Warm Up This Winter with WCU’s Science on Tap Talks
The University’s free monthly Science on Tap talks by WCU experts continues this semester at Barnaby’s Restaurant
(15 South High Street, second floor). Programs take place monthly on Tuesdays at 6 p.m.
Each session features a different WCU expert sharing interesting ideas and research, new information, and discoveries. The program invites audience participation with opportunities to ask questions, spark discussion, and connect with fellow science enthusiasts. And of course, the audience can order from Barnaby’s food and beverage menus for a full dining and learning experience.
Dr. Mitchell recently secured the University’s largest grant to date: a $10.26-million federal GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, launching a transformative seven-year initiative for the Center for STEM Inclusion to support 1,833 sixth- and seventh-grade students through their journeys to college completion.
He helped establish and currently leads the University’s Center for STEM Inclusion, which is dedicated to empowering southeastern Pennsylvania’s K-12 children and youth to pursue fields in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The center works to link experts in secondary and higher education, industry, government, and education-focused non-profit organizations directly with students from families with low socioeconomic means to support student success and expand the STEM workforce.
As one of the lead researchers in the University’s Center for Nanomaterials, Dr. Mitchell is working on the growth, fabrication, and analysis of novel semiconductor systems for photonics applications.
The University’s Science on Tap series is modeled after similar programs that pair scientific presentations with a restaurant atmosphere. WCU’s series aims to make scientific concepts accessible; connect the public with approachable, knowledgeable scientists; and overcome mistrust/misunderstanding of science. It is directed by Dr. Christopher Roemmele, associate professor and assistant chair of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, who wants to “bring science out of the labs and the halls of academia and share it with the public in an informal setting.
“My goal is to promote science and science literacy. My colleagues here at WCU do wonderful and thought-provoking science in their diverse respective fields. And I want the greater West Chester community to be made aware of that. We do a lot of teaching, but we also do great research here, and that should be communicated.”
For additional information, contact Dr. Roemmele.
Spring 2026 Science on Tap Talks
Barnaby’s Restaurant (15 South High Street, second floor), West Chester, PA 19382. Free presentations begin at 6 p.m. Parking is available directly across from Barnaby’s at the Bicentennial Parking Garage on High Street.
February 17: Brandon Mitchell, Physics
March 17: Meghan Ramick and Melissa Reed, Kinesiology
April 21: Sabina Samipour-Biel, Psychology
May 12: Zach Voras, Chemistry