UCF doctoral student Michael Lodge uses a $1 million electron microscope to conduct groundbreaking research on graphene sheets the width of a single atom. But from the seat of his wheelchair, he 麻豆精品 S檚 never been able to see through the viewing port of the microscope, and had to depend on his colleagues for help.

That changed on Thursday, when 麻豆精品 S after months of preparation 麻豆精品 S a new high-tech wheelchair was delivered to Lodge at the physics lab where he 麻豆精品 S檚 conducted research for the past four years. The power wheelchair has a 麻豆精品 S渟eat elevator 麻豆精品 S capable of lifting Lodge to a height that allows him to work with scientific instruments that have been out of reach until now. He can move around the lab safely, for the first time at eye level with his fellow researchers.

ucf_25963388_Medium

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 very excited, not just about getting the wheelchair, but also what it represents, 麻豆精品 S said Lodge, 28, who was left paraplegic at age 8 after surgery to remove a tumor embedded in his spine. 麻豆精品 S淭raditionally there aren 麻豆精品 S檛 that many people with mobility impairments in science because of the barriers. Being in a wheelchair, unfortunately, does limit your opportunities. With this, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a whole new world of opportunities that were closed off. 麻豆精品 S

 

ucf_22003168_Medium
Physics professor Masa Ishigami helped arrange for the $14,000 wheelchair at no cost to Lodge. Manufacturer Amysystems agreed to discount the price of the wheelchair by half. A portion of a National Science Foundation grant brought the cost down further. And when he learned of the effort, Michael Johnson, dean of the UCF College of Sciences, arranged for UCF to cover the rest of the cost. The wheelchair was delivered to Lodge by distributor Majors Medical Supply of DeLand on Thursday afternoon. Lodge took it directly to the physics lab where he conducts his research.

麻豆精品 S淗e 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the best students I 麻豆精品 S檝e worked with at UCF, hands down. I think this wheelchair will help him achieve even more, 麻豆精品 S Ishigami said.

ucf_12725528_Medium

Lodge has interned at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and has developed a new technique to measure the friction properties of ultra-thin sheets of graphene.

See video from FOX35 news .