Tag Archives: ACS National Meeting

Councilor Talking Points: Summary of Governance Issues and Actions Spring 2026

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This report captures key actions and decisions from the ACS Council meeting on March 25 and the Board of Directors meetings held March 20–22, 2026, offering an overview of developments impacting the Orlando Section. Prepared by Laura Sessions and Nicole Lapeyrouse, Orlando Section Councilors.

Election Results

Council selected Laura Sremaniak and Lisa McElwee‑White as candidates for 2027 President‑Elect. They will appear on the ballot in the fall 2026 national election, along with any petition candidates.

Four candidates were announced for Director‑at‑Large (2027–2029): Mick Hurrey, Beth Lorsbach, William Provine, and Carolyn Ribes. Two will be elected this fall.

Committee and governance updates

Council approved renaming and updating duties for the Committee on Budget and Finance to the Committee on Fiscal Affairs, reflecting the growing complexity of ACS finances.

The committee preference form is open to all members interested in serving on an ACS committee in 2026 through July 6: https://www.acs.org/about/governance/committees/committees/information/preferences.html

Membership and global growth

Council approved creation of a new International Chemical Sciences Chapter in Sri Lanka.

The 2027 dues and benefits were approved with no changes from 2026.

Financial health

ACS reported strong financial performance in 2025, with $50.7 million in net revenue and continued long‑term growth. Over the past 25 years, revenue has more than doubled, with a fourfold increase in unrestricted net assets. ACS receives 58% of revenue from outside of North America and is active 56 different jurisdictions.

Meetings and programs

Spring 2026 programming emphasized collaboration, with strong focus areas (more than 300 sessions) in the four community programming tracks of Pharma, Data Science/AI, Sustainability, and Startup. As of March 24, there were 13,521 registrations (12,475 in-person and 1,046 online).

Actions of the Board of Directors Meeting

Board highlights
The ACS Board approved a new Advocacy Strategy to support science and scientists in a non‑partisan way. Key areas of focus for 2026 are available at https://www.acs.org/policy/memberadvocacy/issues.html.

Student and trainee support
This spring, ACS launched Catalyst Scholarships, that will provide $10,000 per year to 200 undergraduates.

A $1.4M graduate student success grant supported 74 graduate students who lost funding near degree completion last year.

Your Orlando Section Councilors are here to support ACS members across our seven‑county region. Please feel free to contact us anytime with questions, concerns, or ideas – we’d love to hear from you.
With kind regards, Laura and Nicole

Student Travel Awards: ACS Spring 2026 National Meeting and Expo

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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.

Student Travel Awards: ACS Fall 2025 National Meeting and Expo

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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 Fall 2025 National Meeting and Expo in Washington DC, in August. Two travel awards of $500 each are planned—one for a graduate student and one for an undergraduate student.

Arden Floyd gave a poster presentation on her research titled “Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity of Fresh and Aged Maleic Acid Aerosol Particles” at FAME 2023.

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 June 20, 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.

CATL Division Fall 2021 Student Travel Awards

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The Catalysis Science and Technology (CATL) Division solicits applications for CATL-ChemCatBio Graduate Student Travel Awards that will cover the registration fee of graduate students presenting at the Fall 2021 ACS National Meeting scheduled to be held from 22-26 August 2021.
 
The travel awards aim to further the shared goals of the ACS CATL (https://www.acs-catalysis.org/) and ChemCatBio Consortium (https://www.chemcatbio.org/) to provide educational opportunities in catalysis, support professional development for young scientists, and foster diversity and inclusion in chemical process research.
 
To be eligible the student must be an ACS CATL Division Member. 

Please send as a single PDF file, in an email attachment: 
a) Notice of abstract acceptance for a CATL-sponsored symposium 
b) CV of the graduate student 
c) Nomination letter from the student’s PhD advisor 
d) ACS Member number of the nominator and the nominee
e) Whether or not the student has already registered for the ACS Meeting (if they have registered please also send a receipt and a postal address so we can send reimbursement)  
 
Include CATL REGISTRATION AWARD APPLICATION (in capital letters) as the subject. Forward documentation to the ACS CATL Assistant at contractor.acs.catl@gmail.com 
 
The deadline for application is 2 August 2021.
 
*Reproduced from ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology’s email on 07/12/2021