RADFORD – There are no cockroaches in your chocolate ice cream.

More than likely, you never thought of the possibility of insects crawling in your dessert, but Joe Schwarcz says that his experiences as a scientist and a TV and radio personality for more than 20 years has provided him with fascinating insight into the public’s perception, and often misconceptions, about science.

“No, there really are no cockroaches in chocolate ice cream,” Schwarcz said. “But one of my radio listeners did jump to this conclusion after misinterpreting what had been said about a certain food colorant.”

Schwarcz, the director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society and a popular media personality in Canada, is the keynote speaker at the 2009 International ChemEd Conference at Radford University on August 2-6. His highly visual and entertaining presentation will examine some of his serious as well as frivolous experiences in dealing with the public. Schwarcz’s presentation will emphasize the importance of fostering critical thinking in science.

The International ChemEd Conference, now in its 20th year, is a week-long forum that attracts chemistry teachers around the world. Through the final week of June, 395 participants and 56 exhibitors had registered for the conference. Past ChemEd Conferences have drawn approximately 1,000 participants, and RU is preparing for 900, said Radford chemistry professor Christine Hermann. Among those already registered are participants from seven countries and 36 states and the District of Columbia.

Conference speakers will share valuable insights in their field and teachers can attend a wide variety of presentations, hands-on workshops and demonstrations offered to help participants better engage science students. Teachers utilize the conference to meet with colleagues, compare classroom experience and grow professionally.

Along with Schwarcz, featured speakers include John Warner, president and chief technology officer at Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry; Richard R. Antcliff, chief technologist and director of the Advanced Planning and Partnerships Office of Strategic Communication and Education at NASA Langley Research Center; and Felix J. Grucci, president and CEO of Pyrotechnique by Grucci and executive vice president of Fireworks by Grucci.

In addition, a number of workshops will be offered and will include such topics as “A Natural Approach to Chemistry,” “Misconceptions in Chemistry,” “Brilliant Experiments with the Black Light,” “Teaching Chemistry with Pyrotechnic Flair,” “Chemistry Myth Busters,” “How to Avoid the Classroom Management Landmines.”

RU chemistry professor Francis Webster (right), with the help of RU students and alumni, will open ChemEd 2009 with “The Magic of Chemistry,” an age-appropriate program focused on fostering a better understanding and appreciation for the role of chemistry in society.

Webster’s outreach team, which involves nearly 40 RU chemistry majors, has been invited to present more than 150 shows since 2002. The team has engaged more 12,000 students, parents and teachers in many K-12 schools and other informal settings across the region.

ChemEd Conferences began in 1973 in Waterloo, Ontario, as a group of high school teachers wanting to share ideas, classroom experiences and laboratory experiments with other high school teachers. Over the years, the conference has blossomed into a more comprehensive event involving teachers from all instructional levels, and chemistry educators come from all over the world to learn new ways to invigorate their classes.

Recent conferences have attracted participants from every state and Canadian province and more than 50 countries. The majority of attendees are high school chemistry teachers, though college professors from two-year and four-year institutions also participate.

Members of the organizing committee for the 2009 conference include RU faculty, faculty from surrounding universities, high school teachers and chemistry professionals.

For more information, visit http://www.radford.edu/chemed2009.