In the spirit of all things scientific, occasionally explosive and all-around inspirational, the Texas A&M University Department of Chemistry is gearing up to host one of the most popular educational outreach events on campus, the 37th Annual Chemistry Open House and Science Exploration Gallery. The annual event will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Texas A&M's West Campus at the Instructional Laboratory & Innovative Learning (ILSQ) Building. The event welcomes science enthusiasts from across the Brazos Valley and state of Texas.
The open house takes place in conjunction with National Chemistry Week, celebrated this year from Oct. 19 to 25, which is centered around the theme, The Hidden Life of Spices.
Visitors are encouraged to start their open house experience at the welcome tents outside the front entrance of the ILSQ Building, located on the west side of Wellborn Road directly across the train tracks from its sister facility, the Innovative Learning Classroom Building (ILCB), on the corner of Old Main Drive and Olsen Boulevard. Free parking is available in Lots 67, 74, 100t, 100A, 100B and 100C near the ILSQ, with additional paid parking in the West Campus Garage.
“I am so excited for this year’s Chemistry Open House,” said Dr. Daniel Collins, organic program instructional associate professor and event co-organizer. “When the theme of The Hidden Life of Spices was announced, it allowed us to look at different partnerships, and to have the Bolner family, including Chris Bolner ’49, Mike Bolner ’73, Jeff Bolner ’04 and Liz Bolner ‘09 and Fiesta Spices come aboard as a major sponsor, which puts this event over the top. Spices have long shaped culture, trade, and society, and we’re excited to highlight how they connect to science. We are thankful that a family of Texas A&M former students can contribute to this major STEM showcase.”
Beyond the chance to tour the premier laboratory building in the nation and its spaces dedicated to both general chemistry and organic chemistry, and to meet the Texas A&M Chemistry Mole, attendees are encouraged to enjoy hands-on demonstrations, experiments and computer activities. Food trucks and a lunch buffet will be available onsite and at Sbisa Dining Hall.
Featured activities include three presentations of the popular Chemistry Road Show (10 a.m., Noon and 2 p.m.), held in Room 115 of the Kleberg Building. The show is recommended for all ages and includes popular science demonstrations, such as fires, explosions, weird polymers and super-cold materials. Free color-coded tickets for seating, which can be obtained at the welcome tent, are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to faculty, students and staff from the Department of Chemistry, activities and demonstrations will also be presented by various departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and science-based student groups.
The Chemistry Open House and Science Exploration Gallery are sponsored in part by the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry, First Year Chemistry Program director, Texas A&M University – American Chemical Society Local Chapter, the Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP) and the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, VWR International, and Bolner’s Fiesta Spices. The Bolner family donated spice products as give-away gifts for visitors along with generous event funding.
See additional photographs from the 2024 event and learn more on the Chemistry Open House website.
