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The heart of the matterBy Jenna Simard, CSE communications intern

Kinetic energy. Chemists define the

term as energy in motionthe

atomic activity that must occur to

produce a chemical reaction.

At TCU, its a term one might also say

defines the chemistry club. Since its

establishment in 2010, the TCU

chapter of the American Chemical

Society (ACS) has been committed to

serving others. Through its many

outreach programs on and off

campus, the organization actively

seeks to unite the community in an

appreciation for chemistry.

Kayla Green, assistant professor of

chemistry and the clubs current

sponsor, said the organization is almost entirely student-driven. Before Green even began teaching

TCU, students contacted her about the possibility of establishing an ACS chapter on campus. It was

student population that was motivated to start the club, she said.

In the clubs first year, members focused on spreading awareness of the organization. They organize

fundraisers, hosted magic shows and facilitated chemistry experiments. The national ACS recognize

club for its programs.

The following year the club really took off, Green said. The organization partnered with the Fort Wor

Museum of Science and History for National Chemistry Week in 2011. Former president Sandi Dang

gathered help from seven other universities in the DFW area to organize and facilitate hands-on acti

involving chemistry. The event was completely student-run and included activities such as making ic

cream, slime and the super-popular SuperFrog toothpaste. In its first year, the event served nearl

3,000 visitors. The following year the event won ACSs ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding

Community Involvement in National Chemistry Week.

The chemistry clubs success with

National Chemistry Week led the

organization to become further

involved with educational outreach.

Since spring 2012, the club has

hosted several fieldtrips here on

campus for local elementary schools.

The five-hour experience offers the

opportunity to participate in hands-on

experiments, tour parts of campus

and learn about college life from TCU

students.

Dang said she enjoys being able to

see the children become engaged in

the program and quickly grasp

scientific concepts. Being able to get

kids interested in chemistry is really

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, .

hope to extend the program beyond

Fort Worth by engaging with students

in Honduras through Skype.

Members dedication to outreach also recently resulted in the opportunity to work with Cook Childre

Medical Center. Since fall 2012, the organization has filmed three episodes of the Sick Science Show

television program students created for the hospitals CLZ-TV network. Erika Zimmermann 13, pion

of the project, said the interactive TV program is a fun way for patients to learn about science durin

their hospitalization. The kids have been really receptive to it, she said.

This semester, the organization

continues to expand its endeavo

From organizing a citywide scien

event for children at Mother of M

Catholic School to arranging mea

for Ronald McDonald House,

members maintain active

involvement in the community.

Zimmermann and Dang said tha

clubs newest officersall of who

are freshmenhave the passion

carry the service-oriented missio

forward.

TCUs chemistry club is notnecessarily about complex scien

concepts. Its about serving the

community and making chemistry relatable to everyone. Its about pursuing a passion for science an

creating innovative ways to make an impact. Its about bridging the education gap.

Weve done things other organizations havent done before, Zimmermann said. Were breaking

boundaries. And, Green adds, were building bonds.

Departments & Programs Institutes & CentersBiology

Chemistry

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Mathematics

Nutritional Sciences

Physics and Astronomy

Pre-Health Professions

Psychology

School of Geology, Energy & The Environment

Institute of Child Development

Institute for Environmental Studies

Center for GIS and Remote Sensing

Center for Applied Psychology

Science and Engineering Research Center

Student Research Symposium

TCU IdeaFactory

Monnig Meteorite Gallery

Institute of Behavioral Research

Energy Institute

2011 Texas Christian University | College of Science & Engineering

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