Eli Fahrenkrug

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Eli Fahrenkrug was awarded a $177,696 National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant. The funding will advance research and undergraduate teaching in Southern Colorado using a confocal Raman microspectrometer system — the only one of its type within a 100-mile radius.

The new tool focuses laser beams at small bits of matter to probe their molecular vibrations, helping researchers understand how molecules assemble, function, and change under various chemical, biological, and geological conditions. Led by Fahrenkrug, the proposal included faculty contributions from CC, CSU-Pueblo, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.