Science Café | Molecules, Museum, Action, Nov. 18

Dr. Jennifer Hines

Science Café presents Dr. Jennifer Hines on “Molecules, Museum, Action,” on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. in the Baker Center Front Room.

At the Science Café, Hines collaborates with dancers acting as human-sized molecules on the stage to describe scientific concepts of her research and properties related to the basic building blocks of life. Hines is Professor of Chemistry at Ohio University.

Combining chemistry concepts with performance art has become an effective learning tool used in schools, children’s museums, performance halls and other public places. Hines has invited a troupe of young dancers from Factory Street Studio, a local dance school, to participate.

By combining arts with the sciences, concepts are better understood by audiences and students of all ages, says Hines, who advocates adding art to critical subject areas such as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The idea of adding an “A” for arts to STEM is known as STEAM.

“You have your chemistry class and you have your art class, but you don’t always have the chance to see the connection between them,” Hines says.

In the Renaissance period of western culture, students studied both scientific and artistic subjects with equal fervor, Hines explains. “We need to find novel ways to bring these disciplines together in order to promote fresh scientific and artistic insights for the 21 ^st century,” she said.

Watch on A&S TV.

The event will be live-streamed on Nov. 18 and archived, and the online audience is invited to submit questions.

About Science Café and Café Conversation: Events are held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in the Front Room at Baker University Center. They are free and open to students, faculty and staff. Both cafés are venues for students to share their interests informally during a conversation exchange in a friendly setting. The Science Cafe is hosted by Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Professor of Environmental & Plant Biology and Vice President of the Ohio University Chapter of Sigma Xi. The two series are sponsored by the Ohio University chapter of Sigma Xi and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Find the Science Café on Facebook and Twitter.