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 8^th, 2025 and will close on November 15^th, 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.

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 the nomination 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 8^th, 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
• To vote/participate in executive board decisions

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 11^th, 2024 and will close on November 22^nd, 2024. You will receive an email with instructions on how to cast your votes electronically.

Dr. Toufiq Reza
Candidate for Chair-Elect

Dr. Toufiq Rezais an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Florida Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Nevada, Reno in 2013 and 2011, respectively. He has published one hundred and twelve peer-reviewed journal articles, five patents, two book chapters, and more than one hundred oral and poster presentations. Dr. Reza was named to the I&EC Research 2021 Class of Influential Researchers. He is also listed in the “World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists” in 2021-2023 database published by Stanford University. Dr. Reza leads the Biofuels Research Lab at Florida Tech with primary research interest on thermochemical conversions of biomass and biowastes. His research has been funded by NSF, DOE, USDA, EPA, Florida Sea Grant, and USAID. Dr. Reza is a member of multiple scientific societies including AIChE, ACS, and ASABE and their local sections. He is an officer of AIChE Environmental Division and co-chair of technical section – Water. He is also the Chair of PRS-707 Food & Organic Waste Management & Utilization at the ASABE and Vice-Chair of ASE-12 Forest Engineering. Dr. Reza wants to bring his experience with other scientific society and to serve at the ACS Orlando Section as Chair-Elect.

Dr. Pavithra Pathirathna
Candidate for Secretary

Pavithra Pathirathna is an Assistant 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. under Parastoo Hashemi in the Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University, MI. She conducted her postdoctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh with Shigeru Amemiya. Pavithra’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 funded by the Naval Research Laboratory and the National Science Foundation. Among her prestigious distinctions are the Outstanding Educator at a Research Institute award from the ACS and the Educator of the Year award from United Bridge Inc. In addition to her academic and research roles, she has led a STEM club at Palm Bay Middle School and has been serving as the secretary of the ACS Orlando section since 2021. She also serves as a reviewer for several journals.

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

Dr. 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 performed experiments with children at the NOBBCChE Stem Festival as well as at the Downtown DeLand Monsters on Main Street Halloween Event, which had close to 10,000 people in attendance.

Dr. McGreal has been a member of the ACS since she was an undergraduate student and has appreciated the opportunity to connect with other chemists at conferences and events throughout her career. She is a new addition to the Orlando Section of the ACS and is excited about the opportunity to get more involved.

Dr. Van Quach
Candidate for Treasurer

Dr. Van Quach has been the treasurer of the Orlando Section since 2019.  In addition, he is a professor of chemistry at Seminole State College.  He has been teaching there since Aug 2010.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Florida in 1999.  After taking some time off for travel, he made his way up to Tallahassee, FL to start graduate school.  At Florida State University, his research focused on better understanding of the theoretical and fundamental processes that occur during chemical separation.  Specifically, he investigated the temperature dependence of the phase ration in liquid chromatography systems.  He received his Ph.D. in 2009 and taught for two years at FSU before returning to the central Florida area to teach at Seminole State College.  In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, reading, and drinking good wines.

Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse
Candidate for Alternate Councilor

Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse is a lecturer at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She performed her undergraduate studies at Florida International University and 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, she explores representation in STEM instructor materials, including textbooks, PowerPoints, and other resources. Finally, 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 use of Open Education Resources, and Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year.

Dr. Chris Avery
Candidate for Alternate Councilor

Dr. Chris Avery is a Managing Director for ICF, an international environmental consulting firm. He works with agencies and governments in achieving their goals on energy and environmental products and informing government choices with science. He received his Bachelors in chemistry from Hope College in 2005, before heading to the University of Michigan for a Masters and Ph.D. in Chemistry. His thesis work focused on understanding how proteins and peptides interact with cellular membranes. After graduate school, he went to Washington DC as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, working in Congress and the Department of Energy. He has been an advocate for broader awareness of alternative scientific careers for chemists, especially in the policy realm. He has served in various roles within ACS, both nationally and locally, including as the chair of the Committee on Environment and Sustainability, and as a Councilor and Alternate Councilor for the Chemical Society of Washington, the ACS local section in Washington DC. He moved to our local section 5 years ago to be closer to family, and in his spare time enjoys cooking and spending time with friends and loved ones. Since coming to Orlando, he has participated in the development of the upcoming SERMACS meeting taking place in Orlando in 2025.

The Orlando Section of the ACS is seeking individuals interested in joining our 2025 Executive Board. We have five positions up for election: Chair Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Alternate Councilor. A description of each position is included below. Please contact the nomination committee chair, Brian Mosby (bmosby@rollins.edu), with any additional questions.

To make a nomination, complete the nomination form or email nomination information (name of nominee, contact information, and nominated position) to Brian Mosby (bmosby@rollins.edu). All nominations must be submitted by November 1st, 2024. Voting will open on November 8^th, 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

Alternate Councilor (three-year term).  The main responsibilities are:

• In the absence of the Councilor’s ability to attend, attend national meetings, represent the Section, and report back activities
• Assist in preparing and submitting the annual report to the national office
• Vote/participate in executive board decisions