Cecil College Chemistry Lab upgraded with new NMR spectrometer

NORTH EAST, Md: Cecil College has significantly strengthened its scientific and educational infrastructure by installing a new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer in its Chemistry Lab, marking a major advancement for the institution’s STEM programs. The new instrument replaces an older NMR spectrometer that had been in service for more than a decade.

This investment underscores Cecil College’s commitment to providing students with access to industry-standard technologies, enriching their laboratory experiences, and preparing them for competitive futures in fields ranging from biochemistry to environmental science to pharmaceutical research.

The NMR spectrometer is one of the most powerful analytical tools available for determining the structure and composition of organic and inorganic molecules. In an NMR experiment, specific atomic nuclei act like tiny magnets that align within a strong magnetic field. When radio-frequency energy is applied, the nuclei absorb and release that energy in distinct ways. The instrument detects these signals and converts them into a spectrum, where each peak corresponds to a specific chemical environment within the molecule. This data allows chemists to determine not only what a compound is, but how its atoms are connected—essential information in organic chemistry, forensic science, pharmaceuticals, and materials analysis.

Cecil College’s NMR spectrometer is a modern Nanalysis 60Teach benchtop system, a compact 60 MHz teaching spectrometer. This smaller, user-friendly unit uses a permanent magnet and is designed to make NMR accessible to students early in their academic journey in Chemistry and Biochemistry concentrations.

This hands-on experience puts Cecil students ahead of many of their peers at four-year institutions. According to Professor of Chemistry Dr. Ebony Roper, access to advanced instrumentation this early in a student’s academic pathway is rare. “Not only is it uncommon for a community college to have a benchtop NMR for undergraduate teaching, but even four-year colleges often restrict their research-grade instruments to graduate students,” she explained. “We introduce our students to NMR in their very first chemistry course. By the time they progress to the higher levels of organic chemistry, they’re not just able to use the instrument—they’re capable of interpreting complex data. Those are the skills employers and research labs are looking for.”

The device’s all-in-one design, intuitive software, and compatibility with standard NMR tubes allow even first-semester chemistry students to run authentic NMR analyses. Together, the high-field spectrometer and benchtop unit create a comprehensive training environment where students gain experience with both advanced research instruments and efficient teaching tools.

“Knowing how to use and read an NMR spectrum shows that you’ve made what you intended to make,” said 2025 Cecil College alum Logan Szewczyk, who completed an internship at Aberdeen Proving Ground this past spring. “Even though my internship was more biology-focused, the advanced chemistry techniques I learned at Cecil helped me understand the biological processes I was working on. The NMR training absolutely carries over into real-world applications.”

The introduction of the new NMR system is already having a meaningful impact across chemistry courses. In Organic Chemistry I and II, students routinely use NMR to identify unknown substances, confirm the success of chemical syntheses, and analyze the purity of their products. Experiments such as aspirin synthesis, biofuel production, and compound identification all rely on NMR to verify whether students successfully created the intended material.

Dr. Roper noted that this type of preparation gives Cecil students a competitive edge when applying for internships, undergraduate research experiences, and advanced academic programs.

“Most students entering graduate research programs haven’t been trained on these instruments yet. Our students are essentially functioning at the level of second- or third-year undergraduates before they even finish their associate degree,” said Dr. Roper.

Students outside of chemistry also benefit from Cecil’s investment in NMR technology. The system has applications in microbiology, environmental science, bioproduction, forensic science, and materials analysis. While NMR is not typically used for biological fluid testing in medical settings, the type of analytical thinking students develop through this technology aligns with the work of medical laboratory scientists, toxicologists, forensic technicians, and quality-control specialists. Because the instrument is hands-on and parameter-driven, students gain experience setting scan lengths, adjusting pulse sequences, processing spectra, and evaluating chemical signature patterns—skills central to scientific instrumentation across disciplines.

Real-world relevance is one of the primary drivers of Cecil’s ongoing upgrades to laboratory technology. Whether students are comparing lab-made biodiesel to commercial diesel, identifying unknown compounds, or analyzing reaction progress over time, the NMR spectrometer gives them tools used daily in research and industry. Kayla Ross, the Science & Engineering Lab Coordinator and Biological Safety Officer at Cecil College, emphasized that the goal is to prepare students not just academically but professionally. “This is the same type of equipment they will see when they enter the workforce,” Ross explained. “It’s important that students can put these skills on their résumés with confidence.”

For Cecil College, the acquisition of the new NMR spectrometer represents far more than a routine piece of equipment. It is an investment in student success, workforce readiness, and the future of STEM education in the region, Dr. Roper says. Students now have access to cutting-edge instrumentation typically reserved for graduate-level research institutions, making their training uniquely comprehensive among community colleges. As the College expands pathways in chemistry, biochemistry, and scientific research, “the new NMR system will stand at the center of hands-on learning, discovery, and academic advancement.”

Learn more about STEM programs at Cecil College by visiting cecil.edu/STEM.

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