Department steps up for 2014 Community Fund Drive

Friendly competition between the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science not only supports the 2014 Community Fund Drive, but also the University of Minnesota’s partnership program with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

The departments challenged each other on participation percentages for the 2014 Community Fund Drive. Chemistry beat that challenge with a record participation rate of 69.15 percent. CEMS percentage was 61.9.

An additional Penny Wars competition was given to the UNCF, and totaled $1.246.14, which will be used to help one student pay for school supplies, help one student pay academic fees, and four students pay for their textbooks.

Chemistry beat CEMS is this challenge as well, collecting $228.29 worth of pennies and $582.28 in silver change, compared CEMS $197.76 in pennies and $237.81 in silver.

Special thanks to Laura Seifert, managing director of the Center for Sustainable Polymers, for all of her hard work with the 2014 Community Fund Drive.

A major boost in the Pennies Wars came from Stephen Tereniak, Ph.D., who gifted the change before departing for a post-doctorate position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is pictured with his adviser Professor Connie Lu, and Laura Seifert, managing director of the Center for Sustainable Polymers, and the department's 2014 Community Drive campaign leader.