2 June<\/span><\/small><\/strong><\/p>\n CHEMIST DAY<\/span><\/small><\/strong><\/p>\n \n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[vc_single_image image=”16858″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/wydzial\/wnst\/category\/kartka-z-kalendarza\/”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″]\r\n On 2 June 2024, Chemist Day is celebrated. It is a movable holiday that falls each year on the first Sunday of June. On this occasion, we wish all chemists and passionate chemists the very best!<\/p>\n For chemistry, you have to feel the chemistry. The decision to choose this path must evoke a whole range of reactions: interest, delight, surprise…. We asked our chemists why they chose this particular field of science.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \u201eSave the date\u201d<\/a>\u00a0is a series of articles that have been written to celebrate various unusual holidays. The authors of the presented materials are students, doctoral students and employees of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Silesia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#9b132a”]\r\n Alexander Lowe, PhD in chemistry, writes about how to light a powerful bonfire of love for chemistry and how to make sure the embers never die out. How to work in the most internationalised research group at the University. And about how relationships with other people can make life more…<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”foto”] PhD ALEXANDER LOWE<\/strong><\/small><\/span><\/p>\n Institute of Chemistry<\/span><\/p>\n Show publications<\/a> Why did I become a chemist?<\/span><\/p>\n To be honest, as a child, I wanted to drive locomotives down the European and North American railways. \u00a0As I grew older, I wanted to study to become a dentist. \u00a0Both are ideal jobs for the child of immigrant parents in a new country, with the freedom to choose what I wanted to be. \u00a0When I entered the first year of my undergraduate, I began my studies in biochemistry so that I could apply to dental school in Canada.\u00a0 This was the original plan, but no matter your plan, something always shows up that asks you to make a choice. \u00a0I want to use the bonfire as a metaphor since it represents many exciting parts of chemistry that I am most fascinated by: light, heat, change, and life.<\/p>\n Without someone to tend to it, a bonfire will not thrive. \u00a0Add some extra ingredients to it, and you can get some dazzling colors. \u00a0During my summer holidays in Canada, a piece of copper pipe with a piece of garden hose would be added to the fire to make it burn a magical mixture of colors. \u00a0The chemistry of the mixture of copper burning with the chloride in the garden hose created these colors through oxidation and reduction reactions, as well as the combustion reaction between the large carbohydrate molecules that burn when exposed to heat and oxygen.\u00a0 With heat from the fire, water would turn to steam as the damp wood was burned in the hot fire. \u00a0The heat from the fire kept us warm in the night and gave us a creeping sensation as our clothes warmed up and expanded. \u00a0Run out of fuel, and the fire consumes itself, turning to ash (the leftover material from combustion) or limiting precious oxygen to the flame, and the combustion process changes, leaving black char (carbon or coke) in the fire pit. \u00a0We must take care to tend to our own bonfire and heed the advice of others when just beginning.<\/p>\n I switched to chemistry under the influence of enthusiastic chemistry teachers at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who caught my interest in physical chemistry, biochemistry, and photochemistry. \u00a0These teachers were important as they helped guide me through my undergraduate studies and helped me make the choice to change my career goals and pursue a desire to practice chemistry. \u00a0Since then, I have been working back and forth between exciting topics in physical chemistry and biochemistry during my master\u2019s degree (University of Guelph) and physical chemistry and chemical engineering during my doctoral degree (Universt\u00e9 Clermont Auvergne).\u00a0 I became a chemist to work on the interface between chemistry and the rest of the chemical disciplines as I became enamored with the following question. \u00a0Why do molecules behave in a certain way, and how does this lead to life and the other strange structures around us?<\/p>\n Why work in a university? \u00a0In my mind, university is a place to build a bonfire for students so that they may find what interests them. \u00a0The professor, researcher, or instructor, as you choose, are professional students who have never left that wonder behind them, seeking answers not yet found in textbooks or journal articles. \u00a0Our experience gives us the wisdom to act as mentors to future students, to help them avoid making future mistakes, and to provide them the forum to question conventional practice. \u00a0Innovation is not made by repetition but by listening to those with the time to talk about the topic they find interesting and to point them in the right direction. \u00a0As a teacher, I believe we should say more often, \u201cI don\u2019t know the answer to that one,\u201d \u201cMaybe someone else can help you better than I,\u201d or \u201cMaybe you can help me find the answer?\u201d. \u00a0Who knows, maybe our students can help someone else in the future. \u00a0Perhaps they will build another bonfire?<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text]\r\n Why did I choose the University of Silesia?<\/span><\/p>\n When I came to the University of Silesia as a post-doc and I vaguely knew Miros\u0142aw Chor\u0105\u017cewski. The interview was short and direct and the project had clear objectives and plan already made for success. From that point was have worked together he has helped me develop both as a person and as a scientist. I have always had the opportunity to work and learn from the international community either from India, China and France, as well as many of my Canadian instructors.<\/p>\n Mirek, has had from similar teachers but they were from other countries like Czech Republic, Russia and France uniquely.\u00a0The ability to build an international group is a challenge, but one well suited to him. The group benefits from a diverse scientific background and ability to teach other new concepts. With this as a background the group helps one other develop and we can move into new topics and expand to new ideas. In this way, we have become the most international research group at the university<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1626772894639{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”16858″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/wydzial\/wnst\/category\/kartka-z-kalendarza\/”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#9b132a”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”foto”][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text] The Silesian Beskids | Fot. private archive [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row] […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/wydzial\/wnst\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/Bez-kategorii\/Alex.png\")
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\nThermodynamics in Action<\/a>
\nThermodynamics application team<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″]\r\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/wydzial\/wnst\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/Bez-kategorii\/2-4.jpg\")
\nThe Silesian Beskids | Fot. private archive<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n