Chemistry Department goes back to the prairie

The Department of Chemistry's outreach headed back to the Southwest Regional Outreach Center (SWROC) to participate in the University on the Prairie program.

Members of several chemistry research groups were led by graduate student Christopher Huber from the Professor Aaron Massari's research group in three days of hands-on experimentation. Graduate students Patrick Kearns (Massari group), Scott Kleespies (Professor Larry Que's group), and Benjamin Wilson (Professor Andreas Stein's group), and undergraduate Kelsey Boyle (Professor Connie Lu's group), led about 60 young people from rural areas around state in chemistry experiments and demonstrations. The chemistry experiments explored pH changes in household liquids, electrochemical reactions, and gas solubility in liquids.

University on the Prairie, which ran from Tuesday, August 7, through Thursday, August 9, was designed to engage young people in rural Minnesota in three days of hands-on science experiences and interactive learning in classrooms, labs, and outdoors. In addition to chemistry, other areas of study included environmental, health, and food sciences. The young people also explored a variety of career opportunities important to the region.

University on the Prairie was developed by the Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Southern Minnesota Area Health Education, and College of Food, Agriculture and National Resource Sciences Extension. Partners included the Southwest/West Central Service Cooperatives, Redwood County Public Health Services, and Sanford Health-Tracy/Westbrook.