• Bell’s Event This Thursday
• A Retrospective on Chemistry Day at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum
• End-of-Year Appeal for Project SEED
• Read All About Us!
• KACS Election Results
• KACS Calendar
Bell’s Event This Thursday
REMEMBER that the KACS Bell’s Event is on THIS THURSDAY (November 6) in the “back room” at Bell’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo. Come to make new acquaintances, enjoy opportunities to network with other chemists and appreciate research being done by chemists at the various stages in their careers. Doors will open soon after 5 p.m. We will also be treated to a lecture titled “Advancing Solutions for Reliable Access to Cyanotoxins and Cyanopeptides in Environmental and Biomedical Research” by Dr. Jeremy Kodanko of Wayne State University.
Jeremy J. Kodanko is Professor of Chemistry and Associate Chair at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he also serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the largest Ph.D. program on campus. His research shows how transition-metal complexes, photochemistry, and peptide natural products can be leveraged to address challenges in medicine, environmental monitoring, and sustainable materials recovery. Jeremy is a recipient of Wayne State’s Career Development Chair and Outstanding Graduate Director Awards and has been recognized for his leadership in graduate education reform. He has authored numerous papers spanning inorganic, organic, and medicinal chemistry, including pioneering studies on photocaging strategies, and cyanobacterial peptide natural products. He is also founder of AnchorChem LLC, a company focused on environmental health and monitoring. His translational research has led to multiple patents and federally funded projects from NIH, NSF, and NASA aimed at advancing both fundamental science and real-world applications.
A Retrospective on Chemistry Day at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum
By Carol Guerrero
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum and the Kalamazoo Local Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) presented “The Hidden Life of Spices” on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. This 39th annual celebration of chemistry brought together chemistry enthusiasts to explore the wonders of chemistry and offer patrons an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for the science that shapes our world.
Volunteers from Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Local Section of the ACS, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Kalsec, Perrigo, Pfizer and Western Michigan University made it possible for visitors to engage in exciting experiments, witness captivating demonstrations and learn about chemistry in other meaningful ways.
Many activities aligned with this year’s theme and were designed to explore both the scientific and sensory qualities of spices. Visitors guessed and matched spices by scent and appearance, observed spice color changes with pH and used chromatography to separate pigments. They also ground spices and learned about the Mohs hardness scale, examined the chemical structures of spices and compared flavor profiles to understand what makes each spice and flavor unique. In addition, visitors were treated to a station to create their own taco seasoning blend, watched live demonstrations on the science of light, painted with turmeric, and enjoyed other popular activities like dancing milk and making and testing tablets.
The Kalamazoo Seed Collaborative was on site to distribute herb and spice seeds for visitors to continue learning about spices in their own gardens. A poster presentation on the history of Kalsec, a Kalamazoo spice extraction company, recognized the contributions of Paul H. Todd, Jr. and his company to the field, acknowledging and preserving the rich history of local scientific innovation.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the volunteers who dedicated their time, knowledge and enthusiasm to make Chemistry Day possible. Their hard work and passion for science are truly appreciated. Without their dedication and participation, this event would not have been possible. Relive some of Chemistry Day’s exciting moments through photos on the museum’s Flickr page…. and save the date of October 17, 2026, for next year’s celebration of chemistry, with the theme “Chemistry Under Construction.” Together, we will continue to ignite the spark of scientific curiosity and exploration in our community!
End-of-Year Appeal for Project SEED
By Doug Williams
Project SEED coordinator
As we approach the end of the year, I ask you to consider our local section Project SEED program in your charitable giving plans. This year we celebrated the achievements of four Project SEED fellows. Since in-person research resumed in 2022 after a pandemic pause, we have sponsored 19 projects at a cost to our section of $1,600-$2,000 per project. We currently have no reserves specified for Project SEED in 2026 and have drawn increasingly from our general reserve fund in recent years to supplement program funding. Donations to the KACS Project SEED program are used only for student fellowship payments. Mentors are not compensated. Supplies and research tools are provided by the host facility. To make a donation, please see instructions on our Project SEED webpage and let us know if your employer will match your donation. Kalamazoo ACS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and listed as a Silver level charity with GuideStar. A gift receipt will be sent to you after your donation is received. Thank you!
Read All About Us!
Our KACS 2024 Annual Governance and Financial Reports submitted to the National ACS Office, along with the Local Section Activities Commitee’s encouraging evaluation, are now on our KACS website, at https://kalamazooacs.org/archives/.
KACS Election Results
We appreciate the ~12% of the membership that voted in our recent Local Section Election.
Tiffany Crawford (Kalsec) was elected as our new secretary, for a two-year term (we thank her for her willingness to serve our KACS)
The position of chair-elect for 2025 is still vacant, so there is still opportunity for a member to step up and help our section continue its outreach efforts.