Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's chemistry department will celebrate their 65 years of offering a chemistry major on campus during Homecoming week. The festivities will begin Thursday, Oct. 8, with a dinner and presentation by American Chemical Society president, Thomas Lane, at 6 p.m.; breakfast at 8 a.m. the following morning, which will honor retired faculty and staff on Friday, Oct. 9; and presentations and tours of Ottensman Hall and Engineering Hall immediately after the breakfast. All events are open to the public.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, Lane will present his reflections on the past and share what the ACS hopes to do in the future over dinner at 6 p.m. in the Velzy Commons in Ullsvik Hall. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. The cost of admission is $25.

The 8 a.m. breakfast on Friday, Oct. 9, will be held in the East and West Rooms of the Pioneer Student Center. The breakfast will honor Bob Hansen, Ralph Curtis, Hal Fenrick, Roy Shaver, Joyce Miller, Jesse Reinstein and Charles Sundin for their devoted service as members of UWP faculty and staff. The cost of breakfast will be $7.

"I think chemistry embodies some of the best things about UWP. Faculty works elbow-to-elbow with students that we know on a first name basis," said Tim Zauche, associate professor of chemistry at UWP. "We are teachers, mentors, advisors, coaches and parents to our students, and as faculty, you don't really know the impact you have on a student until they return 10 years later. It's exciting to see all the different things they are doing with chemistry."

Following the breakfast will be presentations by alumni about career possibilities within the field of chemistry. "We have some wonderful former students coming back to present," added Zauche. "These alumni will give presentations about what they are doing in chemistry right now. One will be presenting on medicinal chemistry and another about turning sugar into gasoline tom mention a couple. It's some really exciting stuff."

After the presentations, there will be tours of the Engineering Hall and the chemistry labs located on the second floor of Ottensman Hall. Lunch will follow in the East and West Rooms at the PSC and will be $10.

Saturday, Oct. 10, will be the annual lighting of the "M." Fireworks will be launched from the hill, but Zauche warns those who wish to attend not to park at the base of the "M," as they will be directly under the fireworks.

The UWP chemistry department, which many years ago had rather low numbers, is now booming with students and has moved into the top 20 percent in the nation concerning program enrollment, according to Zauche. Also involved in new programs like the sustainable and renewable energy systems, micro-electro-mechanical systems and nanotechnology majors, the chemistry department has its hands spread across campus. The criminalistics emphasis in chemistry has also brought in a swell of new students, Zauche added. "That's what I love about chemistry: the sky is the limit."

For more information about the chemistry department, contact Zauche at (608) 342-1678 or at zauchet@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Tim Zauche, associate professor, UWP Department of Chemistry, (608) 342-1678, zauchet@uwplatt.edu Written by: Ian Clark, UWP Office of Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, clarki@uwplatt.edu