional Support

Rooms 242 and 245 have been joined together to create a clean lecture space that supports CENE 281L Environmental Engineering Lab I (Water Quality Lab), CENE 410L Unit Operations in Environmental Engineering Laboratory, some of the activities conducted in the CENE 283L Environmental Engineering Soils Lab, as well as occassional workshops conducted by the American Indian Air Quality Training Program. Other classes that require a temporary space for a lab-based activity or need a lab demonstration prepared to be presented in a classroom outside the lab, are also supported by the ENE Lab. By coordinating with the laboratory staff in advance, these classes and workshops gain access to the lab and its resources to support their specific needs. These classes typically have a pre-existing request and approval to use the lab but are required to ongoingly maintain safety trainning, and to inform and work with the lab staff when lab activities are changed.

Research Support

The ENE Lab supports a variety of research activities that occur in Room 239, the Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory (AMBL) and room 241, the Instrumentation Laboratory. To the extent possible, these spaces are adapted to accommodate research activities as they develop or expand. Since 2006, the AMBL has maintained cultures of algae, cyanobacteria and methanogenic acrhaea. Dr. Terry Baxter and Dr. Diana Calvo Martinez are the primary faculty conducting research in the ENE Lab and both include undergraduate students in their research. Research projects are also required to submit a request for the use of the lab and are granted access once the work has been adequately planned, assessed for hazards and all necessary safety trainning completed. Ongoing research projects are required to submit addenda as the scope and hazards associated with the ongoing project changes.

Special Projects and Capstone

The ENE Lab also suppports a variety of Special Projects and Capstone Design Projects that may require a laboratory workspace or services. Student organizations, student groups or even faculty who need lab space and resources to prepare for an upcoming competition or conduct a short term project, such as a method development or a treatability study, are typical examples of this type of support. Capstone Design Projects that involve a lab study or sample analysis component may also supported by the ENE Lab. All Special and Capstone Projects are required to submit a request to use the lab and are granted access once the work has been adequately planned, assessed for hazards and all necessary safety trainning completed.

Campus and Community

Although the ENE Lab and its services are available first and foremost to support the faculty and students in the Enviromental Engineering program, requests to use the lab or its services can be submitted by others within the NAU campus community. As with other work being done in the lab, project planning, assessing hazards and safety training are required. The ENE Lab is also in the process of launching its fee-based services which extends outreach and lab support beyond campus and into the surrounding Northern Arizona community. These services will be available through a partnership with E-CORE Service, which will be responsible for submitting their project planning and hazard assessment documents as well as maintaining safety training for all E-CORE Service personnel working in the lab.