Chemistry Club coordinates symposium on space and environmental chemistryJune 20, 2023

This past spring, the Midland College (MC) Chemistry Club, under the direction of MC Chemistry professors Dr. Thomas Ready and Dr. Patchemalle Kesavan, organized its first symposium on space and environmental chemistry in Cloudcroft, NM.

During the days, students and faculty spent time at New Mexico State University’s Sunspot Solar Observatory, the Museum of Space History and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.  They also collected soil samples to analyze nitrate and phosphate contents from various locations in the Lincoln National Forrest.  In the evenings, participants gathered for lectures presented by professors from Midland College, the University of Texas El Paso, the University of Texas McDonald Observatory and the University of Texas Permian Basin. Lecture topics focused on human physiology during space travel, phases of water and ice planets, and the role of environmental chemistry in developing sustainable energy sources, just to name a few. 

“The symposium enriched my knowledge in various ways,” Paula Garcia, student in MC’s Primary Care Pathways Program, said.  “I learned many things about the universe and realized the major importance of scientific research in any field.  In many of the presentations, I observed how scientific research helped to develop new critical knowledge that has helped scientists with important projects such as studying the sun and galaxies.”

The symposium was funded through an American Chemical Society engagement grant and the generosity of an anonymous donor.

Photo:  Student and faculty participants of Midland College’s Cloudcroft Symposium, Lincoln National Forrest, New Mexico, April 19-23, 2023.