Six members of Lawrence's community-outreach initiative known as "the Chem Show" took their interactive science-education program on the road in March at the invitation of the American Chemical Society, performing at the society's national conference in Anaheim, California.
The students--Beth Holman, '99, David Pippen, '99, Sara Racine, '00, Carrie Stoffel, '00, Dana Kass, '01, and Zach Walker, '01--staged an abbreviated 30-minute presentation at the "Learning How to Learn Chemistry" symposium to an audience of professional chemists, college chemistry professors, high school chemistry teachers, and undergraduate chemistry students.
"In four years the Chem Show has grown from a locally famous organization to a nationally recognized ensemble, as demonstrated by their invitation to the ACS national meeting," says Rich Summers, assistant professor of chemistry, who took over the faculty-advisor reins this fall after original Chem Show mentor Karen Harpp took a position at Colgate University.
"The ACS is the largest chemical organization in the United States, and its national meeting is an enormous affair, attracting nearly 20,000 scientists from the U.S. and abroad. Lawrence should be very proud of the achievements of the Chem Show," Summers adds.
Founded in January, 1996, the 15-member student troupe with a scientific twist creates and performs a lively, interactive program titled "Chemistry: More than Just Equations." The program features a series of high-energy skits and comical characters who illustrate chemical concepts present in everyday situations. Collectively, the group has performed 115 shows to more than 10,000 audience members, primarily elementary and middle school students.
The Chem Show was created to spark interest in science and "demystify" it, while helping primary and middle school students realize the importance of science on a daily basis. In addition, the program serves as a unique opportunity for Lawrence students to gain valuable teaching experience and exercise their own imaginations.
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