Analyze this! Chemistry students take science public
Blacklights, gummy bears, and a whiff of peppermint oil. On a recent afternoon at MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, you'd find these experiences and more as a dozen student-led booths offered up the chance to glimpse hands-on science.
This was chemistry in action – analytical chemistry, to be exact – and the culmination of a month’s worth of work by the young Spartan researchers of CEM434.
As part of the course led by Professor Autumn Qiu, an analytical chemistry professor in MSU’s Department of Chemistry, students were tasked with something perhaps just as challenging as learning rigorous scientific methods – making their work understandable and exciting to the public.
Such outreach can be a crucial (if often overlooked) aspect of becoming a successful researcher, or any other career related to science. For all the importance of making a breakthrough and sharing it with fellow scientists, how can this good news likewise be shared with those outside academia or STEM?
“I started practicing public-facing outreach events since entering grad school, and always enjoyed such formats,” said Qiu, whose research blends analytical chemistry and environmental toxicology.
“You really have to think about how to talk about science in a way that’s not ‘boring’ and how to engage various audiences in a science topic. It is very important for scientists to know how to engage with the public, spark interest, and build trust in science.”
Working alongside professional science communicators and department faculty, students in CEM434 teamed up to create public-facing infographics and interactive outreach activities.
These booths, which were visited by evaluators, colleagues, and classmates alike, gave a sneak peek into analytical chemistry’s approaches to solving chemical mysteries, such as chromatography, spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, and their roles in benefiting public health.
With an eye toward general audiences, many of the booths leaned into showing how commonplace materials and interactions contain chemical surprises.
“Smell is everywhere in daily life, so it felt natural to work with these materials and show the ways chemistry surrounds us,” said Gage Stenger, who alongside Brenna Bischer and Ashley Gilbert led a peppermint-scented activity called ‘Don’t Be Smelly, Use GC-MS for Perfumes!’
The entire array of experiences, from examining food dye to exploring fluorescence, included the following:
• SEM Imaging to Categorize Common Gummy Candies
• Paper Chromatography: Food Dye Detectives!
• Color Changing Cabbage?!
• Ink-vestigators
• What’s so “Grate” about Diffraction Grating?
• Ultra Sensitive Water Sample Analysis with ICP-OES
• Don’t Be Smelly, Use GC-MS for Perfumes
• Exploration and Detection of Lead in Flint’s Water
• Colorful Chemistry: Natural pH Indicators
• What is in Your Food? Determining Vitamin C Content Through Titration
• Fluorescence
• Chromatography in Everyday Life: Ink-ognito
“It’s a bit like being a visitor in a museum. I pretend not to be chemist, and ask myself, ‘Do I walk away having learned something new?’” said Assistant Professor Katharina Domnanich, who was one of several community members tasked with evaluating booths on the science and effectiveness of their activities.
“I am very excited that this turned out to be a fun and engaging experience that helps students connect chemistry to real life experiences,” said Qiu, who also applauded the insight of event collaborators Dr. Denice Blair and Carrie Wicker at MSU Museum, Katherine Prokopchuk at MSU Science Festival, and Dr. Zach Constan at FRIB. With the experience learned from the pilot trial, she plans to continue this outreach project for CEM434 next fall.
With the latest event in the rearview mirror, Qiu’s students find themselves ready for an even greater task – she's booked them a booth at the 2026 MSU Science Festival STEAM Expo Weekends, called "Analyze it! Analytical Chemistry in Action,” where students will be able to share their science with an eager East Lansing public.
To learn more about this event and others, keep an eye out for the soon-to-be-announced Science Festival schedule.
