• MiSTEM Chemistry Network Update
• Plan Now to Participate in ‘Recycle-A-Poster’ Event!
• In-Person Awards Gathering a Reality Again
• Updated Volunteer and Participant Code of Conduct Policy Takes Effect
• KACS Mid-Year Financial Summary
• Chemistry Day at the Museum—Save the Date and Call for Volunteers
• KACS Calendar
• A Chemistry Joke

MiSTEM Chemistry Network Update

By Doug Williams, Carl Stachew, and Blakely Tresca

Our 2023-24 school year goals for the MiSTEM Chemistry Network were only partially achieved. The KACS Executive Committee approved a budget of $2000 for teacher outreach in 2024.

Since Fall 2023, we spent $2800 in designated and general funds to purchase temperature, pH, conductivity, gas pressure, colorimetric absorbance sensors, and a lessons manual from the sensor manufacturer Vernier Science Education. We thank Pfizer for matching our KACS costs for these devices, which are available from the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Media Center (REMC) for instructors in our local section to borrow. Early reviews have been positive. Teachers in our network are just becoming acquainted with these tools. Based on feedback, we plan to double the number of temperature and pH sensors and host an in-person workshop on use of the sensors this fall. More details about these and other resources are featured on our MiSTEM Chemistry Network website.

Although we continue to recruit and support teacher-scientist partnerships, our number of partnerships fell from four to three this year. We continue to offer one year of free AACT membership to interested teachers. One of our teachers, Dustin Himebauch of Climax-Scotts HS was featured by AACT in the May Member Spotlight. At the end of this school year we recognized Amber French of Parchment HS with a $250 gift certificate to Flinn Scientific; she was a steady contributor to our bimonthly MiSTEM Network meetings.

As always, we encourage you to send your comments and questions. If you are interested in helping motivated high school teachers to challenge and motivate high school chemistry students, please contact one of us below. We would love to add you to the team.

Doug Williams (treasurer@kalamazooacs.org)

Carl Stachew (carl.f.stachew@pfizer.com)

Blakely Tresca (blakely.tresca@kzoo.edu)

Plan Now to Participate in ‘Recycle-A-Poster’ Event!

The KACS is pleased to announce that this year’s Recycle-a-Poster event will be held at the Bell’s Eccentric Café on Tuesday, November 5. The keynote speaker will be Prof. Jeremy Kodanko from Wayne State University. The title of Professor Kodanko’s speech will be provided at a later date. We look forward to this event which brings chemists from the Kalamazoo Section (Allegan, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties) into one room for an evening of chemistry, science conversations and poster presentations.

In-Person Awards Gathering a Reality Again

Dr. Rex Hornish

Dr. Robert Gadwood

Mrs. VK Sood

Dr. Tomasz Respondek

It was a pleasant Monday afternoon on May 13, 2024, when our in-person Awards Gathering became a reality again after a 4-year COVID interruption. These pictures show awards given to 60- and 50- year ACS members present (Dr. Rex Hornish (60), Dr. Robert Gadwood (50) and posthumously to the widow of Mr. Virendra Kumar (VK) Sood (50)) as well as to the recipient of our KACS Meritorious Service Award, Dr. Tomasz Respondek. The KACS Education committee (Dr. Salonika Aggarwal and Dr. Joe Chemler) worked diligently to bring back our Section’s Competitive Exam. Further information will be shared with the entire KACS in the August issue of The KalChemist News.

Updated Volunteer and Participant Code of Conduct Policy Takes Effect

The Volunteer/National Meeting Attendee Conduct Policy was adopted in 2013. In December 2023, the ACS Board of Directors approved an updated version and renamed it the Volunteer and Participant Code of Conduct Policy. It took effect on May 1 of 2024.

This updated policy unifies multiple policies that governed attendees at the spring and fall meetings, Local Section and Regional meetings, and other events hosted by units of the Society. This single, unified policy outlines ACS’s expectations for all ACS members, volunteers, and participants at ACS-hosted events, in person and virtual, which includes meetings, seminars, symposia, workshops, or other gatherings hosted wholly or in part by ACS or its units.

Things that largely didn’t change: Participants are expected to support ACS’s mission and vision, and the definitions of professionalism, non-discrimination, harassment, and illegal activity.

New items include language on non-disclosure of proprietary, confidential, or personally identifiable information; the recording policy; disclosure of conflicts of interest; background checks for events involving minors; and compliance with anti-trust laws. Also, details about how to report violations, procedures ACS will use to investigate violations, disciplinary action, and non-retaliation policies are included. There will be a separate communication in the coming months about the background checks, described in Section 10, which will be required only for ACS events involving minors. Details of this Youth Protection Policy, when, how, and to whom it applies, as well as how the required checks can be conducted efficiently will be announced soon.

This policy has been placed on our KACS website at https://kalamazooacs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-ACS-Volunteer-and-Participant-Code-of-Conduct-Policy.pdf.

KACS Mid-Year Financial Summary

By Doug Williams (KACS Treasurer)

At mid-year we have a balanced budget with about $11,100 in revenues and accounts receivable and $11,400 in expenses and accounts payable. Total assets remain steady at about $55,000 since our last summary in December. As mentioned then, we are projecting a net loss of $10,000 in the second half of the year, due to local section costs for our Project SEED summer research program which is just about to begin. Because of our strong assets, this loss is affordable but not sustainable in the long term. This spring, we submitted a grant request to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation with a vision to set up an endowed partnership fund for our Project SEED program. A response is expected soon, in June.

We are grateful for your member support, including annual voluntary dues. This optional contribution appears on your ACS member renewal invoice and generates about $1,500 for our section annually. The suggested amount was raised from $6 to $8 in 2017 and will remain at $8 through 2025. We are considering an increase to $10 in 2026 to support spending for the following focus areas in alignment with our strategic plans for outreach.

· Growing costs for Project SEED and student/teacher travel grant programs

· New equipment and materials for local chemistry teachers (see SW MiSTEM Chemistry network summary on page 1)

· Future participation in local testing for US National Chemistry Olympiad team student selection

I welcome comments on these priorities and plans at treasurer@kalamazooacs.org. Donations to our Project SEED or general funds can be made on our website. If you choose to donate, please let us know if your employer will match it. THANKS!

Chemistry Day at the Museum—Save the Date and Call for Volunteers

Chemistry Day at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum will be held on October 19, 2024. This event will be held in person from noon to 4 p.m. Get ready to educate, entertain, and entice the next generation to the wonders of chemistry and watch the smiles on the faces of children and adults alike! The topic of 2024 National Chemistry Week is “Photography and Imaging” and the theme is “Picture Perfect Chemistry.” Do you have a great experiment you can share with an audience of fifth- to ninth-graders? Are you interested in demonstrating one of several experiments that are performed every year at this event? Do you have no idea what this event is about but are willing to contribute a few hours of your time on a Saturday in October to brighten the day of young scientists in our community? We need your help to make this event a success. If you are willing to participate, please email Hershel Jude or Carol Guerrero.

A Chemistry Joke

Prof. Richard Feynman: “A chemist froze himself at -273.15^oC; everyone said he was crazy, but he was OK”