24th Annual ChemLuminary Awards: Outstanding Ongoing CCEW Event

Posted on September 13, 2022April 3, 2023

Orlando Section accepting 24^th ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Ongoing CCEW Event.

At the 24^th ChemLuminary Award ceremony on August 23, 2022, at the ACS National Meeting in Chicago, the Orlando Local Section received the Outstanding Ongoing CCEW Event award sponsored by Committee on Community Activities (CCA). This award recognizes a local section for an outstanding CCEW event that has been conducted for at least three years.

For more than a decade, except for 2020 thanks to the pandemic, each year, our local section participates in Central Florida Earth day to promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world. Our events often attract hundreds of attendees to our tent for chemistry demonstrations and hands-on activities as well as discussion with volunteers.

This is the first ever ChemLuminary Award received by the Orlando Section.

In addition, our National Chemistry Week event at the Orlando Science Center is in the finalist of the Outstanding Community Involvement in NCW award.

Councilor’s Report: 264th National Meeting, Fall 2022

Posted on September 8, 2022September 8, 2022

The Fall 2022 Meeting of the ACS Council was held in hybrid format on August 24^th, 2022.

Actions of the Council

Election Results: Elected Committees of Council

By electronic ballot, the Council elected Raychelle Burks, Anne M. Gaffney, Will E. Lynch, and Frankie K. Wood-Black for a three-year term (2023-2025) on the Council Policy Committee (CPC). Lydia E.M. Hines was elected to serve through 2023.
By electronic ballot, the Council elected William F. Carroll, Jr., Ella L. Davis, Carmen Gauthier, Thomas H. Lane, and Jason E. Ritchie for a three-year term (2023-2025) on the Committee on Committees (ConC).
By electronic ballot, the Council elected Michelle V. Buchanan, Alan B. Cooper, Kelly M. Elkins, Ellene Tratras Contis, and Kathryn E. Uhrich for a three-year term (2023-2025) on the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E).

Other Council Actions

The Vice Chair of the Council Policy Committee (CPC) reported that both Council meetings in 2023 will be held in a hybrid manner, very similar to what Councilors experienced in Chicago. Councilors celebrating milestone anniversaries were acknowledged and thanked for their years of service on Council.
The Chair of the Committee on Committees (ConC) recognized those chairs rolling off various committees and thanked them for their service. Newly appointed chairs of committees that report to Council were announced to all Councilors and Councilors were reminded of the new online committee preference form that was open over the summer to solicit names of individuals interested in serving on ACS Society Committees.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the continuation of the Committee on Public Relations and Communications (CPRC).
On the recommendation of the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E), and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Amend the Elections Function. This action helps to clarify, consolidate and re-order existing requirements related to nominations and elections.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Divisional Activities (DAC), and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Amend the Duties of the Committee on Divisional Activities, providing greater authority to step in and assist Divisions who have inactive Executive Committees.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC), and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition for a change in Section Name from the Northeast Tennessee Section to the Tennessee-Virginia Highlands Local Section.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC), and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Amend the Application and Dues Process for Corporation Associates, allowing Corporation Associates to set fees based on a sales revenue model.

Council Special Discussion

President Wilson introduced and led a special discussion on “ACS for the Future.” She sought Councilor input on positive initiatives, programs or events that would greatly benefit ACS members or ACS at large.

Three specific questions were posed to Councilors for their input and suggestions:

What can be accomplished to enhance the ACS experience?
Why (or how) do you think it would make a difference?
Who would be tasked with leading this effort (e.g. a section, committee, division, or other)?

Councilors provided their ideas and thoughts, and relevant Society units will receive this input within the next several weeks.

In addition to attending the Council meeting, your councilor continues to serve on the Membership Affairs Committee (MAC). This committee is involved with recruiting and retaining ACS members by ensuring that ACS membership is a valuable resource in their professional lives. As such, MAC prepares the Schedule of Membership (SoM) that is presented to Council each spring. The SoM proposes the amount of dues for the upcoming year and the benefits for each category of member. Currently, MAC is proposing to maintain current pricing and considering changes to the retired/emeritus eligibility and extending the Standard package to Society Affiliates.

If there are benefits that you would like to see added to your membership or if there are changes that you would like to see instituted, please contact your Councilor, Darlene Slattery at dslattery1@cfl.rr.com or call her at 321-632-2535.

2022 Summer Social Event

Posted on July 15, 2022July 21, 2022

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The Orlando Section held a summer social on Saturday, June 25 at Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. The well-attended event included recognition of the 95^th anniversary of the ACS Women’s Chemist Committee, an interesting talk by Dr. Christina Drake of Kismet Technologies, and recognition of long-serving members of the ACS.

Those members celebrating 50 years were:

Dr. Susan Allen
Dr. James Bellows
Dr. Nancy Leissing
Mr. John Windsor Jr.

60-Year members included:

Dr. Charles Beck
Mr. George Cheryan
Dr. Michael Farona
Ms. Margaret Oglesby
Dr. William Steele

And recognized as a 70-Year Member was:

Mr. Robert Dunmire

We congratulate all and thank each for their many years of service to ACS.

An award was also presented to Dr. Chris Chouinard for his service to the Section. Chris, a past Chair of the Orlando Section and the overall Chair for SERMACS 2025, will be leaving Florida to assume a new faculty position in South Carolina. While we will miss in-person interactions with Chris, he will continue to oversee the planning for 2025 meeting.

American Chemical Society chief executive officer announces his retirement

Posted on May 31, 2022May 31, 2022

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2022 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) today announced that Thomas Connelly, Ph.D., will retire from his position as ACS chief executive officer at the end of the year after more than seven years of serving in this role. In addition to effectively navigating the organization through the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, he has led the organization as it strengthened its core values, transformed its membership and launched new initiatives.

Thomas Connelly
Credit: Peter Cutts Photography

“Tom has provided strong leadership for ACS throughout his tenure, especially over the past two years as we experienced a once in a lifetime challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With his guidance, ACS has weathered the pandemic and is now stronger than it’s ever been,” says Paul W. Jagodzinski, Ph.D., chair of the ACS Board of Directors. “We look forward to Tom’s continued leadership through the rest of 2022 and wish him all the best as he enters the next chapter of his life in 2023.”

Connelly joined ACS in 2015. He has overseen the refinement and expansion of ACS core values, which define the principles that guide the organization. During his tenure, the core value of professionalism was expanded to include safety and ethics. Additionally, the core value of diversity, inclusion and respect added equity as a key principle. He also guided a transformation of membership by increasing the focus on growing ACS’ international efforts as well as supporting the development of a new membership model, which launched this year. Most recently, Connelly led the effort to establish four strategic initiatives designed to have a transformational impact on the chemistry enterprise. The more than $50 million, multiyear effort embodies ACS’ commitment to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people.

“It has been an honor to serve as ACS CEO for more than seven years,” Connelly says. “ACS continues to advance its Vision and Mission through the efforts of our dedicated staff and wonderful volunteers. I look forward to continuing my service to ACS from within its membership ranks.”

Prior to joining ACS, Connelly had a 37-year distinguished career at DuPont Company, where he held the roles of chief science and technology officer and chief innovation officer during his tenure. Connelly holds chemical engineering and economics degrees from Princeton University. As a Winston Churchill Scholar, he received his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge. In 2016, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He has served in advisory roles to the U.S. Government and the Republic of Singapore.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive press releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Download the Press Release: Download

CONTACTS:

ACS Newsroom Emily Abbott

newsroom@acs.org e_abbott@acs.org

2022 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest: Results

Posted on May 21, 2022May 21, 2022

Winner of K-2 Category

Winner of Grade K-2 category (Local Contest):
Ranvitha Vivek, 1st grader from Heathrow Elementary School (Lake Mary)

Winner of grade 3-5 Category

Winner of Grade 3-5 category (Local Contest):
Lakshitha Bhandari, a 4th grader, from Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School (Sanford)

Runner-up of grade 3-5 Category

Runner-up of Grade 3-5 category (Local Contest):
Aadhav Kumar, a 3rd grader, from Wilson Elementary School (Sanford)

Runner-up of grade 3-5 Category

Runner-up of Grade 3-5 category (Local Contest):
Mackenzie Gordon, a 4th grader, from English Estates Elementary (Fern Park)

Winner of grade 9-12 Category

Winner of Grade 9-12 category (Local Contest):
Eric Segrest, a 10th grader, from Lake Highland Prep School (Orlando)

1st Place of grade K-2 Category

1st Place of Grade K-2 category (National Contest):
Second Grader, Stonemill Elementary School, Chemical Society of Washington

2nd Place of grade K-2 Category

Second Place of Grade K-2 category (National Contest):
Second Grader, Capital Montessori School, Puget Sound Local Section

1st Place of grade 3-5 Category

1st Place of Grade 3-5 category (National Contest):
Fifth Grader, Jumoke Academy at the Hartford Conservatory, Connecticut Valley Local Section

2nd Place of grade 3-5 Category

2nd Place of Grade 3-5 category (National Contest):
Fifth Grader, Howard Drive Elementary, South Florida Local Section

1st Place of grade 6-8 Category

1st Place of Grade 6-8 category (National Contest):
Sixth Grader, Jefferson Middle School, Midland Local Section

2nd Place of grade 6-8 Category

2nd Place of Grade 6-8 category (National Contest):
Seventh Grader, The Harker School, Silicon Valley Local Section

1st Place of grade 9-12 Category

1st Place of Grade 9-12 category (National Contest):
Eleventh Grader, Calloway County High School, Kentucky Lake Local Section

2nd Place of grade 9-12 Category

2nd Place of Grade 9-12 category (National Contest):
Eleventh Grader, PA Leadership Charter School, Pittsburgh Local Section

To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, the American Chemical Society (ACS) established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) public awareness campaign. Among many other activities, the Orlando Section of the ACS hosted 2022 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest for K-12 students in Central Florida. The theme of the contest is “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry.”

The contest received many entries from multiple schools. Thanks to the teachers who brought the contest to students’ attention.

Results of local contest:

Grade K-2 Category
Winner: Ranvitha Vivek from Heathrow Elementary School, guided by Amber Mash

Grade 3-5 Category*
Winner: Lakshitha Bhandari from Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School, guided by Mary Lynn Hess
Runner-up: Aadhav Kumar from Wilson Elementary School, guided by Nicole Chavez
Runner-up: Mackenzie Gordon from English Estates Elementary, guided by Kelly Atterbury

Grade 6-8 Category
No winner

Grade 9-12 Category
Winner: Eric Segrest from Lake Highland Preparatory School, guided by Steve Math

The winner of each category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $50. The runners-up of Grade 3-5 category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $25. The teacher who guided the winner of each category and the runners-up of Grade 3-5 category will receive a school supply funding of $100 and $50, respectively.

The winner of each category also advances to the national 2022 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest. The full results of national contest can be found at ACS Website.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the local contest, please contact the local section’s CCEW coordinator (Dr. Duy Le, duy.le@ucf.edu).

* Because Grade 3-5 category received a large number of high-quality entries, the executive committee of the local section voted to give two tied runner-up awards for this category.

Summer Social Event

Posted on May 17, 2022May 25, 2022

Download this flyer: Short PDF Version Long PDF Version Image

We hope you have had a healthy and productive year so far and are ready for the official start of summer. In this bulletin we would like to bring to your attention an exciting summer social events that our section is organizing. To honor our 50^th, 60^th and 70^th year ACS members and celebrate the 95^th anniversary of The ACS Women Chemists Committee, the ACS Orlando Local Section is organizing a Summer Social Event

on Saturday, June 25^th, 2022
(stating at 11:30 AM)
at the Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
529 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL 32828

Apart from socializing, the award ceremony to recognize our senior members, we are very pleased to announce that Dr. Christina Drake of Kismet Technologies will give a short talk about the bacterial and viral transmissions in hospitals, a topic that is so important in the current COVID era.

Also, this time the ACS Orlando section will subsidize part of the meal cost, so our members will have to pay only $25 out-of-pocket for a three-course meal. The location can accommodate only 42 people, so early registration is highly encouraged. Please follow the link below to register for the event. The registration deadline is June 15^th.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/MJ2Z5ysTydFhwWqr8

Please don’t forget to subscribe to our community page, follow our facebook page, and check out our website for updated news, and activities of our local section.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Best wishes,|
Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida
Chair of ACS Orlando Section
On behalf of the ACS Orlando Local Section executive committee

Younger Chemist Committee (YCC): Let’s ignite the hunger while we are younger!

Posted on May 17, 2022May 17, 2022

The Younger Chemist Committee (YCC) of the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society is established with a mission to advocate for, develop, and support rising chemists to positively impact their careers, the ACS, and the future of chemistry. We aim to build a community that will welcome budding chemists to seek guidance, voice concerns, and hone various technical and social skills. We hold with high regard the idea of networking and job-seeking and will organize events to reach those goals. The local section YCC works close-knit with the local section ACS making them unique from other clubs with similar goals.

Starting in 2022, the Committee is led by Mohammed Muzammil Nishar Ahmed (Mill), a graduate student from Florida Institute of Technology. The committee is currently looking for interested individuals to help structure the board so that the club can get the ball rolling for its endeavors. The board positions include a chair, secretary, treasurer, engagement team, interface team, and communications team. If you or someone you know would like to contribute to the activities of the YCC, please connect with us via facebook or email us at ycc@orlandoacs.org.

The State Science & Engineering Fair of Florida 2022: Avogadro award winner

Posted on May 17, 2022May 17, 2022

Cayley McCloskey, 2022 Avogadro award winner

Congratulations to Cayley McCloskey from the Lely High School (Naples, Florida) for winning the 2022 Avogadro award at the 67^th State Science & Engineering Fair of Florida (67^th SSEF)! Cayley’s project is entitled ‘Comparing the enthalpy changes of anhydrous salts using calorimetry.’ The young scientist performed experiments to determine which exothermic salt when dissolved in water would produce the greatest increase in temperature of the water and in turn the greatest calculated enthalpy change measured through calorimetry. Cayley found that magnesium sulfate is the salt that releases the most heat per mole, followed by calcium chloride and sodium acetate and suggests that magnesium sulfate would be the ideal salt for consumer products such as heat packs, handwarmer, and for use on icy roads.

The Avogadro Award that is given each year at the State Science and Engineering Fair with the support of the ACS local sections in the state of Florida.

CCEW 2022: Orlando Section at Central Florida Earthday

Posted on May 14, 2022May 17, 2022

The Orlando Local Section took part in the Central Florida Earthday on April 23^th, 2022 at Lake Eola (Downtown Orlando) to celebrate the Earth Week. This effort was led by Dr. Titel Jurca (Assistant Professor at UCF) and volunteers. The overall theme for our display was about “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry”. Three posters were designed and used to support our outreach activity. The posters were used to facilitate discussion largely with teenage to adult age range visitors. The topics ranged from general facts/curiosities, specific applications to forensics, and a cross-over with materials chemistry and nanoscience and physics with regards to butterfly wings.

To engage younger children, we curated two activities. One was an arts and crafts station to create “chromatography” butterflies using coffee filters, water, and markers. This activity was very engaging with active participation throughout the day. Our second activity was a microscope set-up, as pictured below, and a collection of pinned insects donated from the University of Central Florida. This activity was perhaps our most popular with children of all ages and even adults often spending 10+ minutes looking at all of the structural features of the insects, learning about chitin, discussing color effects in butterfly wings, etc… Overall, the chromatography butterfly craft and the microscopy portion directly engaged and held a captive audience of over 150+ people throughout the day. Remaining passing engagement, discussion of posters/topics, presence of ACS in the community, and dissemination of pamphlets reached an estimated additional 400+ participants throughout the day.

The event began at 10 AM and ended at 4PM.

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Councilor’s Report: 263rd National Meeting, Spring 2022

Posted on April 12, 2022April 26, 2022

The Spring 2022 Meeting of the ACS Council was held virtually on March 23^rd, 2022.

Actions of the Council

Candidates for President-Elect, 2023

The Committee on Nominations and Elections presented to the Council the following nominees for selection as candidates for President-Elect, 2023: Frank Blum, Mary Carroll, Rigoberto Hernandez, and Ingrid Montes. By electronic ballot, the Council selected Marry Carroll and Rigoberto Hernandez as candidates for 2023 President-Elect. These two candidates, along with any candidates selected via petitions, will stand for election in the Fall National Election.

Other Council Actions

Committee on Committees Actions

The Council approved the Petition to Amend the Duties of the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities. This petition sought to change the language in the duties of CWD from students to persons to be more inclusive to ACS members of all levels and backgrounds participating in the Society’s meetings and events.
The Council approved the continuation of the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities.
The Committee on Committee reviews each Society Committee no less often than every five years and advises the Board of Directors and Council whether they should be continued. Council completed the performance review for the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities and recommended its continuation.

Committee on Budget & Finance Petition

▪ The Council approved the Petition to Amend the Use of Dues.

The petition has two major components. The first changes the basis for developing the total pool of allotments available for local sections and technical divisions. The second eliminates the connection between dues revenue and C&EN.

The total resource pool available for distribution to Local Sections and Divisions will be funded via a quasi-endowment established from the Society’s unrestricted investment balances. This replaces the previous pool that was funded through the allocation of 20% of dues revenue to local sections and divisions.

Committee on Divisional Activities Action

▪ The Council approved a division name change.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry (CARB) will change its name to the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry & Chemical Glycobiology (CARB).

Committee on International Activities Petition

▪ The Council approved a Petition to Charter an International Chemical Sciences Chapter

This petition, contingent on approval by the ACS Board of Directors, allows for a new International Chemical Sciences Chapter in Switzerland.

Committee on Membership Affairs

▪ The Council approved the extension of market testing of the international dues discount program based on World Bank country income levels.

The test provides reduced dues for international members residing in emerging nations, which host an ACS chapter, and as defined by World Bank income criteria. The test results to date have suggested a positive impact on membership through new members and the expanded inclusivity that a wider global community provides.

▪ The Council approved the 2023 Schedule of Membership

The 2022 Schedule went live a few short months ago, and the 2023 Schedule was designed to add more value and increased choice for membership by adding clarity and a more intuitive explanation of how our membership works.

The 2023 Schedule of Membership did not change any dues, benefits, eligibility, or privileges from the 2022 Schedule.

If you have any comments or questions regarding membership or benefits, please contact your Councilor, Darlene Slattery at dslattery1@cfl.rr.com or call her at 321-632-2535.