BASF managers discuss 'real world' chemistry with local high school students
Visits to classrooms highlight National Chemistry Week program

PALMYRA, Mo., October 27, 2003 - Although their own jobs are quite complex, the messages BASF's Warren Schulz and Michael Levy brought to students at two local high schools last week was quite simple: chemistry plays a major role in our daily lives, and those who pursue careers in the chemical industry will be solving "real world" problems in the years ahead.

The BASF employees' visits to Palmyra High School and Hannibal High School were part of the company's community outreach activities for National Chemistry Week, an annual program of the American Chemical Society that aims to enhance the public's awareness of chemistry's contributions to our everyday lives.

Schulz, a quality assurance manager at BASF's Hannibal, Mo., site, visited with 90 freshmen at Palmyra High School and talked about careers in science, as well as the chemical products manufactured at BASF's sites throughout the United States. Schulz also discussed analytical chemistry and presented a liquid chromatography demonstration.

"It was a really good experience for our students," said science teacher Maggie Queen. "Mr. Schulz tailored his presentation so that it related very well to what we talk about in class, which is that science is a part of our daily lives."

"It has been my experience that most kids are turned off by chemistry as a potential career choice," said Schulz, "because they feel it is rather mundane work. I wanted to impress upon them the many exciting challenges chemistry can present."

In his presentation to junior and senior chemistry students at Hannibal High School, Levy, a manager of chemical development with BASF, focused on the scientific method and the way chemists apply practical statistics in their work in an effort to provide solutions to various tasks.

"Mr. Levy's presentation provided our students with an excellent overview of what they could do if they pursued a career in this field," said chemistry teacher Erin Mack. "I wish there had been a program such as National Chemistry Week when I was in high school. The people who made this possible deserve a lot of credit."

With more than 350 employees, BASF's Hannibal site is one of the area's largest employers. The site manufactures a wide range of crop protection products to help farmers meet the growing needs for a safe, abundant, and affordable supply of food for today and tomorrow.

BASF: Helping Make Products Better™
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company, offering its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. Its distinctive approach to integration, known in German as “Verbund,” is its strength. It enables BASF to achieve cost leadership and gives the company a competitive advantage. BASF conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2002, BASF had sales of $34 billion and more than 89,000 employees worldwide. BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. In North America, 2002 sales were approximately $8.2 billion and the company employs approximately 12,000 people. For more information or to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

For more information, contact:
Glenn Majeski
BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 426-2848
E-mail: majeskg@basf.com