UNL Chemistry Day to help high school students explore science interests

            More than 100 Nebraska high school juniors, seniors, their parents and teachers will converge on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Oct. 13 for the 12th annual Chemistry Day. The event, sponsored by UNL's Department of Chemistry, will offer hands-on activities, guided tours of research labs, a look at opportunities and exciting careers in the field of chemistry, and a chance to win scholarships to study chemistry at UNL.

            This year's event is built around the theme of "Awaken Your Senses," so lab demonstrations will be geared toward the senses. For example, participants can tour the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility and see how its instrumentation can be used to engineer fragrances or try their hand at using chromatography to tie dye T-shirts.

            A scavenger hunt, Chemistry Quizbowl, panel discussion featuring current UNL chemistry undergraduates, and roundtable for parents and teachers also are planned. Alumni will be on hand to talk about how a degree in chemistry helped launch their careers. All events will take place inside Hamilton Hall, 12th and T streets.

            High school seniors who attend can register to win one of five scholarships. The department plans to award more than $4,000 in 2013-14 academic year scholarships to prospective UNL chemistry majors. Interested students need to bring a copy of their high school transcript. Along with plans to declare chemistry as their major at UNL, they also must have completed a high school chemistry course and have an overall grade-point average of a B-plus or higher.

            Registration for Chemistry Day is free and includes a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. For complete event details, including information about the scholarships or to register, visit http://chemistry.unl.edu or contact Peg Bergmeyer at 402-472-3514 or by email.

Writer: Jean Ortiz Jones, University Communications, 402-472-8320