Tag Archives: travel awards

Call for volunteers and Student Travel Awards Announcement

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Hello Orlando Section!
We would like to bring to your attention to the following two announcements:

Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW): To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, ACS established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week public awareness campaign. This year, CCEW occurs on April 21–27 with the theme “Get a Charge out of Chemistry”. The Section will participate in Central Florida Earth day  at Lake Eola (on April 20th, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM). At this event, we will distribute educational merchandise and hosting activities. Dr. Stephen Smith (FIT, stephensmith@fit.edu) will lead this event. Please contact him if you are interested in volunteering for this event.

Student Travel awards for FAME participation: The Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their participation in local, regional, and national conferences organized by of the American Chemical Society and its affiliates. At least two students will receive awards of up to $150 for their participation in FAME (Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition). More details about the application procedure can be found on our website.

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.

Student Travel Awards for FAME Participation

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Time is running out to apply for a Student Travel AWARD to participate in FAME 2024 (Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition). The Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their participations in local, regional, and national conferences organized by of the American Chemical Society and its affiliates

Selected students will receive awards of up to $150. To apply, student applicant needs to prepare an application package (a single PDF file) that includes the following:

  • Brief introduction of applicant
  • Proof of acceptance to conference and acceptance of abstract
  • Brief explanation of why travel award from the Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society is necessary (especially those whose research projects are federal/industrially/privately funded)
  • Contact information of advisor (The award committee will request a statement from advisor indicating appropriate use of the travel award to registration, lodging, and/or travel expenses).

Application package should be sent via email to Awards Committee (Dr. Darlene Slattery, dslattery1@cfl.rr.com) by 05/15/2024 for FAME applications.

Travel Awards

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In 2023, the Orlando Section awarded $1600 for five students to travel to on the following scientific meetings: the spring and fall ACS National Meetings in Indianapolis and San Francisco and the 99th Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (FAME) conference in Plam Harbor.

Angelo Cinque, an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Nicole Lapyrouse’s group at UCF, attended the Fall 2023 National Meeting. He is evaluating the efficacy of the integration of an adaptive learning system, Mastery Paths, in a CHM 2045C classroom. The research team aims to code qualitative data to understand students’ perceptions and attitudes towards Mastery Path and look at relationships between students’ course performance and their use of the platform. He presented his research and discussed with participants from around the country studying similar topics. He enjoyed listening to other presenters including presentations expanding beyond his research topic. He writes, ‘Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and an important milestone in my academic journey. Thank you so much for the opportunity to go to Fall ACS.’.

The Orlando Section no longer accepts applications for travel awards for 2023. Please check back in 2024 for new opportunities for your students: https://orlandoacs.org/2023-student-travel-awards/

About Student Travel Awards: The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their conference participations. Click here for more information about the awards and how to apply.

    Orlando Sections Travel Awards – Summer 2023

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    Travel awards from the Orlando Section of the ACS assisted two students in Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida’s research group at University of Central Florida to attend the 99th Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (FAME) conference from June 1 – 3, 2023. Arden Floyd and Alec DeCecco received $150 each.

    Arden Floyd gave a poster presentation on her research titled “Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity of Fresh and Aged Maleic Acid Aerosol Particles”. She gained new perspective on her work thanks to the insightful questions of the FAME attendees. She was introduced to exciting fields of chemistry by the excellent and diverse presentations she attended and was able to forge new friendships and professional connections with like-minded chemists from across the state of Florida. She is a chemistry major at the University of Central Florida who will be graduating in Spring 2024. She looks forward to next year’s 100th anniversary of FAME.

    Alec DeCecco, a Ph.D. student at the University of Central Florida, has just completed his first year of study on combustion research. He writes that his experience at ACS FAME was fantastic. He shared his research with others and received really interesting questions that lead to great conversations. Attending presentations gave him insight into some of the cutting-edge research going on in the field of chemistry and he was able to learn a lot. He found the conference attendees to be very friendly and had a lot of fun meeting people and hearing about their research. He gives his thanks to the section for granting him the travel award that made this whole experience possible.

    Congratulations and good work, Arden and Alec!

    About Student Travel Awards: The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their conference participations. Click here for more information about the awards and how to apply.

    Orlando Students Present at Spring ACS National Meeting

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    Travel awards from the Orlando Section of the ACS assisted two Ph.D. candidates at University of Central Florida to attend the spring 2023 ACS Meeting held in Indianapolis from March 26-30. Lorianne Shultz and Jacob T Bryant received $500 each.

    Lorianne Shultz gave an oral presentation on her research in Professor Titel Jurca’s laboratory on “Probing the mechanism and structure-activity relationships in the CuOx  catalysed reduction of 4-nitrophenol”. She received some helpful feedback on her work and was grateful for the funding to get there. Lorianne told us “I am excited to continue growing my network at the ACS National Conference to hopefully establish future collaborations.”

    Jacob T. Bryant is in Professor Fernando Uribe-Romo’s laboratory. His oral presentation was on “Designing titania metal-organic framework photocatalysts using the principles of reticular chemistry”. Jacob was able to interact with several of his collaborators, initiate potential new collaborations, and help recruit candidates for the graduate program at UCF. He states that he is very appreciative of the funding provided.

    Congratulations and good work, Lori and Jacob!

    About Student Travel Awards: The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their conference participations. Click here for more information about the awards and how to apply.

    First bulletin of the year

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    Hello Orlando Section!

    In the first bulletin of the year, we would like to bring to your attention a few pieces of important information:

    • Executive committee members: The members of the 2023 Executive Committee of the Orlando Section are:

    Chair: Nicole Lapeyrouse
    Chair elect: Stephen Smith
    Intermediate Past Chair: Denisia Popolan-Vaida
    Councilor: Darlene Slattery
    Alternate Councilor: Laura Sessions
    Treasurer: Van Quach
    Secretary: Pavithra Pathirathna

    • Executive meeting – Our local section executive meeting is scheduled on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM via Zoom. We would like to renew our invitation to all our members to attend the meeting. If you are interested in joining our meeting, please do not hesitate to contact us for zoom link and meeting agenda.
    • Travel awards – We would liketo remind you thatour local sectionoffers annual travel awards (up to 2 awards/meeting) for ACS student members to attend ACS local, regional, and national meetings (FAME, SERMAC, ACS National Meeting) to present their work. More details about the application procedure can be found on our website.
    • Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW): To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, ACS established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week public awareness campaign. This year, CCEW occurs on April 16–22 with the theme “The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae”. The Orlando Section participates in the following activities:
      • Distributing CCEW 2023 Celebrating Chemistry:  Celebrating Chemistry is designed to engage and educate children ages 9–12 (Grades 4–6) in the basic principles of chemistry. The publication is available in English and Spanish and can be found on our website. We encourage you to share the publication to anyone who may be interested.
      • 2023 Illustrated Poem Contest: The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is hosting an illustrated poem contest for K-12 students. Entries must be sponsored by a local school or community group for verification purposes. The contest deadline is Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern. The theme of this year’s contest is “The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae.” One winner for each category will be recognized. Winners of the Orlando Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and win prizes!We encourage you to share the Flyer with K12’s students and teachers that you may know and to spread the message via social media. Please visit our website for detailed contest rules and submission information.
      • Participating in Central Florida Earth day: We have secured our presence in Central Florida Earth day at Lake Eola (on April 22nd, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM). At this event, we will distribute merchandises, materials about the Earth Day and perform chemistry demonstrations. Dr. Titel Jurca (UCF, titel.jurca@ucf.edu) will lead this event. Please contact him if you are interested in volunteering for this event.
    • Younger Chemist Committee – The Younger Chemist Committee (YCC) of the American Chemical (ACS) Society Orlando Section 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. If you are interested in joining YCC ACS Orlando or learning more about our events fill out this google form: https://forms.gle/bHLRDYKunCDqsFCb7. We are also looking to integrate future board members into the organization. Currently the board member positions that we are looking to refresh in the near future are Chair and Co-Chair. The responsibilities of the chair include guiding the vision of the club, ensuring previous ideas are implemented properly, taking finial decisions and leading the board. The responsibilities of co-chair include bringing in new ideas for events, supporting the chair, helping in decision making process.

    • We are seeking volunteers: We are actively seeking volunteers to participate/lead our local section’s activities and be appointed to several committees: Earth Day outreach, National Chemistry Week, Senior Chemists, Younger Chemists, Webmaster… Contact us if you are or know someone who is interested.

    Best wishes,

    Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse
    Chair of the Orlando Section of the ACS
    On behalf of the Orlando Section executive committee


    2023 Student Travel Awards

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    The 2023 Travel Awards have been given out for the year. The Orlando Section ACS was able to support 5 students with travel to ACS national meetings and FAME. Please check back at the beginning of 2024 for the next application cycle.

    To encourage participation of students in local, regional, and national conferences organized by the American Chemical Society and its affiliates and to create opportunities for students to enhance their scientific experiences and networking, the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their conference participations.

    The awards will be given to selected students who participate in the Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (FAME), the Southeastern Regional Meeting of The American Chemical Society (SERMACS), or the ACS National Meeting & Exposition. For each conference, up to two students will receive awards of up to $150, $250, or $500, respectively.

    To apply, student applicant needs to prepare an application package (a single PDF file) that includes the following:

    • Brief introduction of applicant
    • Proof of acceptance to conference (acceptance of abstract)
    • Brief explanation of why travel award from the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society is necessary (especially those whose research projects are federal/industrially/privately funded)
    • Contact information of advisor (The award committee will request a statement for advisor indicating appropriate use of the travel award to registration, lodging, and/or travel expenses).

    Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis up to one month before the conference, so early submission is encouraged.  Application package should be sent via email to Awards Committee Chair (Dr. Laura Sessions, lsessions@valenciacollege.edu). The committee will select awardees mainly based on applicant’s financial needs and date of application.  Novelty and impact of research project is a bonus criterion.

    November 2022’s Newsletter

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    Hello Orlando Section!

    We hope you are enjoying the beautiful Central Florida fall weather and are getting ready for the official start of the holiday season. In this bulletin we would like to bring to your attention a few important dates.

    • Annual Election:  It’s election time again! Please follow the link (click here) to meet the candidates for the 2023 Orlando Section Executive Committee. Voting is currently open and will close on November 8, 2022. You have received your ballot via email – Please vote!
    • Nominations for Annual Awards: We would like to remind you that the nominations for Annual Awards for our local section are due on November 9th, 2022. If you know someone (students, colleagues, or companies) who should be recognized publicly for their achievements by our local section, please consider nominating them. More details can be found at our website.  If you make a nomination and do not get an acknowledgement of receipt, please resend.
    • Save the date: You are invited to join us at the  Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022, from 11:30AM to 2:00PM, at the Blu on The Avenue  (326 S Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789). More information about reservations will become available soon.

    Subscribe to our community page, follow our facebook page, and check out our website for updated news, and activities of our local section.

    Best wishes,
    Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida
    Chair of the Orlando Section of the ACS
    On behalf of the Orlando Section executive committee

    March 2022’s Newsletter

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    Hello Orlando Section!

    In the first bulletin of the year, we would like to bring to your attention a few important information:

    • Executive committee members: The members of the 2022 Executive Committee of the Orlando Section are:
      • Chair: Denisia Popolan-Vaida
      • Chair elect: Nicole Lapeyrouse
      • Intermediate Past Chair: Duy Le
      • Councilor: Darlene Slattery
      • Alternate Councilor: Laura Session
      • Treasurer: Van Quach
      • Secretary: Pavithra Pathirathna
    • It is with mixed feelings that the Executive Committee announces that our 2022 Chair-Elect, Dr. Christopher Chouinard will be leaving Florida Tech for a new position out of state.  While we wish him well, we will miss his enthusiasm and hard work for the section.
    • Executive meeting – Our local section executive meeting is scheduled on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM via Zoom. We would like to renew our invitation to all our members to attend the meeting. If you are interested in joining our meeting, please do not hesitate to contact us for zoom link and meeting agenda.
    • Travel awards – We would liketo remind you thatour local sectionoffers annual travel awards (up to 2 awards/meeting) for ACS student members to attend ACS local, regional, and national meetings (FAME, SERMAC, ACS National Meeting) to present their work. More details about the application procedure can be find on our website.
    • Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW): To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, ACS established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week public awareness campaign. This year, CCEW occurs on April 17–23 with the theme “he Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry”. The Orlando Section participates in the following activities:
      • Distributing CCEW 2022 Celebrating Chemistry:  Celebrating Chemistry is designed to engage and educate children ages 9–12 (Grades 4–6) in the basic principles of chemistry. The publication is available in English and Spanish and can be found on our website. We encourage you to share the publication to anyone who may be interested.
      • 2022 Illustrated Poem Contest: The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is hosting an illustrated poem contest for K-12 students. Entries must be sponsored by a local school or community group for verification purposes. The contest deadline is Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 11:59 PM Eastern. The submissions should be emailed to submission@orlandoacs.org. The theme of this year’s contest is “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry.” One winner for each category will be recognized with a monetary ($ 50) award. The teacher of each winner will also be awarded with funding ($100) for classroom supplies. Please visit our website or contact Dr. Duy Le (submission@orlandoacs.org) for more information. Winners of the Orlando Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and win prizes! We encourage you to share the Flyer with K12’s students and teachers that you may know and to spread the message via social media.
      • Participating in Central Florida Earth day: We have secured our presence in Central Florida Earth day at Lake Eola (on April 23rd, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM). In this event, we will distribute merchandises, materials about the Earth Day and perform chemistry demonstrations. Dr. Titel Jurca (UCF, titel.jurca@ucf.edu) will lead this event. Please contact him if you are interested in volunteer for this event.
    • We are seeking volunteers: We are actively seeking volunteers to participate/lead our local section’s activities and be appointed to several committees: Earth Day outreach, National Chemistry Week, Senior Chemists, Younger Chemists, Webmaster… Contact us if you are or know someone who is interested.
    • Subscribe to our community page, follow our facebook page, and check out our website for updated news, activities of our local section.

    Best wishes,
    Dr. Denisia Popolan-Vaida
    Chair of the Orlando Section of the ACS
    On behalf of the Orlando Section executive committee

    2022 Student Travel Awards

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    To encourage participation of students in local, regional, and national conferences organized by the American Chemical Society and its affiliates and to create opportunities for students to enhance their scientific experiences and networking, the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their conference participations.

    The awards will be given to selected students who participate in the Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (FAME), the Southeastern Regional Meeting of The American Chemical Society (SERMACS), or the ACS National Meeting & Exposition. For each conference, up to two students will receive awards of up to $150, $250, or $500, respectively.

    To apply, student applicant needs to prepare an application package (a single PDF file) that includes the following:

    • Brief introduction of applicant
    • Proof of acceptance to conference (acceptance of abstract)
    • Brief explanation of why travel award from the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society is necessary (especially those whose research projects are federal/industrially/privately funded)
    • Contact information of advisor (The award committee will request a statement for advisor indicating appropriate use of the travel award to registration, lodging, and/or travel expenses).

    Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis up to one month before the conference, so early submission is encouraged.  Application package should be sent via email to Awards Committee Chair (Dr. Darlene Slattery, dslattery1@cfl.rr.com). The committee will select awardees mainly based on applicant’s financial needs and date of application.  Novelty and impact of research project is a bonus criterion.