STEM talk at local elementary school

1. The Career of a Chemist
Jack G. Yang
Ronald McNair Elementary School
April 20, 2018 1

2. Welcome to the World of Chemistry!
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3. What is Chemistry?
 Chemistry is everywhere and contributes to everyone’s daily life. Anything that can
be touched, tasted, smelled, seen or felt is made of chemicals.
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4. Chemists: Scientists Who Study Elements and Molecules
 Wiki: A chemist is a scientist who researches and experiments with the properties
of chemical substances. They measure the effects of chemical compounds in
various situations and study inter-chemical transformations.
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Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev
- author of the first modern
periodic table of elements
inter-chemical
transformations:

5. Not always as fancy as this !
5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eeDUCgJDU4

6. A lot of experiments, proof of ideas, observation,
renovation and invention
Organic chemists
synthesize new
chemicals
Biochemists work on
RNA, DNA, proteins,
enzymes and
medicines
Analytical chemists
measure the
composition of all
substances.
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7. Chemistry Has the Task to Save the World
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1.Health & Nutrition: Chemists are working to provide economic fertilizers, new food sources and
technologies to guarantee 9 billion people with food and water that will live on earth by 2050.
2.Energy needs and resources: Chemists are working to face the challenge as 50% more energy
will be needed by 2030. More effective batteries for energy storage and transportation are being
developed. Solar panels with high light-electricity efficiency are being developed from novel materials.
3.Construction & Housing: Almost 70% of the 9 billion people will live in cities by 2025. Progress in
chemistry will provide new building materials by recycling metals, polymers, etc., that will lead to new
architectures.
4.Mobility and transport: Chemists are inventing new engineering materials to face the demands
when 1.2 billion automobiles will be on the earths by 2020. These vehicles will be made from synthetic
light and strong materials, powered by novel energy storage devices, such as super-high efficient
battery. Chemists and chemistry drive innovations to discover solutions to problems and enhance our
lives (e.g., find new drugs that can control disease, improve water and air quality, clean
our environment, improve the food that we eat).
 A lot of chemistry jobs for you.

8. The Path to the Career as a Chemist/Scientist
 Step 1: Research Career Options and Education Requirements
The minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree. If you like to become a research scientist, you will
need a Ph.D., or a master's degree.
 Step 2: Earn a Bachelor's Degree
Graduate from high school, go to college, major in chemistry or a related discipline, such as physical
science, life science or engineering. Required courses typically include inorganic and organic
chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics and computer science, and environmental studies, soil
chemistry, as well as related subjects such as scientific writing.
 Step 3: Gain Experience
Gaining practical experience in chemistry to develop the skills, such as perseverance, the ability to
work independently and collaborate with others, attention to details. You can join internship and
work-study programs to gain such experiences.
 Step 4: Earn a Graduate Degree and Get a Job:
While a bachelor's degree is sufficient to work in quality control or as a research assistant, in most
cases you must earn a master's degree or Ph.D. to conduct basic or applied research. Then you enjoy
the work of being a chemist, create new things, invent new technologies, and help a lof of people.8

9. Questions
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