Department of Chemistry October 2023 Newsletter

To celebrate Halloween, CHEM 110 students got in the spooky spirit with a chemistry demonstration show put on by our teaching faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and demo crew. The "Witches Brew" is performed below by Professor John Asbury and demo specialist Philip Stemple.

This edition of the newsletter includes department happenings, a message from the Department Head and the GSA, Chemistry Safety Insights, Health & Wellness Tips from CAPS, Climate and Diversity, and Jackie Bortiatynski's Teaching Corner.

If you wish to have a story shared in a future newsletter, please contact me at chemcommunications@psu.edu.

Kathryn Harlow, Communications Coordinator

A Message from the Department Head

Seven Generations

October was a very busy month for many of us. I am struck by the beauty of the place we live in – the changing colors of the trees and the beautiful sunsets. Lately, I have been traveling to several regional meetings and enjoying the scenic drives. On one of these drives, I was talking with my students about an autumn-time visit I made a few years ago to Mesa Verde, Colorado. I remembered a saying of the Anasazi Native Americans stating we are all responsible for seven generations: our great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, ourselves, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I learned this during a tour of the cliff dwellings. At the time I thought it was pretty heady stuff. I still think it is.

I then started to think of this in terms of my graduate students. Seven generations of graduate students, or roughly 35-40 years, would be a full career. Together we create new knowledge and build new teams, each different, but as full as the ones that came before and those that will come after. I’m struck by the connection we all have to each other and by the deep responsibilities we have to mentor and guide each other. It is one of the true privileges and joys of my life.

Best Wishes,

Phil Bevilacqua

Department Happenings

Upcoming:

• CHEMISTRY T-SHIRTS: If you would like to order a chemistry department 2023-2024 t-shirt (designed by second year graduate student Grace Young), please fill out the form and then submit your payment to @MaryKate-Caucci via Venmo by Saturday, October 28th. Each shirt costs $18 and is by the brand Comfort Colors. We are offering the shirts in two colors: blue and white (as shown in the form above). Thank you so much for your orders! Get excited and stay tuned for information regarding pickup!
• The Chem GSA is excited to wrap up the Spooky Season with a Halloween Trivia Night on Thursday, November 2nd at Axemann Brewery in Bellefonte. Doors will open at 7PM and the game will start at 7:30 PM. The game will still be general knowledge, just with some Halloween inspiration! Sign up to register your team of up to 6 players here.

Reminder - Final Chemistry Department Tailgate will be on the following date:

11/11 – Vs. Michigan, 12 PM

Follow us on Instagram (psuchemgsa), Twitter (@ChemGSA_PSU), Facebook (PSU Chemistry GSA) and LinkedIn (Penn State Chemistry Alumni).

GSA Executive Board 2023-2024

Health Promotion & Wellness Tips

Provided by PSU CAPS

Colorful Healthy Eats

The Student Farm provides our campus community with a wide range of farm fresh produce including peppers, herbs, kale, and squash! Here are a few reasons why you should try to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your daily routine:

✨ Fruits and veggies are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support our overall health. They strengthen your immune system, improve digestion, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

✨ Fruits and veggies provide a natural energy boost. They are rich in fiber, which aids digestion and keeps you feeling full and satisfied. Incorporate them into your meals and snacks for sustained energy throughout the day.

✨ Explore the rainbow of fruits and veggies available. From vibrant oranges to deep greens and everything in between, each color brings unique health benefits. Experiment with different flavors, textures, and recipes to keep your meals exciting and satisfying.

Climate and Diversity

In celebration of Native American Heritage month in November, Chemistry's Climate & Diversity Committee recommends you stream the upcoming screening of the short film "Ghosts" at the Centre Film Festival. "Ghosts" tells the story of three Kiowa boys' daring escape from a government boarding school in Anadarko, Oklahoma in 1891, to attend a ghost dance ceremony at a distant Kiowa encampment.

Once you have watched the film, you may also consider attending the post-screening discussion with Director Jeff Palmer on November 3rd. Details below:

Teaching Corner with Jackie

Storytelling is teaching

This month I had the opportunity to meet James Balog, Emmy Award-winning documentarian, environmentalist, and explorer. One of the reasons he visited the Eberly College of Science was because his parents are Penn State alumni, and their generous philanthropy has provided support for the Balog Chair in Chemistry and the sponsorship of the B.S. / M.B.A. Program in Eberly. During his visit, James met with students and faculty in small meetings and with the university community at the State Theatre where he talked about his career documenting human modification of nature and his most recent film, "The Human Element". Why am I sharing this information with all of you? I was moved by his words.

In a faculty discussion group, I asked James what he felt instructors can do to engage more of our students in our majors. He said to use “storytelling” when teaching because stories can elicit a human connection with our content. He went on to say that passionate researchers have shared incredible amounts of data on climate change with audiences, but his timelapse photography and documentaries have reached people who had not connected to graphs and tables. I could not help but agree. James urged my colleagues and I to merge data with art, and to use stories that can help audiences make a personal connection to the study of science.

I thought about recent teaching observations I have done and how the instructors intentionally combined traditional equations with sketches of molecular level interactions, graphs, figures, and demonstrations. I remembered what a beautiful story I heard when sitting in that classroom. What if I had built this kind of story for my students when I taught organic courses? I had not been fully aware of the need to create a story and include visuals that went beyond the most common forms of sharing the data. I could have provided visualizations that brought more context and wrapped all my information in the framework of a story.

James Balog’s visit left me with much to consider, and I have been thinking about how to communicate with students the importance of storytelling when sharing scientific data. The courses I teach now will provide me the opportunity to encourage my students to think about the collaboration between science and art and how they can share their knowledge in story form. I want to embrace this challenge and work with my colleagues to provide the feedback I need to create stories that will engage students. My hope is that my students will become storytellers of science.

Take care,

Jackie Bortiatynski