RU Professor, Students Explore the Fun of Chemistry = at ACS Event


=20 RU=20 = Entire=20 Web	RU Professor, Students = Explore the Fun of=20 Chemistry at ACS Event RADFORD -- Over the course of two days, more than 1,400 = participants=20 gathered in Kingsport, Tenn., to witness Radford University = chemistry=20 professor H. Francis Webster and six of his students present = =93Magic of=20 Chemistry,=94 a dynamic and colorful show demonstrating all things = chemical.=20 Helping the group was their faithful assistant sporting a shock of = purple=20 hair: their puppet, Kay. The audience: fourth graders from 25 = regional=20 schools in Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The RU show was considered the highlight of the Northeast = Tennessee=20 Section of the American Chemical Society=92s (NETS-ACS) 18th = annual=20 =93Celebration of Chemistry for 4th Graders,=94 an award-winning = outreach=20 project held as part of National Chemistry Week. Webster, Libby Watts from the = RU Department=20 of Chemistry and Physics, and students Chris Estes, Chris Shelton, = Johnny=20 Angle, Erin Waddell, Shane Coleman and master puppeteer Brittany = Christian=20 led an hour-long show that provided students the opportunity to = gain a=20 better understanding and appreciation of science. According to = NETS-ACS,=20 =93students unanimously and emphatically agreed that =91Chemistry = is=20 not boring=92=94 after watching Webster=92s presentation = (see photo at=20 right, courtesy of Steve Falling). =93Given the emphasis these days on standardized testing and = school=20 programs that do not have much time for hands-on experimentation, = it is=20 more important than ever to emphasize the important role that = chemistry=20 plays in our daily lives and to inspire the next generation of=20 scientists,=94 said Webster, who has been invited to give more = then 140=20 presentations in the last five years to more than 12,000 students, = teachers and parents. =93I couldn=92t have done any of this = without the help=20 of RU chemistry students, who are always involved. I feel that it = is=20 important to engage students in this type of community service=20 activity.=94 =93The primary focus of NETS-ACS is public outreach and = children=92s=20 education,=94 said Liz Blakely, a chemist and National Chemistry = Week public=20 relations representative. =93When the kids see this type of show, = they light=20 up and realize that science can be fun. I think Dr. Webster and = his team=20 of students really succeeded in putting the cool back into = chemistry.=94 The event, held at the Eastman Employee Center at Eastman = Chemical=20 Company, also offered students the opportunity to interact with=20 professionals from 24 area businesses. Other events held during = the=20 celebration included a special guest appearance by Bruce Bursten, = the=20 president of ACS, and tours of interactive booths that covered a = variety=20 of topics, including paper-making, battery science, microscopy, = fossils,=20 and spiders and snakes. National Chemistry Week is sponsored by the ACS, which is the = largest=20 scientific organization in the world with a membership of more = than=20 163,000 chemists and chemical engineers.
Oct. 28, 2008 Contact: Mindy Buchanan-King (mlbuchana@radford.edu;=20 540-831-7745) [RU = Home] [News &=20 Information]