• A ‘Call for Action’ from the Chair of the ACS Committee on Committees (ConC)
• Success Celebrated at 2025 KACS Awards Gathering
• Private Brewery Tour with Western Michigan Section
• Good News Once Again: Lydia Hines Receives Mentoring Award
• KACS Calendar
A ‘Call for Action’ from the Chair of the ACS Committee on Committees (ConC)
Dear ACS Colleague:
if you are interested in serving on an ACS Committee, the online committee preference form for committee assignments is the key way to let us know your committee preferences, your background and your interests. The online preference form will be open thru July 3, 2025, at http://www.cmte.acs.org. As you indicate your preferences, please keep in mind the following:
· Most initial appointments to committees are for non-voting associate positions.
· Those who are finishing a term or have reached the statutory limit on a committee are especially urged to complete the online form to reaffirm their interest and commitment to service in the Society.
When assembling recommendations for appointments by the ACS President and/or Board Chair, the Committee on Committees (ConC) seeks to identify and involve individuals from across the Society.
As a reminder, your ACS membership must be in good standing to complete your committee preferences. Please indicate a committee preference only if you feel that you can attend and actively participate in a committee’s meetings either virtually or in-person. ACS committees are working committees; attendance (virtually or in-person) and participation at committee and subcommittee meetings are important.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Brian Mathes
Success Celebrated at 2025 KACS Awards Gathering
Dibyendu Mondal receives past-chair pin from current chair Nicole Burke
David Bolliet receives the KACS 2025 Meritorious Service Award Plaque from Nicole Burke and chair-elect Joe Chemler for his past service as newsletter editor, and for his participation as a promoter of the SEED program as well as mentor for SEED students
The 2025 Awards Gathering convened shortly after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, using the ZOOM platform rather than being in person; it was attended by approximately 25 individuals. The full program is shown on the trifold below. Each year the highlight of the event is hearing from our various awardees about their careers, what their next steps are in their educational pursuits, how their experiences in the classroom and workplaces were in concert with, or different from, what they expected, and how these experiences have shaped their lives and given them an impetus to continue in their desire to pursue their studies. This year was no exception, as we honored …
· 50- and 60-year members of the American Chemical Society (3 and 2, respectively)
· a recent past-chair of Kalamazoo Section
· our section’s Meritorious Service Award winner who has volunteered service over the long-term
· graduating College Seniors in chemistry from Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University identified as outstanding by their college faculty
· students who have participated in a summer science research learning experience through our section’s SEED (Science Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged) program
· an outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher in our 3-county area
· outstanding students in our three-county area identified by their high school teachers for their demonstrated interest in the study of chemistry, and
· students who have excelled in a written examination as well as participated in a subsequent laboratory component
Private Brewery Tour with Western Michigan Section
Western Michigan ACS is announcing a Private Brewery Tour on Friday, June 20, at 2 p.m. at Founders Brewery in Downtown Grand Rapids. Learn about the chemistry of brewing and taste Local Michigan Beer while doing it. See the flyer below!
There are a maximum of 20 spots for participants and as of 5/29, seven had been spoken for. More information will be sent when your reservation is confirmed. Email the section Chair, Carter Tomko, at Ctomkotank85@gmail.com with your confirmation and any questions. When confirmation is given and you plan on attending, please remember to bring your ID! When spots are filled an email will be sent out. Any cancellation that frees a spot will be advertised before the event. There will be a $5 cover fee for anyone who cancels less than 48 hours prior to the event.
Founders Web Page with more information on the tour: https://foundersbrewing.com/visit-connect/brewery-tours/#id=private-brewery-tour-grand-rapids
Good News Once Again: Lydia Hines Receives Mentoring Award
GLRM Awards Chair Graeme Wyllie presents
Lydia E. M. Hines with her Excellence in
Mentoring award.
Lydia E. M. Hines promotes the KACS at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting in Appleton, Wisconsin. She says the smaller size meetings are a great opportunity for students to connect with others in their field.
On Thursday, June 5, our Newsletter editor was recognized at the 2025 Great Lakes Regional Meeting in Appleton, WI, as the recipient of the inaugural Great Lakes Regional Award for Excellence in Mentoring named in honor of Martin Rudd, a well-loved Local Section councilor and Region Board member from the Northeast Wisconsin Section, who was known by many as a man of integrity, a caring mentor and a friend.
Lydia E. M. Hines was nominated by Brad Portis, a now-retired Gull Lake High School chemistry teacher, with supporting letters from our alternate councilor Brian Eklov, and Paul Dobrowolski, a former KACS volunteer who now serves similarly in his Huron Valley Local Section.