Puerto Rico Chemists hold ‘Festival de Quimica’.

Puerto Rico chemists are holding their 61st annual meeting of the Southeastern Region of the American Chemical Society (SERMACS 2009) this week at the San Juan Convention Center, including a special “Festival de Quimica” for schoolchildren on Friday, Oct. 23.

The conference, which draws attendees from the Southeastern area, has more than 750 technical presentations scheduled during the official program Oct. 21-24. The symposia topics span environment, medicine, energy and nanotechnology. On Thursday, Oct. 22, two Nobel Laureates in chemistry will speak — Dr. Roald Hoffmann of Cornell University and Sir Harold Kroto of
Florida State University.

The “Festival” is aimed at educating students more about chemistry, and school children from around the island will be hosted by undergraduate student members of the ACS affiliates throughout the region. The Festival expects to draw more than one thousand island school students, including 200 students who are home-schooled. The Festival will focus on information
and hands-on demonstrations related to the theme of National Chemistry Week, “Chemistry: Its Elemental,” which celebrates the 140th anniversary of the founding of the periodic table. The “Festival” will be held from 8:30 a.m. until noon in the Paseo de la Fuente, Convention Center District.