Chemistry Professor Participated in Green Chemistry Workshop
Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Dr. Sarah Kennedy, Westminster College assistant professor of chemistry, participated in the 10th annual Green Chemistry in Education Workshop July 17-23 in Eugene, Oregon.
Attendees performed green organic chemistry laboratory experiments to evaluate them for inclusion in their programs.
Kennedy selected seven of the 25 experiments to include in her organic and general chemistry classes. The ones chosen incorporate the 12 principles of green chemistry, including reducing solvent waste, using less environmentally-harmful solvents, and using renewable materials whenever possible.
"Including these laboratories will provide an opportunity to teach our students about the importance of green chemistry and how to be a responsible chemist," Kennedy said.
Attendees from previous workshops shared their stories of success.
"One particular success story has led me to design an independent study project for a student to inventory the waste from all of our chemistry teaching laboratories," Kennedy said. "Once we log the waste and the cost of the waste removal, we will brainstorm ways to reduce our waste. Some of the changes may include replacing acetone with ethanol for washing and recycling most of our other solvent waste streams. It would be great to have a goal of zero waste from the chemistry department."
Kennedy, a 2002 Westminster graduate, earned a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and joined the Westminster faculty in 2009.
Contact Kennedy at (724) 946-7294 or e-mail kennedsa@westminster.edu for additional information.
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