The Grove School of Engineering is one of the research partners in MIRTHE — Mid InfraRed Technologies for Health and Environment — a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center headquartered at Princeton University.

MIRTHE seeks to educate the public about chemical sensing applied to the environment, homeland security and the health of the public.

The center has brought together a world-class team of engineers, chemists, physicists, environmental and bio-engineers and physicians to develop mid-infrared ( ë ~ 3 - 30 ìm) optical trace gas sensing systems.

The research is based on new technologies, such as quantum cascade lasers and quartz enhanced photo-acoustic spectroscopy, to detect minute amounts of chemicals found in the environment, emitted from spills, combustion and natural sources, or exhaled in human breath.

Participants from CCNY include Prof. Maria Tamargo, quantum cascade laser applications; Profs. Sam Ahmed, Barry Gross and Fred Moshary, thrusts in Mid-InfraRed environmental optical sensing technologies and applications, and Professor Beth Wittig, urban fine particulate monitoring and trace gas tracking.

As part of the center, a strong collaboration between CCNY and Princeton is planned. CCNY has already established a lidar/radiometry site at Princeton University.

One of the main goals of the center is student training at all levels, with a focus on involving under-represented minorities in science and engineering.

MIRTHE related courses offered by the two partners will be open to students from both campuses. CUNY LSAMP will help provide CUNY undergraduates access to MIRTHE research and resources, as well as help recruit graduate students for center partners.

Other institutions participating in MIRTHE are Johns Hopkins, Rice, Texas A&M, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.