REAL Connections
Building connections within the General Chemistry Community.
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Blog
Ever wonder what keeps your jacket warm, your car running,…
Ever wonder what keeps your jacket warm, your car running, and your hands toasty in January? Spoiler: it’s all chemistry. From the fibers in your jacket to the heat in your home, winter comfort is a triumph of materials science and thermodynamics. Engineered polymers trap warmth. Air-activated iron reactions keep your hands cozy. Antifreeze keeps…
You won’t find the term “weed-out course” in any official…
You won’t find the term “weed-out course” in any official course catalog, but the impact is real. These foundational classes can become defining moments in a student’s academic journey, often determining who continues in STEM fields and who gets left behind. REAL CHEM is helping to rewrite that story. At one large public university, REAL…

A Joseph Tamer, Deputy Director, ASU ETX Center, shares how…
A Joseph Tamer, Deputy Director, ASU ETX Center, shares how REAL CHEM’s videos bring chemistry to life through diverse instructor perspectives, helping every student see themselves in their learning journey. #ChemistryEducation #STEMLearning #DiversityInSTEM

🎶 Music City, meet REAL CHEM 🎶 Headed to Nashville…
🎶 Music City, meet REAL CHEM 🎶 Headed to Nashville for EDUCAUSE 2025? Let’s talk chemistry together! October 27–30, we’re bringing chemistry out of the textbook and onto the EDUCAUSE conference floor. Stop by our booth to explore ways to engage students in every classroom. If you’re heading to EDUCAUSE, we hope you’ll come say…
A note of gratitude from all of us at REAL…
A note of gratitude from all of us at REAL CHEM, and a heartfelt thank-you from our faculty innovator, Dr. Elaine Villanueva Bernal, Ed.D. 💙 To the 800+ faculty who joined us this fall: thank you. Your energy, curiosity, and thoughtful contributions made this experience truly collaborative. As Dr. Bernal says, it’s moments like these…

As the year winds down, our own Faculty Innovator Elaine…
As the year winds down, our own Faculty Innovator Elaine Villanueva Bernal, Ed.D. has been curating a reading list that connects science to everyday life, creativity, and the human experience. Whether you’re a chemist, educator, or someone who simply enjoys a good story with a scientific twist, these titles might spark your curiosity this holiday…
Newsletter

REAL Reactions
Hi everyone! I’m Elaine Bernal, the new Faculty Innovator for REAL CHEM, and I’m excited to welcome you to this edition of REAL Reactions.

REAL Reactions
Hi everyone! I’m Elaine Bernal, the new Faculty Innovator for REAL CHEM, and I’m excited to welcome you to this edition of REAL Reactions.

REAL Reactions
Hi everyone! I’m Elaine Bernal, the new Faculty Innovator for REAL CHEM, and I’m excited to welcome you to this edition of REAL Reactions.
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