URI chemistry professor, students launch
birthday business
From left to right, Isabella Abilheira, a high school intern from
Narragansett; graduate student Benjamin Cromwell; Mindy Levine, research
professor in chemistry at URI; and graduate student Dana DiScenza prepare
“elephant toothpaste.” Photo by Michael Salerno Photography.
Move over, Bozo.
A chemistry professor
and her students at the University of Rhode Island have launched a business to
entertain youngsters during birthday parties—and show them how much fun science
can be.
Mindy
Levine, a chemistry research professor, and graduate students Dana
DiScenza and Benjamin Cromwell started Party Elements to
inspire children to get excited about science and consider studying the field
in college and beyond.
“Science is fun enough
to be the life of the party,” says Levine. “It’s our goal to spread the message
to as many young people as we can. That’s the best time to reach them.”
So far, the reviews
have been great. “Mindy Levine is truly fantastic. Such a great role model for
aspiring young scientists,’’ says one happy parent on the group’s Facebook
page. “There’s no party like a Party Elements party,” says another.
Each party, which
costs $200 and lasts nearly two hours, includes two hands-on activities and a
short demonstration, as well as the option of making liquid nitrogen ice cream,
which is edible.
Kids can look forward
to making floam (a shaving cream-based slime); experimenting with textures and
colors using a variety of materials; sticking wooden skewers through balloons
without popping them; and creating pipe cleaner scaffolds for square bubbles.
(The group brings a tarp for the floor to catch spills.)
“The worst burn I’ve
gotten is the feeling you get when you burn your tongue with hot soup,” says
Levine. “And that’s not bad.”
The program leaves
youngsters mesmerized. “Kids say it’s the coolest thing ever,” says Levine.
“And, honestly, it is. Science is cool.”
The group is expanding
into adult parties and has recently started offering cocktails that change
color as they are poured into glasses (a lesson in acid-base chemistry), as
well as drinks that form a perfect rainbow (a lesson in density).
Eventually, the group
would like to go national. Levine has already been in touch with graduate
students studying chemistry from other colleges who want to host parties in
their towns.
“I think the potential
is really high,” says Levine. “We want this to grow into a major business.”
The trio has a
five-year business plan, thanks to DiScenza, who will receive her master of
business administration in December and her doctorate in chemistry in 2018. The
plan includes a marketing strategy, financial projections and goals for
expansion.
“I’m learning so
much,” says DiScenza, who came up with the company’s name, a play off the
periodic table of chemical elements. “I’m applying pretty much everything I
learned in my classes.”
Cromwell’s expertise
is planning the experiments, which require weeks of practice before unveiling
them at fests. Cromwell will get his doctorate in chemistry in 2021.
 |
| Mindy Levine demonstrates the flaming cotton ball trick |
“It’s great to see
kids get excited about science,” he says. “The more people who can get
interested in science, especially at a young age, the more scientists we’ll
have in the world, and that’s important.”
Levine agrees: People
need to know about science to be responsible citizens, she says, and make
decisions about timely issues, from climate change to responsible vaccinations.
Party Elements grew
out of Levine’s success with two female-specific and popular outreach programs
she offers—Sugar Science Day, where students use sugar in experiments, and
Chemistry Camp, a weeklong program where middle school girls study the
chemistry of bubbles, lipstick chromatography and cornstarch relays.
Levine is a rising
star in the world of chemistry—literally.
Two years ago, she won
a Rising Star Award from the American Chemical Society for her contributions to
chemistry. Levine is an expert on synthetic organic chemistry, with a focus on
how molecules communicate with each other when they are not attached.
Her work
can be used to develop tools for medical diagnostics and sensors for detecting
toxins in the environment. She has received grants from the National Science
Foundation and the National Cancer Institute, among others.
Party Elements is her
latest passion. Word about the new business has spread around campus, and
already professors, deans and staff are reserving dates. Winifred Brownell,
dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, inquired whether the team would put
on a show for her 2-year-old twin grandchildren.
“Sure,” says Levine.
“Kids are naturally curious, and that’s what makes someone a good scientist.
It’s never too early.”
