For the past 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of bringing chemistry demonstrations into schools from K-12, showing students that science is not just something in a textbook – it’s all around them.

Many people have told me those demonstrations helped inspire them to pursue science. I remember when a student came up to me with his principal and said, “I didn’t know professors could be this cool.” That comment reflected exactly what I hope to do: make science approachable, exciting and human.

Back when MacEwan was a community college, Dr. Peter Mitchell, who was dean at the time, asked how we could tell people about what we do. I suggested creating a science roadshow to help showcase what the institution had to offer – university courses with small classes delivered by passionate instructors. I had already been doing small outreach visits, starting when my son’s preschool teacher invited me to perform a few experiments for the kids. Interest exploded, and I had a head start. Colleagues would tell me they had done four demonstrations that year for 120 students, while I thought to myself, “That's how many kids I presented to on Monday morning.”

These demonstrations allow students to experience science directly rather than just reading about it. Students ask me what my favourite demo is, and I tell them that choosing is impossible – like choosing your favourite child. My main presentation runs about 90 minutes and ties together many of the concepts students encounter in school and in their daily lives, but in a way that feels connected, visual and alive. Each experiment builds on the previous one, creating a story that helps students see how scientific ideas fit together.

I’ve returned to some schools 20 years in a row. There are times when I’ll pack up my car and spend an entire week travelling across the province, visiting schools from Medicine Hat to Grande Prairie. I also participate in larger public events. Last year, I presented at the Edmonton Expo, worked with the Edmonton Riverhawks on demonstrations before a baseball game, and this May I will join MacEwan’s Fem-Stem club at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Altogether, I’ll do demos for roughly 20,000 people this year.

Today, outreach feels more important than ever. In a time when misinformation and distrust of science are increasingly common, I want students and the public to develop critical thinking skills and understand that science is neither mysterious nor inaccessible – even if, at times, it can feel a little like magic. I want people to leave with curiosity, confidence and a better understanding of the world around them. 

Being recognized for this work is deeply meaningful because it reassures me that these efforts truly are making a difference.

– Dr. Lucio Gelmini, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Sciences