Did you know that 2011 is the International Year of Chemistry? The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. Under the unifying theme “Chemistry—our life, our future,” IYC 2011 is offering a range of interactive, entertaining, and educational activities for all ages.

NC State is pleased to participate in IYC 2011 with a week-long series of interesting, engaging activities in the Tech Sandbox in the West Wing of D. H. Hill Library. All events are free and open to the entire Wolfpack community.  The week will culminate in the Scope Academy on Saturday, April 9th, with a keynote address by Barbara Imperiali, the Class of 1922 Professor of Chemistry and professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The idea for a week-long celebration at D. H. Hill Library was a collaboration between NCSU Libraries and the Department of Chemistry. The schedule and activities were developed by Jeremy Feducia, lecturer and outreach coordinator for NC State’s Department of Chemistry. “The International Year of Chemistry is an exciting opportunity to highlight the importance of chemistry, both in the academic life of NC State, as well as in our day-to-day lives,” said Feducia. “We invite students, faculty and staff to come and learn some of the fascinating developments in the field – you might just find yourself more interested in chemistry than you imagine.”

The schedule of events is as follows. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jeremy Feducia at jfeduci@ncsu.edu.

Monday April 4th – 1:00 PM

“Polymers: The Stuff of Commerce and Life”
Dr. Alan Tonelli, College of Textiles

Tuesday April 5th – 12:00 PM

“Chemistry of the Environment: How a Small Scale Can Make a Big Difference”
Dr. James Harrington, Dept. of Soil Science

Wednesday April 6th – 1:00 PM

“Green Catalysis: Development of New Technologies in the Pursuit of Alternative Fuels”
Dr. Kristi Engelman, Dept. of Chemistry

Thursday April 7th – 12:00 PM

“Killer Fashion: Chemistry and the Next Generation of Antimicrobial Fibers”
Dr. Reza Ghiladi, Dept. of Chemistry

Friday April 8th – 2:00 PM

“Frozen Delights: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream”
Alpha Chi Sigma and the Dept. of Chemistry

Friday April 8th – 3:00 PM

“Demonstrations with Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells”
Dr.Ahmed El-Shafei, College of Textiles

All programs are free and open to the public. For more information, contact jfeduci@ncsu.edu.