Category Archives: Announcements

Call for Volunteers: National Chemistry Week Outreach Event

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The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to participate in our upcoming National Chemistry Week (NCW) Outreach Event at the Orlando Science Center on Saturday, October 17!

Join us for a fun and engaging day of hands-on science activities as we bring chemistry to life and inspire curiosity and excitement about science in our community.

Volunteers are needed to:

  • Lead or assist with hands-on chemistry activities and demonstrations
  • Help participants explore the chemistry and science of construction
  • Explain scientific concepts in a fun, engaging, and accessible way
  • Assist with event setup and cleanup
  • Welcome and interact with visitors throughout the event

Important: All adult volunteers must complete the ACS-required background check prior to participating in the event, in accordance with the ACS Youth Protection Policy.

Instructions for completing the background check can be found here:
https://www.acs.org/volunteer/explore/youth-protection-policy.html?elqE=18666&elqC=10729

After completing the background check, please register for the event using the following form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctMVgpT7f_U2XTBsq3qnKLubap9gsqPooa7EnuOk4xS5xMBg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

For questions or additional information, please contact the event coordinator, Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida, at denisia.popolan-vaida@ucf.edu.

We greatly appreciate your willingness to volunteer and help make this National Chemistry Week event a success. We look forward to seeing you at the Orlando Science Center!

The ACS Orlando Section Young Chemists Committee (YCC) is back!

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The Young Chemists Committee (YCC) of the ACS Orlando Section is being revamped and returning to the Orlando area. Our goal is to bring together young chemists from universities and organizations throughout the greater Orlando area and create opportunities to connect, learn, and build community.

Our vision is twofold: first, to develop outreach events that introduce young students to the excitement and power of chemistry; and second, to organize events that connect undergraduate students, graduate students, and industry professionals.

Julian Vlad, a third-year PhD candidate at the Florida Institute of Technology, serves as Chair of the YCC. If you have questions, are interested in getting involved, or would like to collaborate with the committee, please reach out to Julian at his email.

Annual Election: Call for 2027 Executive Board Candidates & Voting

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The Orlando Section of the ACS is seeking individuals interested in joining our 2027 Executive Board. We have four positions up for election: Chair Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Councilor. A description of each position is included below. Please contact the nomination committee chair, Pavithra Pathirathna (ppathirathna@fit.edu), with any additional questions.

To make a nomination, complete the nomination form or email nomination information (name of nominee, contact information, and nominated position) to Pavithra Pathirathna (ppathirathna@fit.edu). All nominations must be submitted by November 1st, 2026. Voting will open on November 8th, instructions for voting by electronic ballot will be sent before the voting period opens.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Chair Elect (one-year term; three-year term total). The main responsibilities are:

  • To vote/participate in executive board decisions
  • Serve as chair for meetings which the Chair cannot attend
  • Succeed to office of Chair for the next year

Treasurer (one-year term).  The main responsibilities are:

  • Prepare the annual budget/expenditures report for Nationals
  • Maintain the Section bank account
  • Maintain a budget, disbursements, expenditures, and accounting for the Section activities
  • To vote/participate in executive board decisions

Secretary (one-year term).  The main responsibilities are:

  • To take notes at exec meetings
  • To set-up and distribute ballots for elections (mostly electronic now)
  • Oversee website and social media communications
  • To vote/participate in executive board decisions

Councilor (three-year term).  The main responsibilities are:

  • To attend national meeting annually, represent the Section, and report back activities
  • Assist in preparing and submitting the annual report to the national office
  • To vote/participate in executive board decisions

SERMACS 2025: Wins the Chemluminary Award for Outstanding Regional Meeting with Greater than 1,000 Attendees

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Program Chair Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, Grad Fair Chair Nicole Lapeyrouse, and Web Chair Laura Sessions were present at the Chemluminary Awards to accept on behalf of the regions.

As highlighted in C&ENews, the Southeastern/Southwest Joint Regional Meeting received Outstanding Regional Meeting with Greater than 1,000 Attendees. Hosted by the Orlando Local Section, it convened over 1,700 attendees, showcasing large-scale scientific exchange through 49 symposia and extensive poster sessions. Cross-regional collaboration, career-focused programming, and networking events strengthened connections across academia, industry, and government sectors.

The Orlando Section Executive Committee would once again like to express its gratitude to Chris Chouinard for his dedication and service as General Chair and to the organizing committee including Chris Avery (co-chair), Sara Hubbard (SWRM chair), Vasileios Anagnostopoulos (program chair), Michael Johnson (exposition chair), Van Quach (treasurer), Chris Randles (education chair), Darlene Slattery (awards committee chair), Nicole Lapeyrouse (graduate fair chair), Duy Le (website committee), Laura Sessions (website committee), and Brian Mosby (Orlando local section chair).

Orlando Section students traveled to the Fall Meeting

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The Orlando Section of the ACS sponsored two students with Student Travel Awards to the Fall Meeting in Chicago.

FNU Joshua, graduate student at UCF in Dr. Lei Zhai’s group, shared that: attending the ACS Fall 2026 meeting was a very meaningful experience for me. It gave me the opportunity not only to present my research, but also to learn from researchers working across many different areas of chemistry. Seeing the current trends and emerging directions in chemistry-related research broadened my perspective and gave me new ideas that I can carry into my future research. I also appreciated the opportunity to discuss my work with other researchers, receive feedback, and make new professional connections. Overall, the conference helped me grow both scientifically and professionally, and I am very grateful for the travel award support that made this experience possible.

Alec DeCecco is a graduate student at UCF in Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida’s group. He shared that: A particularly important aspect of my participation was the opportunity to disseminate my own research to the broader scientific community. Presenting my work allowed me to share recent findings, receive constructive feedback from experts in related fields, and engage in discussions that helped refine my scientific perspectives. These interactions not only increased the visibility of my research but also provided valuable insights that will help guide future investigations.

In addition to presenting my work, I benefited greatly from interacting with scientists from diverse disciplines, institutions, and career stages. Exposure to a wide range of research topics and approaches broadened my understanding of current developments across the chemical sciences and encouraged me to consider new ways of addressing challenges within my own research program. The scientific presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities strengthened my ability to communicate my research to both specialists and broader scientific audiences while fostering potential future collaborations.

I am sincerely grateful to the ACS Orlando Section for its financial support, which made it possible for me to participate in this outstanding professional development experience. The opportunity to disseminate my research, engage in scientific exchange, and build new professional connections has been invaluable. The knowledge, feedback, and relationships gained through this experience will continue to contribute to the advancement of my research program and my growth as a scientist, educator, and mentor.

Call for Chemistry Olympiad Coordinator

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The Section is seeking a volunteer to serve as our Chemistry Olympiad Coordinator, helping to promote and administer the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO), a multi-tiered competition that challenges and recognizes outstanding high school chemistry students and provides a pathway to national and international competition. The coordinator works with local schools and students to facilitate participation in the program and support the local examination process.

You can find more information here. Please email the Orlando Section Chair (Toufiq Reza) with your interest.

The Executive Committee extends its sincere gratitude to Dr. Mary Roslonowski for her many years of dedicated service in this role and for her significant contributions to the success of our Chemistry Olympiad program.

Call for Annual Awards Nominations

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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 5th, 2026. Student nominees need not be currently enrolled in chemistry but can be nominated for achievements for the spring 2026 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 October 30, 2026.

Complete the form and upload PDF letters to the link here or scan the QR.

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

Save the date for the Annual Awards Banquet to be held on December 5, 2026.

2026 NCW:  Distribution of Celebrating Chemistry magazines

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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 2026 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/SFhEpnNZM8azA71f9

Deadline for submission: 09/11/2026.

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

2026 NCW Illustrated Poem Contest: Chemistry Under Construction

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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. For local contest, submission form is needed but parent/Guardian signature is not required.

Contest Deadline:Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 11:59 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, aligned 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/ryiZUQs9GwTxBTHKA
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, “Chemistry Under Construction”

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:

  • Chemical reaction
  • Molecules
  • Copper
  • Rust
  • Adhesive
  • Concrete
  • Cement
  • Insulation
  • Metal
  • Polymers

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 yearly topic (the 2026 theme is Chemistry Under Construction), the word choice and the imagery, colorful artwork, adherence to poem style, originality and creativity, and overall presentation.
• All entries must be original works without aid from others. Physical drawings may be scanned or captured via camera and submitted digitally. 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. If the illustration is created using a digital painting or drawing app, the name of the program must be included on the entry form.
• Use of AI in any form (i.e. written or pictorial) is strictly prohibited.
• 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 (without assistance from others).
• Students must be sponsored by a school or another sponsoring community group (e.g., Homeschool Association, Boys and Girls Club, Scout Troop, 4-H, etc.).
• Acceptance of prizes constitutes consent to use winners’ names, likenesses, and entries for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes.
• Students must have parental/guardian permission and signature to enter the contest.
• No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Sponsored by the American Chemical Society. All rights reserved. All information provided herein pertains to the Illustrated Poem Content. This information may be updated or changed for future contests.
• Parent/Guardian Signature is not required for local contest. We will request parent/guardian signature only for the Poems that go to the national contest.
• Teachers of the winners of local contest will present awards to the winners on behalf of the Orlando Local Section.

Download submission form.

Examples (Past National winners)

Call for Industry Event Planning + Summer Social Wrap-up

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Call for Planning Committee Members: Chemistry Connections – Industry, Innovation, and Careers
Dear ACS Colleagues and Friends,
We’re seeking volunteers to help plan a new Central Florida ACS initiative:
Chemistry Connections: Industry, Innovation, and Careers
Our vision is to create an engaging annual event that connects students, industry professionals, and ACS members.

Goals

  • Build meaningful industry and entrepreneurial partnerships
  • Expand student engagement and career opportunities
  • Strengthen ACS member involvement
  • Develop a sustainable local networking and workforce-development program

First Planning Committee Meeting Date: Monday, August 18 tentative
Purpose: Develop the vision, goals, and structure for the event.
We welcome participation from our local chemists in industry, government, entrepreneurship, and also academia and retirement. Diverse perspectives will help us create an event that benefits students, employers, ACS members, and the broader chemistry community.

Interested in helping?
Please email lsessions@valenciacollege.edu to join the Planning Committee. Your ideas and expertise can help shape what may become a signature event for our local section.
We hope you’ll join us in strengthening the chemistry community and workforce pipeline in Central Florida.

Summer Social 2026 Wrap-up
More than 30 ACS Orlando Section members and guests gathered for a highly successful Summer Social 2026, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the American Chemical Society while enjoying a fascinating presentation on explosive chemistry by former section member Dr. Tyler Maxwell of Applied Research Associates at Tyndall Air Force Base. The event also honored three outstanding long-time ACS members—Dr. Rea (60 years), Dr. Lauterbach (60 years), and Dr. Hampton (50 years)—whose careers exemplify excellence in research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical sciences and the Society. Read the full event report, including highlights from Dr. Maxwell’s presentation, biographies of our honored members, and event photos, on our website.