Elf Atochem mentors science teachers

Abstract

Chemist Robert Thompson moved a tennis ball in spurts through the cut-off leg of a pair of pantyhose, mimicking the way food passes through the alimentary canal. On the worktable he shared with two schoolteachers and colleague James J. Salitros, a beaker of water was tinged pink with dye that had oozed through an made from a dialysis membrane. experiment simulated nutrients passing through the wall of the intestine into the bloodstream. Thompson and Salitros were among the 17 chemists and three engineers from Elf Atochem North America's Technical Center in King of Prussia, Pa., who spent last week mentoring 20 elementary-school teachers in hands-on science. on-site program, which trains teachers from local school districts, was launched last year. The company provides significant resources, noted R&D chemist Richard S. Freedlander, who directed the program this year. Mentors are paid their full salary for the week. So are other scientists who take ...