The new Fred & Martha Hafer Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Lab at Kutztown University enables undergraduate students and faculty to conduct world-class research at the micro- and nano-scale. STV provided integrated architecture and engineering services for this high-impact science teaching and research renovation under an on-call contract.
Prominently located off the lobby of the Boehm Science Center – the STV-designed main science building on campus – the lab serves as a visible showcase for scientific exploration. The facility houses a Zeiss Gemini 300 Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), a powerful instrument that uses a finely focused electron beam to visualize extraordinarily small objects with exceptional clarity.
The primary users of the lab include undergraduate science and art students, along with faculty advisors, who leverage the FE-SEM for a diverse range of research topics. Recent investigations have included pathogenic fungi, insect anatomy, archaeological artifacts, polymers and engineered nanoparticles, ceramic glaze crystal formations and the geological origins of gold deposits.
