SANTA CLARA, Calif. & BURLINGTON, Vt.– Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and the University of Vermont (UVM) today announced the establishment of the Agilent Laboratory for Chemical Analysis (ALCA). The facility will be a hub for advanced instrumentation that will allow students, institutional colleagues, industrial partners, and regional high-tech start-ups to study the composition and structure of chemical samples. It is intended as a shared educational and research space that will play a central role in the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students at UVM, while also serving as a valuable technology resource to local and regional businesses.
“Agilent is extremely pleased to support UVM in the development of this innovative research facility,” said Mike McMullen, Agilent president and CEO. “It’s another example of Agilent’s commitment to advancing scientific understanding and at the same time supporting UVM and the local community.”
“This new state-of-the-art instrumentation laboratory will fulfill a primary need in academia, where we have an obligation to ensure the next generation of scientists have the technical skills required to meet modern challenges,” said Dr. Giuseppe Petrucci, professor of Chemistry at the University of Vermont. “Beyond that, the fact that this lab will also be available to faculty members for research projects, as well as to start-up companies in the area, offers tremendous opportunities to advance scientific discovery and validation.”
“This is an exciting venture,” said Darlene Solomon, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Agilent. “The ALCA facility will address all aspects of the analytical process, including problem identification, method development, instrument training, data analysis and sharing, and planning for future scientific advances.”
The fast pace of technological advancement can be challenging for universities and other educational and research facilities to stay current with the latest technology and training. The suite of Agilent instrumentation housed in the ALCA facility – backed by Agilent application expertise – will advance long-term technical and scientific goals in the state of Vermont and support economic and technological sustainability throughout the region.
The University of Vermont is hopeful the ALCA facility will establish an “incubator” environment where users can develop and share ideas and tackle challenging analytical problems in a dynamic and scientifically driven environment. The laboratory will also serve as a regional hub for Agilent representatives to showcase and demonstrate instrumentation functions and capabilities.
