ACS-Orlando is excited to announce that volunteer registration for the 2026 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) initiative is now live! The local section will be participating in the 21st annual Central Florida Earth Day event at Lake Eola Park (east side), 512 E. Washington Street Orlando, FL on Saturday April 25th, 2026 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. All members and affiliates are welcome to volunteer and there is no requirement to serve the entire duration of the event, any time contribution will be valuable. Please note that all volunteers must consent to a background check per the ACS Volunteer & Participant Code of Conduct Policy.
The ACS Orlando Section is partially sponsoring the 2025-2026 A.H. Blatt Distinguished Lecture by Professor John L. Wood, Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor and Department Chair, Baylor University. The title of this lecture is “Recent Efforts in the Synthesis of Complex Natural Products”. This hybrid event is scheduled for March 12, 2026, from 5 p.m. in Bioengineering and Sciences Building (BES), Room 141 at Florida Institute of Technology. Please follow the link below to attend the lecture on zoom: https://fit.zoom.us/j/91608351838. The members of ACS Orlando Section are cordially invited to attend the lecture. A reception to follow in the lobby of BES immediately after lecture.
To encourage student participation in local, regional, and national conferences organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and its affiliates – and to expand opportunities for students to deepen their scientific engagement and professional networks – the Orlando Section of the ACS offers Student Travel Awards.
Victor Johnson, a graduate student at Florida Institute of Technology, presented his research on Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant activity of Acalypha wilkesiana at the Fall 2025 ACS Meeting in Washington, DC.Victor Johnson, a graduate student at Florida Institute of Technology, presented his research on Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant activity of Acalypha wilkesiana at the Fall 2025 ACS Meeting in Washington, DC.
Students who have an accepted abstract to present at the ACS Spring 2026 National Meeting and Expo in Atlanta, GA, are invited to apply for travel support. The meeting will take place in March 2026 and provides an invaluable platform for students to share their research, attend technical sessions, and connect with chemists from across the nation.
Thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Darlene Slattery, retired long‑time Orlando Section Councilor and the 2025 Gordon L. Nelson Award recipient, the Section will offer five travel awards of $500 each. These awards are designated as follows:
Two awards for graduate students
Two awards for undergraduate students
One award for a student attending a non‑research college or university
This initiative helps reduce financial barriers to conference participation and supports the development of future scientists in our region.
Application Instructions: To apply, students must submit an application package as a single PDF file that includes the following components:
A brief introduction of the applicant (e.g., academic status, institution, research area)
Proof of acceptance of the abstract (such as the official ACS acceptance email or screenshot)
A copy of the presentation abstract
A brief explanation of financial need, describing why support from the Orlando Section of the ACS is necessary. This is especially important for applicants whose research groups receive federal, industrial, or private funding.
Advisor contact information, including email and phone number (The Awards Committee will directly request a brief statement from the advisor confirming the student’s financial need for registration, lodging, and/or travel assistance.)
The completed application package should be emailed to the Awards Committee: Dr. Laura Sessions (lsessions@valenciacollege.edu) February 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM (EST)
Selection Criteria The Awards Committee will select recipients primarily on the basis of financial need, with additional preference given to applicants who: possess an active ACS student membership, have not previously received a travel award from the Orlando Section, and contribute to broad representation across the colleges and universities within the Section. Bonus consideration will be given for the novelty and impact of the research project. To be eligible, students must be enrolled at institutions within the geographic boundaries of the Orlando Section.
For the 2025 National Chemistry Week (NCW), 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 “The Hidden Life of Spices” Among the many NCW 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, 3-5 and 9-12.
The results of the local contest 3-5 Category: Winner: Maria S. (Citrus Elementary School) Runner-Up: Brian J. (Bay Meadows Elementary School) 9-12 Category: Winner: Elena J. T. (East River High School) Runner-Up: Tanvi T. (Windermere High School)
Runner-up of Grade 3-5 Category (By Brian J., Bay Meadows Elementary School))
Winner of Grade 3-5 Category (by Maria S., Citrus Elementary School)
Winner of Grade 9-12 Category (by Elena J. T., East River High School)
Runner-up of Grade 9-12 Category (By Tanvi T., Windermere High School)
The winner and runner-up of each category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $50 and $25, respectively. The winner of each category also advances to the national 2025 NCW 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).
The Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society is excited to announce the results from our 2026 Executive Committee election. The voting opened on November 8, 2025, and closed on November 15, 2025.
Congratulations to our 2026 officers:
Chair-Elect: Dr. Pavithra Pathirathna Secretary: Dr. Meghan McGreal Treasurer: Dr. Van Quach Councilor: Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse
Electronic record of the results can be found here.
We would also like to thank the 2025 executive committee for their service and support of the local section. We hope to see you all at our annual awards banquet next month on December 6th.
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
We are excited to announce the candidates for 2026 Executive Committee of the Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society. Voting is expected to open on November 8th, 2025 and will close on November 15th, 2025. You will receive an email with instructions on how to cast your votes electronically.
Dr. Pavithra Pathirathna Candidate for Chair-Elect
Dr. Pavithra Pathirathna is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry under the mentorship of Dr. Parastoo Hashemi at Wayne State University, Michigan. She then conducted her postdoctoral research with Dr. Shigeru Amemiya at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Pathirathna’s interdisciplinary and translational research focuses on developing and optimizing electrochemical sensors for the analysis of biologically and environmentally significant metals and neurotransmitters, with applications in point-of-care diagnostics. Her research has been supported by the Naval Research Laboratory and the National Science Foundation. Among her distinctions are the Outstanding Educator at a Research Institution Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Educator of the Year Award from United Bridge Inc. In addition to her academic and research roles, she has led STEM clubs at Palm Bay Middle School and Pineapple Cove Classical Academy, promoting hands-on science education for young learners. Dr. Pathirathna served as Secretary of the ACS Orlando Section (2021–2024) and currently serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals and funding agencies. Her commitment to advancing chemical education, research, and community engagement continues to reflect the mission and values of the ACS.
Dr. Meghan McGreal Candidate for Secretary
Meghan McGreal is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Stetson University in DeLand. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She is a computational chemist with a research focus on metalloenzyme catalysis and biomimetic modifications to the active sites of these enzymes. Dr. McGreal is the faculty adviser to the Stetson University ACS Student Chapter and is a founding member of the Stetson Inclusive Pedagogy Faculty Cohort. Dr. McGreal is very passionate about undergraduate chemistry education, as well as providing connections and outreach opportunities for the public to experience chemistry. With the newly formed ACS student chapter, she has been very involved in outreach, performing experiments with children at many events such as the Downtown DeLand Monsters on Main Street Halloween Event and the Orlando Science Center National Chemistry Week event with the local section. Dr. McGreal has been a member of the ACS since she was an undergraduate student as well as secretary for the local section for the past year. She also served as volunteer coordinator for SERMACS/SWRM 2025 here in Orlando. She very much appreciates the opportunity to connect with other chemists at conferences and events with the Orlando local section and is excited to continue developing these connections with other chemists in the area, to get more involved, and to start getting others at Stetson more involved in the local section.
Dr. Van Quach Candidate for Treasurer
Van Quach has proudly served as Treasurer of the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society since 2019. He is also a Professor of Chemistry at Seminole State College, where he has been inspiring students since 2010. Dr. Quach earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Florida in 1999. After taking time to travel and explore, he continued his academic journey at Florida State University, where his doctoral research focused on the theoretical and fundamental processes involved in chemical separations—specifically, the temperature dependence of phase ratios in liquid chromatography systems. He completed his Ph.D. in 2009 and spent two years teaching at FSU before returning to Central Florida to join Seminole State College. Outside the classroom, Dr. Quach enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, getting lost in a good book, and savoring a well-crafted glass of wine.
Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse Candidate for Councilor
Nicole Lapeyrouse is an associate lecturer at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She performed her undergraduate studies at Florida International University and her graduate work at UCF. At UCF, her research focuses on chemistry education. Dr. Lapeyrouse’s current research has three main focuses with the overall goal of increasing student retention in STEM. This includes investigating student’ perception of teaching practices and their experience with unique multimedia. In addition, her research group looks at identifying factors that impact students’ STEM identity. Some of her prestigious distinctions include Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Affordable Instructional Materials High-Impact Individual Award Recipient for the use of Open Education Resources, and Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year.
Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida Candidate for Councilor
Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida and an active member of the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). She served as Chair of the section in 2022 and has coordinated the National Chemistry Week (NCW) events since 2021. In recognition of her outstanding outreach efforts, Dr. Popolan-Vaida was honored by the ACS as the 2024 Outreach Volunteer of the Year. Additionally, one of the NCW events she organized received the 2023 ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Community Involvement in National Chemistry Week. Dr. Popolan-Vaida research focuses on combustion and atmospheric chemistry, contributing to a deeper understanding of chemical processes relevant to energy and the environment. Prior to joining UCF, she earned her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Ulm, Germany, and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Dr. Popolan-Vaida is the co-author of over 35 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has received several notable awards, including the Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship, DAAD Scholarship (German Academic Exchange Program), Erasmus Scholarship, and the EMSPS Scholarship (European Mobility Scheme for Physics Students). In June 2022, she was awarded the DOE Early Career Research Award.
Join us for a traditional awards banquet as the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society honors our 2025 award recipients.
Saturday, December 6th, 2025 11:30AM to 2:00PM Location:Helena Modern Riviera 8441 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819 (ICON Park)
Lunch Menu Appetizers Beef or Veggie Empanadas Bruschetta Crostini
Iberian Caesar Salad
Entrée choice of Pasta Primavera Seasonal veggies tossed over pasta in an olive oil, garlic white wine sauce Lady and the Tramp Spaghetti with homemade meatballs with our Marinara Sauce Vegetarian Paella Valencia rice, mushrooms, broccolini, asparagus, peas, artichokes, veggie consommé Chicken Pinxhos Chicken skewers and a bed of garlic mashed potatoes
Beverages Fountain drinks Cash bar available
The cost to attend is $25 per person, which includes tax and gratuity. The Section will cover the total bill with a single payment. You may pay in advance via the RSVP link or at the door using cash or check
Join the ACS Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society and Orlando Science Center for a community event for National Chemistry Week and celebrate the importance of chemistry in everyday life! Learn about this year’s theme, The Hidden Life of Spices, with exciting hands-on activities.
The Orlando Section of the ACS is seeking individuals interested in joining our 2026 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, Toufiq Reza (treza@fit.edu), with any additional questions.
To make a nomination, complete thenomination form or email nomination information (name of nominee, contact information, and nominated position) to Toufiq Reza (treza@fit.edu). All nominations must be submitted by November 1st, 2025. 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
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.
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