Instructor John Koellner passes away

On October 19 Instructor John Koellner passed away after 43 years at IU South Bend. Koellner was a valued member of our department and often taught multiple sections of the fall and spring semesters of the freshman chemistry laboratory classes C125 and C126. His passing was quite sudden after resigning from teaching at the start of this semester. Please visit the South Bend Tribune for Koellner's obituary and this blog for a recent profile. We miss you Koellner!

Student club helps local ACS section win award

The Biology-Chemistry Club at IU South Bend has organized and participated in many events over the past several years. In 2011 the club ran a science outreach program during National Chemistry Week (NCW) at the River Park Library aimed at showcasing science to children. Last year they repeated the event (click here for the story) with support from the Saint Joseph Valley Local Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Earlier this month the Saint Joseph Valley Local Section won the Outstanding Community Involvement in NCW award (click here for formal announcement) - one of five national awards. Justifying the award were (1) a presentation for 16 local schools, (2) a two-day "Science Spectacular" event, and (3) our students' outreach at the library. Congratulations to the Saint Joseph Valley Local Section and to the Biology-Chemistry Club for their efforts.

For 2013 National Chemistry Week falls on October 20-26. The theme is "Energy: Now and Forever" and naturally focuses on the application of chemistry to the goal sustainable energy. This year the Biology-Chemistry Club will work with a new student organization to continue their tradition. The River Park event is open to the public from 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM.