About Scientific Mayhem
At Scientific Mayhem we want children to learn about science, but more importantly we want children to have fun while learning about science! Whether you are looking for a science birthday party, a homeschool science class, a preschool science program, an after-school science class, an in-class science workshop, or a science presentation for your scout group, church group, office or business event, Scientific Mayhem will ensure your children are having fun while learning. At Scientific Mayhem, we find order in the chaos by conducting scientific experiments at age-appropriate levels in a safe and controlled manner. We offer science activities and experiments based in biology, chemistry and physics as well as other scientific disciplines. If your child has an interest in a particular subject, we will create some activities and lessons to let them explore their interest at their development level. Our lessons are created with state and national education standards in mind and provide students with opportunities to “do science”, not just read about science or watch science. All of our classes are designed to be developmentally appropriate for your child’s age. As your child grows at Scientific Mayhem, their understanding of the sciences will grow with them. While our focus is on preschool science experiments and elementary school science experiments, we also provide support for students in the 6th-12th grades. A professional scientist can guide and assist your student with Science Fair projects, homework completion, tutoring help, and accelerated classwork.
About Lisa Bacu, the Master of Mayhem
I grew up in the Columbus Ohio area and attended Muskingum University in New Concord OH. I graduated from Muskingum in 1992 with a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Voice Performance. The same year I began working at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus conducting laboratory research on the environmental effects of pesticides. While working at Battelle, I participated in the Scientist in the Classroom program with Westerville City Schools for several years where I was privileged to work with third-graders approximately once each month during the school year. I attended The Ohio State University and graduated with a MS in Environmental Chemistry in 2002. The same year I moved to New London CT and began working for Pfizer, Inc. conducting environmental studies on investigational pharmaceuticals.
I became a stay-at-home mom in 2004 and my love of children and teaching has been growing ever since. I began volunteering at my church teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I have been teaching the science portion of Vacation Bible School for over 5 years and I am now one of the Youth Ministry Coordinators and lead large group activities and events for our Sunday School program. I joined Mad Science of Cincinnati in August 2013 and found my calling in life. I began teaching in-school and after-school science classes to children from preschool to 6th grade. I enjoyed leading science birthday parties, science events, science assemblies, science Scout programs, and homeschool science classes. I soon realized that I wanted to create my own class lessons and activities to excite children about the sciences and the vision of Scientific Mayhem was born. Science does not have to be difficult or scary and my hope is to show all students that scientific experimentation and investigations can be fun. I currently live in West Chester OH with my husband and three children.
About Kathy Peterson
Kathy Peterson is a chemical engineer with a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She enjoyed many years working as an engineer in consumer product and process design. One of her favorite products was peanut butter pretzels! Kathy, with her team, was awarded a patent for a diaper process.
Kathy has found her passion at the intersection of science and teaching. She has tutored math students, led elementary science labs, and taught kindergarten art classes. She has spent many years volunteering in a first grade reading program, and in 2016, she received the Barb Bossu Volunteer of the Year Award. Kathy says that the moments she cherishes most are watching a student’s face light up when they suddenly understand something that was causing them to struggle, or watching a student’s design go from paper to reality. Kathy lives in West Chester, Ohio with her husband and three children.