On Saturday, October 20th, 2012, over 70 chemists of all makes and models came together to host the UBC Chemistry Department’s 2nd Annual Open House, entitled “Chemistry: Beyond the Magic”. The event, which saw over 200 visitors from the Greater Vancouver Area, included 9 different chemistry-themed demo shows, a full hands-on experiment room, and a complete C.S.I laboratory – not to mention a liquid nitrogen ice-cream parlour!
UBC Chemistry Demonstrator and event co-organizer Dr. Tamara Kunz says that this year’s event was bigger than ever before for several different reasons. “We had more shows, more hands-on experiments, and more volunteers. Every time the show grows, the expectations grow right alongside it for both the public and organizers. This year’s Beyond the Magic event went above and beyond those expectations; it was hugely successful with smiling faces everywhere you looked. Attendees and volunteers alike were overheard saying how much fun the day had been! Our only concern now is how to make it MORE AWESOME for next year!”
“With that said this event is about more than just reaching the public and educating them about how great chemistry is. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to grow our UBC Chemistry community by reaching out to new undergraduate students just entering their academic career,” according to Angela Crane, the UBC Chemistry Marketing, Outreach & Communications Assistant. “Of the 70 volunteers who made this possible, 48 of them were undergraduate students, half of which were first years! Showing our students that they are a valuable part of the department, right from the moment they enter our classes, is extremely important to us here in Chemistry.”
The “Chemistry: Beyond the Magic” Open House is one of many outreach initiatives recently brought forward by the UBC Chemistry Outreach Committee. For more information about this event, or other upcoming outreach events, e-mail .
