Spring 2021 Happenings

This semester is our semester of partnerships. While we will be continuing our annual You Be The Chemist Challenge (YBTC) with the Chemical Education Foundation (CEF) and Brenntag North America, as well as our Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) programming with Spring Township Parks and Recreation, we will be focusing the majority of our efforts on building more partnerships that advance the ACS’s core value of Diversity, Inclusion & Respect

The ACS Diversity, Inclusion & Respect Approval Program recognizes the importance of diversity, inclusion, and respect and aims to provide students with equitable access to an excellent undergraduate chemistry education. By extension, we as an undergraduate student chapter would like to provide students in the surrounding community with access to excellent chemistry education outreach events. Not that we didn’t strive to do this before or focus on reaching as much of the surrounding community as possible, but with educational inequities of resources, technology, and instructional tools finally brought to light during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are more individuals and organizations turning their attention to where it is most needed in our new and expanded online learning environment.

Online classroom learning can be challenging. And with so much of our daily lives taking place indoors, fun, engaging social activities are especially important. This is why the Penn State Berks Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society (BCS) is partnering with The Lehigh Valley Section of the American Chemical Society (LVACS) and the Northampton Community College (NCC) Science Club to provide an interactive, virtual after-school chemistry enrichment program for Middle and High School students via Zoom!

This program, funded by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Diversity, Inclusion, & Respect Grant, provides students with an opportunity to make new friends while meeting and connecting with scientists and college STEM students from across our vibrant, diverse communities. Weekly activities include free fun experiments, themed demonstrations, guest speakers, a movie watch party, book club, and more! 

If you are interested in learning how you can support, volunteer, or participate in this year’s programming, visit:

  • LVACS After School Chemistry Partnership Program (Feb 3rd – April 28th, 2020)

https://sites.psu.edu/berkschemsoc/after-school-chemistry-program/.

  • The CEF & Brenntag North America You Be The Chemist Challenge® (TBD):

https://www.chemed.org/programs/challenge/

  • Chemistry for Kids with Spring Township Parks & Recreation (Saturday, April 17, 2021):

https://www.springtwpberks.org/family-programs/

 

Fall 2020 Semester Happenings

This semester has proven to be a very challenging semester to say the least, but we have managed to get the ball rolling and plan some great events. Here are a few things to look out for as part of our National Chemistry Week Celebration. This year’s theme is “Sticking with Chemistry”. However, we will be using this theme to show what we are sticking with. We are…sticking with success, sticking with community, sticking with history, and sticking with each other even though we will be doing it from a distance. While Chemistry is the thing that helps us stick together through these tough times, we would also like to celebrate what keeps us “stuck”, or connected, and grounded. Please visit our events page for more information.

We are…

Celebrating NCW 2020 with the

If you are a Penn State Berks Student interested in joining our group, please contact berkschemsoc@psu.edu.

For more information about National Chemistry Week, visit: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/outreach/ncw.html

the Smithsonian Institute’s American Women of Science Initiative, visit: https://womenshistory.si.edu/.

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#OctoberOutreach

Exploring Your Horizons Career & Networking Night

DESCRIPTION

ACS Exploring Your Horizons Career & Networking Night is a program hosted by the Penn State Berks Chapter of the American Chemical Society aimed at bringing Chemistry and related Professionals from multiple disciplines together to network with students and each other, as well as present their current endeavors so that students can see that there are more professional alternatives on the horizon if they just explore the possibilities. This event also offer current Chemistry Professionals the opportunity to network for future opportunities, as well as promote current endeavors open to different types of support, therefore making this event about exploring the horizon for opportunities for all.

REGISTRATION or visit EVENT PAGE for more details.

PENN STATE BERKS FACULTY, STAFF & STUDENTS
Contact Greglynn Gibbs, Berks Chem Society Advisor, gdw104@psu.edu, SUBJECT LINE: PSU Exploring Your Horizons

 

GUEST SPEAKERS

Michael McLaughlin – Group Leader, Eurofins PSS Insourcing
James Cineli – Founder, Reading Science Center
Michael Fidanza – Professor of Horticulture, Penn State Berks

 

SCHEDULE

6:30 – 7:00 pm – Networking and 5-minute Resume Reviews

7:00 – 7:30 pm – Buffet style Dinner

7:30 – 8:15 pm – Guest Speakers

8:15 – 9:00 pm – Lehigh Valley Section of the American Chemical Society Meeting

 

Thanksgiving . . . Chemistry?

Chemistry and Thanksgiving? Can we find a day or theme that we can’t buddy up with a chemistry concept? Probably not.

But if you ever wondered if there were any Chemistry concepts that could be explained using Thanksgiving dinner as an example, well, here you go!

What does Chemistry mean to you?

What does chemistry mean to you? In this case, we are not referring to the definition, but rather it’s importance . . . to you. Whether you enjoy watching chemistry demonstrations online and in person; appreciate learning about atoms, molecules, and different chemicals; are fascinated with learning what things are made of and how; find yourself thinking of the next big invention, or solutions to environmental problems like global warming and the red tide; or discovering the answers to the “whys” and “hows” of the universe, letting your state legislator know your answer to the question “What does chemistry mean to you?”, might help you, a friend, classmate, your child, a teacher, school district or community.

 

Chemistry and Halloween?

How can anyone not think about Chemistry this time of year?

What was once thought of as magic, witchcraft or wizardry can be explained with science.  So in the spirit of Halloween, science, and education, we are sharing a few of our favorite Halloween science videos below. And while entertaining, it is important to share that these videos are being performed by scientific experts, and it is best that some of these not be tried at home.

If you are interested in seeing live demonstrations, we are holding a Halloween is for Chemistry show, listed under the Events tab, on October 27th from 11 am – 12 pm.

We are . . . ready for Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Stay Tuned – There’s More in Store for 2018-2019

We are planning plenty of events for the 2018-2019 academic year, and are looking forward to another school year of fun science demos, guest speakers, networking, liquid nitrogen ice cream and more! Please contact us if you are in need of science demonstrations performed by a great team of students and professionals.