Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology

Department Office
Burroughs Rooms 107
(845) 687-5230

Steven Schimmrich, Department Chair
Burroughs Hall, Room 105 G, Telephone: 687-7683
email:schimmrs@sunyulster.edu

The Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology Department considers the needs of both transfer and career students. Academic standards remain high to prepare the transfer student for quality four-year institutions.

We feel that mathematics education contributes to the intellectual development of all students by improving skills in problem solving and enhancing critical thinking. The career student is given the mathematical skills needed to adapt to a changing technological society.

The Biology courses offer our students programs in animal science office assistance, biology, environmental studies, and veterinary technology. Our faculty have a demonstrated expertise in a wide variety of disciplines including general and molecular biology, veterinary sciences, and environmental biology, and are available to meet with students outside of class.

The department has long standing relationships with a number of major regional environmental organizations, maintains a program of paid internships with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, offers one of the few veterinary technology degree programs in the state (and the only one in the Hudson valley). We have entered into transfer articulation agreements and our courses offer our students easy transfer into biology, pre-med, pre-dental and pre-veterinary degree programs at four year institutions.

Courses in chemistry, earth science, engineering, geography, industrial technology, and physics have practical, real-world focus.

Our students benefit from specialized resources, are offered a number of student clubs, and many activities outside the classroom.

Times2 is a math tutoring center where students can improve and develop math-related skills. All levels of mathematics are tutored on a drop-in basis by professional and peer tutors.

Most earth science and geography courses offer hands-on experience through field trips as an integral part of the courses. The department sponsors the Environmental Awareness and Biology Club, the Earth & Space Sciences Club, outings and field trips, and animal care programs with local 4-H clubs. Our students participate in an outreach program for ecology projects with area middle and high school student

• Our department has a state of the art computer lab dedicated to biology courses, which includes very sophisticated imaging software and digital image capture, and anatomy software. The lab features electro-phoresis equipment for DNA and protein molecular analysis.

• Two fully equipped chemistry laboratories accommodating courses in introductory, general, organic and health science chemistry. Each lab is equipped with eight work stations that each include a fume hood, desktop computer, internet access and a Vernier data acquisition interface with sensors for temperature, pressure, voltage and pH measurements. Each computer is equipped with Microsoft Office XP, Vernier software for data acquisition and analysis (Logger Pro and Graphical Analysis) and CAChe molecular modeling software.

  Each work station in the general chemistry laboratory also has a Mettler AJ100 digital balance and a Fisher Accumet digital pH meter. There are also four Milton-Roy Spectronic 21 spectrophotometers interfaced with computers through the Vernier interface.

  Instruction in organic chemistry is supported by the use of a Hewlett-Packard 5890 gas chromatograph and a Mattson Galaxy 5000 FTIR.

• A state-of-the-art GIS laboratory and a fully equipped Earth Science lab, complete with a large collection of minerals and fossils. Specialized equipment includes a weather station, telescopes, CCD camera, and GPS receivers.

  Our geology courses take advantage of excellent local and regional rock outcroppings, streams, and lakes for study purposes.

• Engineering Science offers a fully-equipped electronics laboratory, complete with computer-based Electronics Workbench® modeling software, plus a materials laboratory with equipment for tensile, hardness, tortion, toughness (ductility), hardenability, and heat-treatment testing of a variety of metals, polymers, and ceramics.
  
  
• Industrial Technology utilizes the entire suite of AutoCAD products (Architectural Desktop, Land Desktop, Inventor pro 10, Revit Building 8, Raster Design, and VIZ), two HP color plotters capable of printing on media 36" wide, two HP color printers capable of printing on 11"x 17", and a vintage blueprint copy machine capable of copying 36" wide papers.
  
  
• Mathematics courses utilize Texas Instruments graphing calculators and Vernier sensors to expand and enhance instruction.
  
  
• A state-of-the-art physics laboratory equipped with wireless Internet access, six desktop computers, and a laser printer. The computers support data collection and analysis using Vernier's award-winning software and hardware. Each computer is fully equipped with its own set of data collection hardware which includes motion detectors, force sensors, photo gates, current and voltage sensors, magnetic field sensors, temperature probes, and light sensors. Each computer is fully loaded with software such as Microsoft Office XP and Logger Pro. The physics lab also contains a wide range of more traditional equipment from air tracks to oscilloscopes.