Debuting in fall 2022, Discover Your University is an opportunity for faculty and staff to learn about the campus community. Each spring and fall, various locations around the university host visitors to learn about the history and innovative programs being offered throughout campus. This event aims to enhance collaboration across departments, promote professional development, and highlight the university’s goals and achievements.
On October 8th, campus departments hosted visitors to highlight their contributions to the university community, including the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Lou Messerle, Associate Professor of Chemistry, greeted visitors and shared information about the department’s history, introduced the fundamentals of chemistry, and entertaining with exciting visual experimental reactions.
The Chemistry Department features an interactive periodic table, an art installation created by Dr. Max Whitby, an English scientist, filmmaker, and founder of multiple digital media companies. This periodic table greets visitors at the entrance of the Chemistry Department building. It serves as a visual representation of the elements (including bottled creations from experiments conducted in the department) and acts as study tool for students seeking addition information about the elements.
Dr. Messerle concluded his tour with experiments showcasing the captivating nature of combining solutions in precise ratios. These experiments included an oscillating clock reaction featuring Hawkeyes’ black and gold colors, levitating magnets using liquid nitrogen, and culminated in mixing a glowing green solution in a jack-o-lantern flask.
Discover Your University is available to all University of Iowa faculty and staff. Employees can take part in up to two visit events (on the same day or on different days) each year. Iowa's Educational Opportunities policy encourages participation in educational and developmental programs like Discover Your University. Additionally, participants can earn liveWELL points for participating. For more information about previously visited campus sights please visit Discover Your University’s Previous Visits Days page.
