Call for Annual Awards

Posted on September 24, 2022November 9, 2022

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 3^rd, 2022. Student nominees need not be currently enrolled in chemistry but can be nominated for achievements for the spring 2022 term.

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. Email PDF letters to Dr. Darlene Slattery, Chair of the Orlando Section Awards Committee at dslattery1@cfl.rr.com. To be considered, nominations must be received by ~~Friday~~ ~~November 4^th, 2022~~ November 9^th, 2022.

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

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

Annual Election: Call for 2023 Executive Board Candidates & Voting

Posted on September 13, 2022September 13, 2022

We are seeking interested individuals to join the Orlando Section Executive Committee in 2023! We have four positions up for election: Chair, Chair Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Councilor. A description of each position is included below. Please contact Dr. Laura Sessions (lsessions@valenciacollege.edu), Nominating Committee Chair, with any additional questions.

All nominations (including name of nominee, contact information, and nominated position) must be notified to Dr. Laura Sessions (via email at lsessions@valenciacollege.edu) by October 14^th, 2022. Voting is expected to open on October 24^th, when you will receive a separate email with the instructions on how to cast your votes electronically and will close on November 8^th . Please let us know (via email at contact@orlandoacs.org) before October 14^th 2022 if you would like to be mailed a paper copy ballot.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

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

Two year commitment (one year as chair, one year as immediate Past-Chair)
Serve as Chair of the Executive Committee
Appoint members and/or affiliates to all committees
Oversee the activity of the section
To vote/participate in exec decisions

Chair Elect (one year term). The main responsibilities are:

Three year commitment (one year as chair-elect, one year as chair, one year as immediate Past-Chair)
To vote/participate in exec decisions
Succeed to office of Chair for the next year
Serve as chair for meetings which the Chair cannot attend

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 exec 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 exec 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 exec decisions

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.

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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