University of Otago Chemistry Outreach

It is with heavy hearts that outreach farewelled our super star Sam this weekend. His impact on us, and so many others will be felt forever.

https://www.tributes.co.nz/ViewMyTribute.aspx?id=20395

📸 Look at this post on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/gWX3Lk3iif4UiJCn/?mibextid=TrneLp

The start of our week of outreach

Great days outreach in the far north working with kids from Pāmapūria and Oturu. We have had great support from MacDiarmid Institute for funds and the Hyundai Pinnacles program have provided a vehicle to support Liam Hewson (one of our students).

A nice article about some outreach we recently did in Te tai tokerau, as part of a Science wānanga. We were working with ragatahi and kaiako at Kaitaia college.

'It is in their whakapapa, we need to re-ignite that within rangatahi Māori as our tūpuna were originators in that space.' Science Wānanga first of its kind for rangatahi Māori in Te Hiku.

What we are up to this week

Otago science Visit - term 4 146 new items added to shared album

We have just come back from a week in Te Tai Tokerau working with schools in the Ngāti Kahu rohe. Pāmapūria the first school we visited and set the ton for an amazing week of outreach.

https://www.facebook.com/140699616266120/posts/1718253338510732/

Sam McIntrye (Chemistry)
The initial decision to come to University was one of the biggest challenges I have faced was as I was the first in my family to do so. At school, I had always enjoyed science but didn’t know what I wanted to do, or where it would take me.
Yet here I am over five years later, doing research for my masters investigating a reaction in space which forms molecules that are important building blocks for life. To investigate this, I am using both theoretical calculations and experiments in an astrochemistry lab, with the hope that they will yield complementary results and provide an insight into what is happening beyond Earth. I’m pretty fortunate to be on this journey under the supervision of Dr Anna Garden and Dr Courtney Ennis.
I first discovered my passion for research through summer studentships and feel like where I am today is the combination of opportunities, incredible role models, and connections made through putting my hand up and saying yes. Sometimes it feels like I say yes too much, but often saying yes leads to great things and the best decision I made in first year was becoming involved with Chemistry Outreach. This allowed me to meet a range of incredible people within the department and has given me the opportunity to take science into both local and international communities. For me Chemistry Outreach continues to be the perfect ‘study break’ while also providing a range of invaluable skills beyond those taught in a typical degree.

Department of Chemistry, University of Otago

In the recent NZ International Science Festival Chemistry masters student Sam McIntyre said she never thought doing her masters would lead to acting on stage - but it did! And in spite of been terrified of forgetting her lines, she ended up having a great time in the show Bang!.

In Bang!, Frankenstein set out to become the scariest super villain ever. Attempting to help her come up with the perfect super villain powers, Igor (played by Sam) led Frankenstein through a series of science experiments, involving all sorts of bangs and explosions. Along the way they developed a unique friendship, bonding over the various science experiments, but in the end Frankenstein decided she wasn’t cut out to be a super villain after all – instead, Igor helped her realise that science was her true passion all along!

Sam is in the photo with fellow students Bonnie Harrison (Frankenstein) and Ruth Warren, who were joined on stage by other members of the Chemistry Outreach team. Dr Dave Warren and Sam also tweaked the script to make sure the experiments flowed smoothly and included explanations of the science behind all the noise and colour and fun! Tino pai!
Photo credit: Alex Lovell-Smith for the NZ International Science Festival
New Zealand International Science Festival
Department of Chemistry, University of Otago