Good science, clean water

The Newark Advocate recently reported that Licking County middle- and high-school students can explore ways to purify water and help people in developing countries by participating in a science challenge this winter, and one might even win a six-week, paid internship working with a Denison University professor.

The article, written by junior Sam Esarey (Blairsville, Pa.), highlights outreach and research conducted by Assistant Professor of Chemistry Joe Reczek, who proposed the challenge. He is adviser to the Denison Chemical Society, which works with the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District and The Works Museum to create opportunities in science.

“We want high school students to get involved in the sciences and get them thinking about going to college in STEM fields” (science, technology, engineering and math), Reczek told Esarey in the Advocate story.

Chemistry major Louise Carroll (Springfield, Oh.) and Marcia Downes, director of The Works, worked closely with Reczek to create the program, which is funded by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation with $34,000 awarded to Reczek from the Special Grant in Chemical Sciences. The grant also will provide for an interactive solar exhibit at The Works, where the challenge will take place in February.

Related Links:

• STEMfest! to include water-purification challenge (Newark Advocate, December 2, 2011)