Contact: Kimberly Osborne (304) 766-3363 kosborne@wvstateu.edu INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) scientists and students will illustrate how “Chemistry Helps Feed the World” during the national Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) event Saturday, April 15, from noon to 4 p.m. on the University’s Institute campus. The free event will offer activities and information targeting students in grades K-12 and their parents.
The schedule includes a tour of the WVSU greenhouses, an interactive presentation about using chemistry and beneficial insects to develop safer pesticides, as well as additional hands-on educational activities for kids.
“With a world population of approximately 7.5 billion, it is important to learn how chemistry can assist in feeding an expanding population,” said WVSU Research Technician Hannah Payne, referring to the event’s theme. “Chemistry may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think about agriculture, but chemists have a hand in soil analysis, herbicide and pesticide design, and food preservation, among others.”
Hosted nationally by the American Chemical Society (ACS), CCED is held each year to celebrate chemists’ work in promoting a better world through recyclable plastics, cleaner-burning fuels, phosphate-free detergents, environmental monitoring and green chemistry initiatives. WVSU’s ACS student chapter has received four consecutive Outstanding Chapter Awards and six consecutive Green Chemistry Chapter recognitions for its educational and outreach activities.
The CCED event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To RSVP, contact Hannah Payne at (304) 553-8218 or . The event will begin on campus near the WVSU softball field in Parking Lot I.
WVSU will host an additional Earth Day celebration Thursday, April 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Wilson University Union. Details to come.
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