TCU’s Kayla Green Makes Chemistry Tangible Through Outreach

Chemical & Engineering News featured Kayla Green, professor of chemistry and associate dean for research at the Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering, for her leadership in expanding hands-on chemistry outreach across North Texas.

Green has coordinated National Chemistry Week activities for the American Chemical Society’s Dallas–Fort Worth Local Section since helping TCU students launch a program at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in 2010. What began as a TCU-led effort has grown into a large, student-powered community event. In 2025, more than 200 volunteers presented activities to about 2,000 visitors, earning national recognition from ACS.

“Science is a verb — people need to experience it to really make it tangible,” Green told C&EN.

That idea reflects Green’s approach at TCU, where she creates opportunities for students to communicate science beyond the classroom and laboratory. During the event, TCU students and other volunteers lead experiments, demonstrations and science-themed performances that make complex concepts easier for families to understand.

Green’s work also shows how TCU faculty can connect teaching, mentorship and community engagement. By giving students meaningful leadership roles, she helps them strengthen their scientific communication skills while introducing younger learners to chemistry.

Read the full C&EN interview to learn more about Green and TCU’s role in National Chemistry Week.