Chemistry junior works for social good
Originally published in the Park University Stylus, Sept. 2011.
By Andi Enns
Frances Venable sits on a maroon chair in Thompson Student Commons, her sneaker-clad feet not quite reaching the ground. She points to various graphs on her laptop screen, explaining micro-differences in effects on pH balance.
“I loved working in the lab,” she says. “I realized I loved organic chemistry.”
Venable, a junior in chemistry, spent her summer at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. as a research intern working with photodynamic therapy agents – or, in lay terms, medical imaging dye.
“This dye, silicon analog rhodamine B, reacts with acidic cells,” says Venable. “Cancer cells are usually acidic. So when you shine a light on the dye, they glow fluorescent. Now you can see where they are.”
Part of her time there was spent attempting to get the dye to penetrate the tissues deeper, for better imaging. It wasn’t going well, so Venable and her colleagues changed focus at the last minute.
“We took fluorescent biosensors and modified them slightly with bromine,” says Venable. “It showed the cancer cells. Then with an oxygen reaction, the biosensors should actually kill the cancer cells.”
Though she speaks like an expert now, Venable says she didn’t know very much about organic chemistry going into her internship.
“I had applied for the environmental lab,” says Venable. “So when I didn’t get that, I felt kind of bitter. They said I was accepted for the organic synthesis lab, and I was like ‘what the heck?’ I hadn’t taken organic chem yet.”
Venable says she did a lot of studying to catch up on the terminology, machinery and techniques used in an organic synthesis lab.
“I ended up loving it,” she says. “I love that you get to be original and to make something new. The compound I worked on, it’s never been made before.”
Venable says she thinks this creativity is important for people to know about. That’s why she and Katie Stubbs, a spring 2011 Park University graduate, started an education program for kids through the C.H.E.M. Club on campus. She says the American Chemical Society launched a national initiative to bring science education to children, inspiring Venable and Stubbs.
“The easiest way to get to kids is to go to their classroom,” says Venable. “So we started the Kids And Chemistry project.”
Venable and other C.H.E.M. Club members visit area elementary schools with a handful of inexpensive experiments to show kids how exciting science can be.
“We have this one experiment where we turn a penny silver,” says Venable. “Then we turn it gold. It makes the kids really excited.”
She also likes to show physical changes by microwaving bars of soap.
“Ivory Soap has been whipped a lot, so it’s full of air bubbles,” says Venable. “So when you microwave it, the air bubbles expand and the soap gets so much bigger.”
Kids really like the physical change experiments, Venable says.
“We do this really cool one – elephant toothpaste,” Venable says with a grin. “We mix a few household chemicals together and add some food coloring. When we add the last one, it all reacts and starts bubbling. It bubbles so big it looks like toothpaste for elephants!”
Mostly, the project has been shown in Missouri suburban schools, like Blue Springs, Independence, and Liberty. Venable says she wants to take it to kids who need it even more, in the low-income areas of Kansas City.
“Inner cities have less funding for education,” says Venable. “So you end up with an industry that is under-representing people from low-income backgrounds.”
She’s working with Operation Breakthrough, a nonprofit organization in midtown Kansas City that aims to provide a safe and educational atmosphere for children in poverty, to create an after-school science program.
“It’s important to make science not intimidating,” says Venable. “I think a lot of people are intimidated by science, and don’t want to try it. It’s not that bad. Kids And Chemistry is so kids will want to learn more.”
Venable says she’s discovered her love of teaching through this project.
“I always thought I wanted to be a doctor,” says Venable. “But when I got to college, I tried to major in biology and I hated it.”
There was too much memorization, she says, and not enough experimentation.
“It just felt boring to me,” says Venable. “I switched to chemistry because I like the methods and the equations. I liked getting an equation and then solving it.”
She says the idea of teaching chemistry, most likely at the college level, naturally arose from her other projects.
“I don’t ever want to be done learning,” Venable says. “And trying to teach high school with a Ph.D. would be way overqualified. But I want everyone to love chemistry like I do. It’s so clear in my head, and I want everyone to feel this way.”
Venable says her goals include working at an international research lab, and visiting larger universities.
“I know it sounds hard and time-consuming to apply for these internships,” says Venable, “but it’s so worth it. It’s easy to balance getting it done with your homework as long as you’re interested in it.”
For students interested in the Kids And Chemistry project or in C.H.E.M. Club in general, meetings are at noon every other Friday in the Science Hall. Venable stresses that students don’t need to be chemistry majors, or even science majors, as long as they have an interest in learning and being a part of the community.
“I know it sounds lame as hell,” says Venable, “but I really enjoy reading my chemistry books.”
By Andi Enns
Frances Venable sits on a maroon chair in Thompson Student Commons, her sneaker-clad feet not quite reaching the ground. She points to various graphs on her laptop screen, explaining micro-differences in effects on pH balance.
“I loved working in the lab,” she says. “I realized I loved organic chemistry.”
Venable, a junior in chemistry, spent her summer at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. as a research intern working with photodynamic therapy agents – or, in lay terms, medical imaging dye.
“This dye, silicon analog rhodamine B, reacts with acidic cells,” says Venable. “Cancer cells are usually acidic. So when you shine a light on the dye, they glow fluorescent. Now you can see where they are.”
Part of her time there was spent attempting to get the dye to penetrate the tissues deeper, for better imaging. It wasn’t going well, so Venable and her colleagues changed focus at the last minute.
“We took fluorescent biosensors and modified them slightly with bromine,” says Venable. “It showed the cancer cells. Then with an oxygen reaction, the biosensors should actually kill the cancer cells.”
Though she speaks like an expert now, Venable says she didn’t know very much about organic chemistry going into her internship.
“I had applied for the environmental lab,” says Venable. “So when I didn’t get that, I felt kind of bitter. They said I was accepted for the organic synthesis lab, and I was like ‘what the heck?’ I hadn’t taken organic chem yet.”
Venable says she did a lot of studying to catch up on the terminology, machinery and techniques used in an organic synthesis lab.
“I ended up loving it,” she says. “I love that you get to be original and to make something new. The compound I worked on, it’s never been made before.”
Venable says she thinks this creativity is important for people to know about. That’s why she and Katie Stubbs, a spring 2011 Park University graduate, started an education program for kids through the C.H.E.M. Club on campus. She says the American Chemical Society launched a national initiative to bring science education to children, inspiring Venable and Stubbs.
“The easiest way to get to kids is to go to their classroom,” says Venable. “So we started the Kids And Chemistry project.”
Venable and other C.H.E.M. Club members visit area elementary schools with a handful of inexpensive experiments to show kids how exciting science can be.
“We have this one experiment where we turn a penny silver,” says Venable. “Then we turn it gold. It makes the kids really excited.”
She also likes to show physical changes by microwaving bars of soap.
“Ivory Soap has been whipped a lot, so it’s full of air bubbles,” says Venable. “So when you microwave it, the air bubbles expand and the soap gets so much bigger.”
Kids really like the physical change experiments, Venable says.
“We do this really cool one – elephant toothpaste,” Venable says with a grin. “We mix a few household chemicals together and add some food coloring. When we add the last one, it all reacts and starts bubbling. It bubbles so big it looks like toothpaste for elephants!”
Mostly, the project has been shown in Missouri suburban schools, like Blue Springs, Independence, and Liberty. Venable says she wants to take it to kids who need it even more, in the low-income areas of Kansas City.
“Inner cities have less funding for education,” says Venable. “So you end up with an industry that is under-representing people from low-income backgrounds.”
She’s working with Operation Breakthrough, a nonprofit organization in midtown Kansas City that aims to provide a safe and educational atmosphere for children in poverty, to create an after-school science program.
“It’s important to make science not intimidating,” says Venable. “I think a lot of people are intimidated by science, and don’t want to try it. It’s not that bad. Kids And Chemistry is so kids will want to learn more.”
Venable says she’s discovered her love of teaching through this project.
“I always thought I wanted to be a doctor,” says Venable. “But when I got to college, I tried to major in biology and I hated it.”
There was too much memorization, she says, and not enough experimentation.
“It just felt boring to me,” says Venable. “I switched to chemistry because I like the methods and the equations. I liked getting an equation and then solving it.”
She says the idea of teaching chemistry, most likely at the college level, naturally arose from her other projects.
“I don’t ever want to be done learning,” Venable says. “And trying to teach high school with a Ph.D. would be way overqualified. But I want everyone to love chemistry like I do. It’s so clear in my head, and I want everyone to feel this way.”
Venable says her goals include working at an international research lab, and visiting larger universities.
“I know it sounds hard and time-consuming to apply for these internships,” says Venable, “but it’s so worth it. It’s easy to balance getting it done with your homework as long as you’re interested in it.”
For students interested in the Kids And Chemistry project or in C.H.E.M. Club in general, meetings are at noon every other Friday in the Science Hall. Venable stresses that students don’t need to be chemistry majors, or even science majors, as long as they have an interest in learning and being a part of the community.
“I know it sounds lame as hell,” says Venable, “but I really enjoy reading my chemistry books.”