Travel Awards

The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) recently awarded $500 travel grants to two outstanding students, enabling them to attend the Spring 2025 ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA. This prestigious event brought together more than 15,000 chemists from around the world to share their latest research and innovations.

Cecilia Uchechukwu Ezeanya, a second-year master’s student at the University of Central Florida, was one of the recipients. Working in the lab of Prof. Swadeshmukul Santra, Cecilia presented her research on “Optimized Polyphenol-Polymeric Nanoparticles for Encapsulation and Delivery of Oxytetracycline-Divalent Cation Complexes against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.”

Reflecting on her experience, Cecilia expressed her gratitude: “I am truly grateful to the ACS Orlando Section for recognizing me as a deserving graduate student and awarding me a travel grant to share my research with thousands of attendees at the ACS Spring Meeting in San Diego. The experience was a perfect blend of diverse expertise, spanning Chemistry to Pharmaceutical Chemistry, with engaging discussions and extracurricular activities. I am glad I maximized the daily networking events, happy hour moments, and the Laboratory 271 escape room. Overall, I took home valuable suggestions – some of which I began exploring the very night I returned from San Diego. I am confident that my work on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient, Cargo Loading, and Analytical Chemistry will contribute to advancing the scientific community and ultimately benefit the populace.”

Gene Koifman, an undergraduate majoring in Chemical Engineering at Florida Tech, was the other recipient. Gene has been conducting research in the lab of Prof. Pavithra Pathirathna since Spring 2023. He presented his poster titled “Surface-Modified Four-Bore Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Simultaneous Detection of Neurotransmitters and Toxic Metals,” which focuses on developing electrodes that detect multiple analytes using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Gene shared his excitement about the opportunity: “I am very grateful to the Orlando Section of the ACS for their generous funding, which helped cover my travel expenses to attend and present my research at the ACS Spring Meeting. The conference provided a fantastic opportunity to explore cutting-edge research across various chemistry disciplines, from Electrochemistry to Catalysis, giving me valuable insights for my planned PhD journey. Presenting my work was an invaluable experience, allowing me to receive constructive feedback, engage in meaningful discussions, and connect with potential collaborators. I was especially encouraged by the strong interest from researchers in analytical chemistry and neuroscience, which inspired new directions for my work. Overall, this experience has strengthened my understanding of the field and reinforced my excitement for graduate research. I sincerely appreciate the Orlando Section ACS for making this opportunity possible.”

Both students returned from the conference with new insights and inspiration, ready to apply what they learned to their ongoing research. The Orlando Section’s support has not only facilitated their professional growth but also contributed to the broader scientific community.

Be on the lookout for fall travel awards announced at the beginning of June.

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 Spring 2025 National Meeting and Expo in San Diego, CA, in March. Two travel awards of $500 each are planned—one for a graduate student and one for an undergraduate student.

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 January 31, 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.