Call for volunteers at NCW event and Deadline extended for SERMACS/SWRM 2025 Student Travel Awards

Posted on September 15, 2025September 15, 2025

Hello Orlando Section! We would like to bring to your attention to the following two urgent announcements:

We are seeking volunteers:
Join us in celebrating the wonders of chemistry during National Chemistry Week at the Orlando Science Center on Saturday, October 25! This year’s theme, “The Hidden Life of Spices,” explores the science behind the flavors, aromas, and chemistry of everyday spices. We’re looking for passionate volunteers to help bring hands-on science to life for visitors of all ages. Whether you’re a student, educator, scientist, or simply a fan of chemistry, your energy and enthusiasm can make this event unforgettable!
If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out to Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida (denisia.popolan-vaida@ucf.edu) by September 30, 2025.

Student Travel Awards: Joint Meeting of SERMACS/SWRM 2025 (Deadline extended) Because of late abstract acceptance, the Award committee of the Orlando Section has approved an extension of the submission deadline to September 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM. For more details, please check our website.

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

Call for Annual Awards Nominations

Posted on September 6, 2025September 6, 2025

Since 1991, the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society has recognized individuals who live, work, or study in the seven-county region of the Orlando Section and excel in chemistry. Continuing this tradition, this year, the Orlando Section will give the following awards:

Eileen Tulley Award for Outstanding High School Student
Outstanding High School Teacher
Outstanding Undergraduate at a Primarily Teaching Institution
Outstanding Undergraduate at a Primarily Research Institution
Outstanding Graduate at a Primarily Research Institution
Outstanding Educator at a Primarily Teaching Institution
Outstanding Educator at a Primarily Research Institution
Outstanding Chemist
Outstanding Chemistry Professional
Outstanding Entrepreneur/Employer Award
Outstanding Volunteer

Descriptions and criteria for each award can be found in our website at https://orlandoacs.org/annual-awards

If you know someone or companies who should be recognized publicly, please nominate them for an ACS Orlando Section award. Each Award consists of a plaque and a monetary award. Awardees will be honored at the local Section’s annual banquet held on December 6^th, 2025. Student nominees need not be currently enrolled in chemistry but can be nominated for achievements for the spring 2025 term. Nominees for awards need not be members.

Nomination package includes:
(1) A letter of nomination stating why this person/company* deserves the award.
(2) A letter of support from someone else who knows the nominee.

Each letter should include the name of the award, and the writer’s email address, and daytime phone number. Electronic submissions are required by completing the google doc form (link below) and uploading PDF letters in the appropriate places on the form. Questions can be directed to Dr. Laura Sessions, Chair of the Orlando Section Awards Committee at lsessions@valenciacollege.edu. To be considered, nominations must be received by 5pm Friday November 7, 2025.

Complete this form and upload ONLY PDF formatted letters here:
https://valenciacc.ut1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_54J6vTbEq03bkAC

Nominators of awardees are expected to participate in the Orlando Section’s annual banquet to introduce the awardees.

* Point of contact for nominated company must be included in the letter.

Student Travel Awards: Joint Meeting of SERMACS/SWRM 2025 (Deadline extended)

Posted on September 2, 2025September 13, 2025

Chemical Society (ACS) and its affiliates, and to create opportunities for students to enhance their scientific experiences and networking, the Orlando Local Section of the ACS offers travel awards. Since the Orlando Section is hosting the 76th Southeastern and 81st Southwest Joint Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Orlando from Oct 26-29, we are pleased to offer registration fees for six students to this meeting — three for graduate students and three for undergraduate students.

Application Instructions:
To apply, student applicant should prepare an application package (a single PDF file) that includes the following:

A brief introduction of the applicant
Proof of acceptance of the abstract
The abstract of the presentation
A brief explanation of why a travel award from the Orlando Local Section of the ACS is necessary (especially for those whose research projects are federally, industrially, or privately funded)
Contact information of the advisor (the award committee will request a statement from the advisor indicating the need for the travel award for registration, lodging, and/or travel expenses)

The application package should be sent via email to the Awards Committee (Dr. Laura Sessions, lsessions@valenciacollege.edu) by ~~August 29 September 12~~ September 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM. The committee will select awardees based on financial need, with preference given to those who possess an active ACS student membership in the Orlando Section or its student chapters, those who have not received a previous travel award from the Orlando Section, and distribution among the colleges and universities in our Section. Novelty and impact of the research project are bonus criteria.

2025 NCW Illustrated Poem Contest: The Hidden Life of Spices

Posted on September 1, 2025September 8, 2025

The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is hosting an illustrated poem contest for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Entries must be sponsored by a local school or community group for verification purposes.

Contest_Deadline:	Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 11:54 PM Eastern
Local Prizes:	One winner* will be awarded $50 and one runner up* will be awarded $25 for each of the flowing categories: Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 *Submissions must be of high quality, align with the contest’s theme, and achieve the highest score.
Local Contact:	Duy Le (submission@orlandoacs.org)
Submission:	Illustrated poem and submission form must be submitted to https://forms.gle/6hszevd9nid4ng9bA or emailed to submission@orlandoacs.org

Winners of the Orlando Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and to win prizes!

How to participate:

Write and illustrate a poem using the NCW theme, “The Hidden Life of Spices.”

Your poem must be no more than 40 words and in the following styles to be considered:

HAIKU – LIMERICK – ODE – ABC POEM – FREE VERSE – END RHYME – BLANK VERSE

Possible topics related to the theme include:

Turmeric
Molecules
Capsaicin
Cinnamon
Aroma
Fragrance
Gingerol
Eugenol
Spices
Chi

Entries will be judged based upon:

Artistic Merit – use of color, quality of drawing, design & layout

Poem Message – fun, motivational, inspiring about yearly theme

Originality Creativity – unique, clever and/or creative design

Neatness – free of spelling and grammatical errors

Contest rules:

– All poems must be no more than 40 words, and in one of the following styles to be considered: Haiku, Limerick, Ode, ABC poem, Free verse, End rhyme, and Blank verse.
– Entries are judged based upon relevance to and incorporation of the NCW theme, word choice and imagery, colorful artwork, adherence to poem style, originality and creativity, and overall presentation.
– All entries must be original works without aid from others. Poems may be submitted by hand on an unlined sheet of paper not larger than 11” by 14” or scanned and sent via email. Illustrations may be created using crayons, watercolors, other types of paint, colored pencils, or markers. The illustration may also be electronically created by using a digital painting and drawing app on a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
– The text of the poem should be easy to read and may be typed before the hand-drawn or digital illustration is added, or the poem may be written on lined paper, which is cut out and pasted onto the unlined paper with the illustration.
– No clipart or unoriginal images can be used.
– Only one entry per student will be accepted; all entries must include an entry form. If the illustration is created using a digital painting or drawing app, the name of the program must be included on the entry form.
– Acceptance of prizes constitutes consent to use winners’ first name, and entry for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes.
– Do not place participant names on the front of your poem

Download submission form and this flyer.

Examples (Past National winners)

2025 NCW: Distribution of Celebrating Chemistry magazines

Posted on August 25, 2025August 25, 2025

Celebrating Chemistry magazines displayed at a local library.

The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society is on a mission to spark a love for chemistry among children in Central Florida. For the past few years, we have distributed Celebrating Chemistry magazines to local library systems, providing resources that make chemistry accessible and exciting for young learners.

For 2025 National Chemistry Week (NCW), the Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will distribute Celebrating Chemistry magazines to library systems of 7 counties around central Florida: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia.

Representative from each county library should submit this request form to request the magazines. We only ship the magazine to one address per county, preferably, to the main branch/office, from which the magazines will be distributed through county library system.

Request form: https://forms.gle/rgvTLKUxDqNVStr18

Deadline for submission: 09/12/2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Duy Le (duy.le@ucf.edu).

ACS Graduate Student Success Grant

Posted on August 21, 2025August 21, 2025

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has announced the launch of the ACS Graduate Student Success Grant, a new initiative aimed at supporting graduate students affected by the termination or cancellation of their adviser’s research funding.

The ACS Board of Directors has approved a total of $2.5 million for this program. The grant is designed to assist MS and PhD students who are within one year of completing their degree and whose progress has been disrupted due to the loss of their adviser’s research grant(s).

Eligible students may receive up to $25,000 for one year, with funding awarded per research institution.

Applications will open on September 15 and close on October 1. Additional information about the grant can be found at www.acs.org/gradsuccessgrant.

SERMACS/SWRM 2025 is looking for a Volunteer Coordinator

Posted on August 12, 2025September 6, 2025

The SERMACS/SWRM 2025 Conference is seeking a Volunteer Coordinator to lead efforts managing volunteers from local academic institutions. This vital role includes:

• Assigning roles and responsibilities

• Creating and managing volunteer schedules

• Providing on-site coordination during the conference

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a major scientific event while building leadership and organizational experience. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, proactive, and available to be on-site throughout the conference.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the SERMACS 2025 General Co-Chairs Christopher Chouinard at cchouin@clemson.edu.

Orlando Section Newsletter Summer 2025

Posted on July 25, 2025July 25, 2025

Greetings Orlando Local Section,

I hope you all have had a pleasant summer. As fall approaches the local section would like to make you aware of some exciting events and opportunities associated with our hosting the joint Southeastern and Southwest Regional Meeting of the ACS here in Orlando in October.

Your 2025 Officers
Chair: Brian Mosby bmosby@rollins.edu
Chair-elect: Toufiq Reza treza@fit.edu
Immediate Past Chair: Stephen Smith stephensmith@fit.edu
Treasurer: Van Quach quachv@seminolestate.edu
Secretary: Meghan McGreal mmcgreal@stetson.edu
Councilor: Darlene Slattery dslattery1@cfl.rr.com
Councilor: Laura Sessions lsessions@valenciacollege.edu
Alternate Councilor: Nicole Lapeyrouse nicole.lapeyrouse@ucf.edu

General Information

The 76th Southeastern and 81st Southwest Joint Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society will be in Orlando from October 26 to 29, 2025 at the Double Tree Orlando at SeaWorld. The Online Registration portal is now open and abstracts will be accepted until July 28th. Registrations submitted before September 19th are eligible for the Early Bird discount price. Please visit https://www.sermacs2025.org/ to register and for additional details. A few important events are highlighted below.

Symposia and Workshops

In addition to traditional research symposia, the SERMACS/SWRM 2025 offers a number of workshops and symposia for chemists and chemical engineers exploring careers outside academia as well as for educators interested in preparing students for careers in the private sector.

– Career Pathways in Pharmacy Workshop. Through engaging presentations and interactive discussions, and hands-on experience led by industry and academic experts, attendees will explore a wide array of career paths, including clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical research, healthcare administration, and more.

– Chemical Patents Workshop: Intellectual Properties for Chemists. Discover the importance and connectivity of intellectual property, innovation and entrepreneurship.

– Working for Yourself: Your Idea, Your Business, and Your Marketing Strategy. Ready to be your own boss? This workshop will help you determine if self-employment is for you.

– How to Start a Start-Up? How does one transform scientific research into a scalable, impactful enterprise? This symposium is designed for chemists, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty seeking to understand the fundamentals of science-based entrepreneurship.

– Industry-Academia Summit on Preparing Chemists for the Private Sector. This summit brings together industry professionals, founders, academics, and recent hires to share their best practices and expectations for equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed for success in the private sector.

– Chemistry at Merck: Informational Breakfast A broad overview of careers within Merck that leverage a chemistry background. (For students and postdocs only. No professors or professionals. No advanced registration is needed)

Florida Local Sections Breakfast

There will be a breakfast held on October 26th at 8 AM . The Orlando Local Section would like to use this as an opportunity to gather together and network with other sections. You can RSVP for the breakfast while registering for the conference. We hope to see you there.

Volunteer Information

There are a plethora of opportunities to volunteer for the conference. Volunteers will receive a complimentary registration, SERMACS T-shirt, and lunch on the day of their volunteer assignment. Volunteer applications will be accepted until October 1st and can be sent to sermacs2025@gmail.com . The application can be found on the Awards page in the Student Volunteer Opportunities box. Please note all volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and are expected to abide by the ACS Volunteer and Participant Code of Conduct Policy.

Travel Awards

We are pleased to offer registration fees for six students to this meeting — three for graduate students and three for undergraduate students.

Application Instructions:
To apply, students should prepare an application package (a single PDF file) that includes the following:

A brief introduction of the applicant
Proof of acceptance of the abstract
The abstract of the presentation
A brief explanation of why a travel award from the Orlando Local Section of the ACS is necessary (especially for those whose research projects are federally, industrially, or privately funded)
Contact information of the advisor (the award committee will request a statement from the advisor indicating the need for the travel award for registration, lodging, and/or travel expenses)

The application package should be sent via email to the Awards Committee (Dr. Laura Sessions, lsessions@valenciacollege.edu) by August 29, 2025, at 11:59 PM. The committee will select awardees based on financial need, with preference given to those who possess an active ACS student membership, those who have not received a previous travel award from the Orlando Section, and distribution among the colleges and universities in our Section. Novelty and impact of the research project are bonus criteria.

Academic Institution Recruitment Opportunity

Academic institutions seeking to recruit undergraduate and graduate students are invited to reserve a booth at the SERMACS/SWRM 2025 Grad Fair, which will be held on October 26, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld. Based on past attendance records, our regional meetings consistently attract a significant number of undergraduate and graduate students. We particularly encourage Graduate programs in chemistry and related fields (e.g. chemical engineering, pharmacy, pharmacology, etc…) to participate if they are looking to recruit new students. To apply, please visit https://www.sermacs2025.org/exposition.html

Sponsorship Opportunities

By sponsoring SERMACS /SWRM 2025, you have the opportunity to have your company logo and link seen by the approximately 2,000 anticipated professionals and students from the 14 states and Puerto Rico representing the Southeastern and Southwest regions of the American Chemical Society. Visit the sponsorship tab at SERMACS2025.org to learn more about the benefits associated with the different levels of sponsorship.

For additional updates you can visitour website, our facebook page, or our LinkedIn page.

Student Travel Awards: ACS Fall 2025 National Meeting and Expo

Posted on June 15, 2025June 16, 2025

To encourage student participation in local, regional, and national conferences organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and its affiliates, and to create opportunities for students to enhance their scientific experiences and networking, the Orlando Local Section of the ACS offers travel awards. Students with an accepted abstract to present are encouraged to apply for a Student Travel Award for the ACS Fall 2025 National Meeting and Expo in Washington DC, in August. Two travel awards of $500 each are planned—one for a graduate student and one for an undergraduate student.

*Arden Floyd gave a poster presentation on her research titled “Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity of Fresh and Aged Maleic Acid Aerosol Particles” at FAME 2023.*

Application Instructions:
To apply, student applicant should prepare an application package (a single PDF file) that includes the following:

A brief introduction of the applicant
Proof of acceptance of the abstract
The abstract of the presentation
A brief explanation of why a travel award from the Orlando Local Section of the ACS is necessary (especially for those whose research projects are federally, industrially, or privately funded)
Contact information of the advisor (the award committee will request a statement from the advisor indicating the need for the travel award for registration, lodging, and/or travel expenses)

The application package should be sent via email to the Awards Committee (Dr. Laura Sessions, lsessions@valenciacollege.edu) by June 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM. The committee will select awardees based on financial need, with preference given to those who possess an active ACS student membership, those who have not received a previous travel award from the Orlando Section, and distribution among the colleges and universities in our Section. Novelty and impact of the research project are bonus criteria.

2025 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest: The Results of Local Contest

Posted on May 12, 2025May 14, 2025

For the 2025 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW), the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) organized an Illustrated Poem Contest for K-12 students in Central Florida, centered on the theme “Glaciers: Hot Topic, Cool Chemistry!.” Among the many CCEW activities, this contest encouraged young minds to explore chemistry creatively.

Thanks to the support of county school board members and dedicated teachers who promoted the event, numerous students from across Central Florida participated, submitting a wide array of entries for all categories, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

The winners of the local contest
K-2 Category: Liam Wever* (2^nd grade), Carillon Elementary (Seminole County)
3-5 Category: Hrishika Soni* (4^th grade), Heathrow Elementary School (Seminole County)
6-8 Category: T. T. (8^th grade), Horizon West Middle School (Orange County)
9-12 Category: Erik Denico (12^th grade), Lake Buena Vista High School (Orange County)
* Permission to use student’s full name was obtained.

The winner of each category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $50. The teacher who guided the winner of each category will receive a school supply funding of $100. The winner of each category also advances to the national 2025 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest. The results of the national contest will be published on ACS website soon.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the local contest, please contact the local section’s coordinator of the contest (Dr. Duy Le, submission@orlandoacs.org).