April 2025 Elemental Encounters: 2025 Central Florida Earth Day April 19th, 2025

April Event: Central Florida Earth Day at Lake Eola

The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will be participating in the 20th annual Central Florida Earth Day event at Lake Eola Park (east side), 512 E. Washington Street Orlando, FL on Saturday April 19th, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. All members and affiliates are welcome to stop by and say hi to our wonderful volunteers and meet some local section members. The ACS-Orlando booth will be located at the Tent Vendor 6 site on the International Bridge.

Other event information including but not limited to parking guides and directions may be accessed on the event webpage: Central Florida Earth Day – Home (cfearthday.org). Please reach out with any questions (stephensmith@fit.edu) and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Our May event will be a tour at the Lakeridge Winery planned for Saturday May 17th. More information: https://www.lakeridgewinery.com/.

Also coming soon: our annual Summer Social event coming in June – lunch and a speaker!

Elemental Encounters – Meet-up Events in Spring 2025: St. Johns Rivership Lunch Cruise (March 15)

The Orlando Section announces a series of casual gatherings for members to connect at locations with a little scientific flair.  We plan to meet at a different venue each month now through the summer. Most will be free, drop-in, and family friendly.

St. Johns Rivership Lunch Cruise
Saturday March 15, 2025. (11:00 am – 2:00pm)
Cost: $71 for adults ($35.50 for children 4-13)
Location: 433 N. Palmetto Ave. Sanford, Florida 32771
More information: https://www.stjohnsrivershipco.com/cruises-fares/lunch-cruise/?date=02/16/2025&timeId=14274331&departure=0&destination=0

Book your tour online or call: RivershipTix.com or 321-204-0274. Send your RSVP number to lsessions@valenciacollege.edu to be seated at the tables with your chemistry friends.

Embark on an unforgettable luncheon with your fellow Orlando Section members aboard the rivership, the Barbara Lee, departing from Historic Sanford, FL. Choose from seven different entrees, showcasing culinary excellence with options to suit every taste. Tickets include food, entertainment, and cruise. Coffee, tea, and water are provided. Soda and alcoholic beverages as well as gratuities are not included.

As you savor your meal, live entertainment will serenade you with music, creating a festive atmosphere as you cruise along the scenic waters of the St. Johns River. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy watching the local wildlife, which includes birds, manatees and alligators at various times throughout the year. During the lunch tours, our cruise guide will point out wildlife, areas of interest and share the history of steamships that sailed the St. Johns River.

Elemental Encounters – Meet-up Events in Spring 2025

The Orlando Section announces a series of casual gatherings for members to connect at locations with a little scientific flair.  We plan to meet at a different venue each month now through the summer. Most will be free, drop-in, and family friendly.

Pictures from the last ACS event at the Orlando Wetlands in 2018. From Jen Archer and Emily Heider.

Orlando Wetlands
Saturday February 15, 2025. (9:45 am – 12:30pm)
Cost: Free Admission 
Location: 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709
More information: https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Departments-Offices/Public-Works/Water-Reclamation-Division/Orlando-Wetlands

Drop by and chat with some of your fellow Orlando Section members, take a self-guided walking tour, or drop in for the 10am or 11am tram tour. Stay as long as you wish. Look for us in the pavilion to the right of the welcome trailer

The Orlando Wetlands offers public tram tours to highlight the creation, operation, management, and wildlife of the facility. The volunteer program runs tram cart tours for groups of less than 10 people on Saturdays, lasting 45 – 60 minutes. Since reservations are not taken, we recommend getting there 15 minutes before the hour to reserve a seat. Bring your picnic lunch too. In Christmas, FL.

Tentative next event will be March 16 on St. Johns Rivership Co. for a Lunch Cruise.  More information and a full spring schedule coming soon!

Meet with 60-year ACS member, Helein Hitchcock

Helein Hitchcock was recently recognized as a 60-year ACS member at a luncheon with Darlene Slattery  and Michael Hampton.  Helein has been involved in the Section as an awards reviewer and a science fair judge. 

Helein received her B.S. in chemistry from the University of Maryland in 1964 and went to work for Bendix Field Engineering at Kennedy Space Center doing routine analysis of spacecraft and ground systems gaseous samples to meet specifications.  Eventually, Helein transferred from working as a contract employee to being a NASA employee.  She continued working at KSC supporting the space program until her retirement.  During that time, her exemplary service was acknowledged with a number of awards, including the prestigious Silver Snoopy award and the Manned Flight Awareness Award.

2024 Annual Award Banquet

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The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society held it’s annual awards banquet on Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at the At the blu on the avenue restaurant in Winter Park, FL.

The 2024 winners are:

Award RecipientOrganization
Outstanding Student at a primarily teaching institutionJulia DasqueSeminole State College
Outstanding Student at a primarily research institution (undergraduate)Disha IyengarUniversity of Central Florida
Outstanding Graduate StudentEdwin DavidsonUniversity of Central Florida
Outstanding Educator at a Primarily Research InstitutionDr. Denisia Popolan-VaidaUniversity of Central Florida
Outstanding ChemistDr. Titel JurcaUniversity of Central Florida
Outstanding VolunteerDr. Denisia Popolan-VaidaUniversity of Central Florida

Annual Election: The results

We are excited to announce the results of 2025 Executive Committee of the Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society and By-Laws Vote. Voting opened on November 11th, 2024 and closed on November 22nd, 2024.

Chair-Elect: Dr. Toufiq Reza
Secretary: Dr. Meghan McGreal
Treasurer: Dr. Van Quach
Alternate Councilor: Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse
By-Laws Amendments: Passed
Electronic record of the results can be found on third party website.

Congratulations!

Annual Awards Banquet Invitation

The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society will recognize 2024 award winners in a traditional annual awards banquet on December 7th, 2024. You are cordially invited to attend the banquet:

Saturday, December 7th, 2024
11:30AM to 2:00PM
Location: blu on the avenue
326 Park Avenue South Winter Park, FL 32789

The event will commence with a social including hors d’oeuvres of tomato bruschetta, shrimp cocktail, and crab bruschetta. A cash bar will be available.

Lunch Menu
Beverages:
Iced Tea, Soft Beverages, and Illy Coffee
Entrée choice of
Pasta Primavera – seasonal vegetables, grana padano cheese
Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken – grana padano cheese, house made caesar dressing, croutons
Chicken Piccata – white wine, butter, capers, lemon sauce, garlic mash, seasonal vegetable
Salmon – tomato bruschetta, balsamic glaze, garlic mash, seasonal vegetable
Dessert choice of
Tiramisu or Apple Caramel Crisp

We will recognize individuals for their outstanding achievements in chemistry and across the broader chemical enterprise following lunch. The cost will be $25/person (after subsidy, tax, and gratuity included)The Section will pay the bill with a single check. Please be prepared to pay at the door by check or cash—unfortunately we cannot accept credit cards.

All reservations must be made by December 1st, 2024 and can be submitted:

Online – https://forms.gle/qrh5bu7eC4pihq9q6

Via Email: contact@orlandoacs.org
By Phone: Stephen Smith, (321) 309 – 3037 

Orlando ACS Inspires Young Scientists with Celebrating Chemistry Magazines

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.

In 2024, the initiative reached a new milestone, with 5,100 copies of the magazines distributed to library systems across five counties in Central Florida. These magazines are now available at local library branches, reaching children in countless communities throughout Central Florida.

The Celebrating Chemistry magazines are more than just reading material—they’re a gateway to hands-on learning. Local libraries have incorporated the magazines into various activities, from science workshops to family-friendly events, helping kids explore chemistry through experiments, puzzles, and real-world applications.

By making chemistry engaging and relatable, the Orlando ACS is nurturing the next generation of scientists and innovators, one magazine at a time.

For future distribution or if you have any question about the distribution, please contact Duy Le (duy.le@ucf.edu).

By-Laws Amendments Vote

The Orlando Section ACS needs to update our by-laws to align with recent changes to the American Chemical Society By-Laws. As a voting member, you will be able to vote on the updated by-laws.  Following our current by-laws, at least 2/3 of votes cast shall be required to approve the new by-laws.  

Key changes include alignment to the new membership types and removal of paper ballot for voting processes (that are now completed digitally). The new by-laws are provided below for your perusal. You may compare to the current by-laws that are found on our website here along with a marked-up version that shows all the changes here.  If you have any questions, please contact Laura Sessions lsessions@valenciacollege.edu.

Annual Election: Meet the Candidates for 2025 Executive Committee

We are excited to announce the candidates for 2025 Executive Committee of the Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society. Voting is expected to open on November 11th, 2024 and will close on November 22nd, 2024. You will receive an email with instructions on how to cast your votes electronically.

Dr. Toufiq Reza
Candidate for Chair-Elect

Dr. Pavithra Pathirathna
Candidate for Secretary

Dr. Meghan McGreal
Candidate for Secretary and Candidate for Alternate Councilor

Dr. Van Quach
Candidate for Treasurer

Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse
Candidate for Alternate Councilor

Dr. Chris Avery
Candidate for Alternate Councilor