The University of Mary Washington has been selected by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to host the 2016 U.S. Chemical Olympiad Study Camp Tuesday, May 31 through Wednesday June 15.
Twenty high school finalists from across the nation will visit UMW to compete for a spot on the four-person traveling team that will represent the U.S. in the 48th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Tbilisi, Georgia this July. UMW’s Department of Chemistry will play a key role in the study camp with Professor of Chemistry Kelli Slunt acting as head mentor and faculty providing instruction for the students.
“The Olympiad is the equivalent to athletic Olympics for chemistry students,” said Slunt, who has served as a head mentor three times before this appointment. “It is an opportunity for the brightest future minds in the scientific community to come together to compete and to make long-lasting relationships.”
Previously, the training camp has been held at the U.S. Air Force Academy and students were taught by Air Force faculty. Since the camp is being held at UMW, Professors Nicole Crowder, Leanna Giancarlo, David Oldham and Charlie Sharpless will provide the lectures that will prepare students for exam assessments. In addition to classroom training, Slunt and other program mentors will work with the students to conduct laboratory experiments to prepare for the practical competition at the IChO.
In addition, UMW will host program mentors that include teachers and professors from Gannon University, Harvard University, and Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. Program mentors are high school teachers and college faculty who serve a 3-year term and receive an honorarium. Mentors develop the laboratory exercises and train the students on how to complete the laboratory exercises and written exams.
For more information about the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, visit http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad.html. To learn more about the study camp, contact Kelli Slunt at kslunt@umw.edu.