Greetings Orlando Local Section,
I hope you all have had a pleasant summer. As fall approaches the local section would like to make you aware of some exciting events and opportunities associated with our hosting the joint Southeastern and Southwest Regional Meeting of the ACS here in Orlando in October.
Your 2025 Officers
Chair: Brian Mosby bmosby@rollins.edu
Chair-elect: Toufiq Reza treza@fit.edu
Immediate Past Chair: Stephen Smith stephensmith@fit.edu
Treasurer: Van Quach quachv@seminolestate.edu
Secretary: Meghan McGreal mmcgreal@stetson.edu
Councilor: Darlene Slattery dslattery1@cfl.rr.com
Councilor: Laura Sessions lsessions@valenciacollege.edu
Alternate Councilor: Nicole Lapeyrouse nicole.lapeyrouse@ucf.edu
General Information
The 76th Southeastern and 81st Southwest Joint Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society will be in Orlando from October 26 to 29, 2025 at the Double Tree Orlando at SeaWorld. The Online Registration portal is now open and abstracts will be accepted until July 28th. Registrations submitted before September 19th are eligible for the Early Bird discount price. Please visit https://www.sermacs2025.org/ to register and for additional details. A few important events are highlighted below.
Symposia and Workshops
In addition to traditional research symposia, the SERMACS/SWRM 2025 offers a number of workshops and symposia for chemists and chemical engineers exploring careers outside academia as well as for educators interested in preparing students for careers in the private sector.
– Career Pathways in Pharmacy Workshop. Through engaging presentations and interactive discussions, and hands-on experience led by industry and academic experts, attendees will explore a wide array of career paths, including clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical research, healthcare administration, and more.
– Chemical Patents Workshop: Intellectual Properties for Chemists. Discover the importance and connectivity of intellectual property, innovation and entrepreneurship.
– Working for Yourself: Your Idea, Your Business, and Your Marketing Strategy. Ready to be your own boss? This workshop will help you determine if self-employment is for you.
– How to Start a Start-Up? How does one transform scientific research into a scalable, impactful enterprise? This symposium is designed for chemists, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty seeking to understand the fundamentals of science-based entrepreneurship.
– Industry-Academia Summit on Preparing Chemists for the Private Sector. This summit brings together industry professionals, founders, academics, and recent hires to share their best practices and expectations for equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed for success in the private sector.
– Chemistry at Merck: Informational Breakfast A broad overview of careers within Merck that leverage a chemistry background. (For students and postdocs only. No professors or professionals. No advanced registration is needed)
Florida Local Sections Breakfast
There will be a breakfast held on October 26th at 8 AM . The Orlando Local Section would like to use this as an opportunity to gather together and network with other sections. You can RSVP for the breakfast while registering for the conference. We hope to see you there.
Volunteer Information
There are a plethora of opportunities to volunteer for the conference. Volunteers will receive a complimentary registration, SERMACS T-shirt, and lunch on the day of their volunteer assignment. Volunteer applications will be accepted until October 1st and can be sent to sermacs2025@gmail.com . The application can be found on the Awards page in the Student Volunteer Opportunities box. Please note all volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and are expected to abide by the ACS Volunteer and Participant Code of Conduct Policy.
Travel Awards
We are pleased to offer registration fees for six students to this meeting — three for graduate students and three for undergraduate students.
Application Instructions:
To apply, students 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 August 29, 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.
Academic Institution Recruitment Opportunity
Academic institutions seeking to recruit undergraduate and graduate students are invited to reserve a booth at the SERMACS/SWRM 2025 Grad Fair, which will be held on October 26, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld. Based on past attendance records, our regional meetings consistently attract a significant number of undergraduate and graduate students. We particularly encourage Graduate programs in chemistry and related fields (e.g. chemical engineering, pharmacy, pharmacology, etc…) to participate if they are looking to recruit new students. To apply, please visit https://www.sermacs2025.org/exposition.html
Sponsorship Opportunities
By sponsoring SERMACS /SWRM 2025, you have the opportunity to have your company logo and link seen by the approximately 2,000 anticipated professionals and students from the 14 states and Puerto Rico representing the Southeastern and Southwest regions of the American Chemical Society. Visit the sponsorship tab at SERMACS2025.org to learn more about the benefits associated with the different levels of sponsorship.
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