• Celebrating 150 Years of the ACS at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum
• Project SEED Update and Poster Session Invitation (August 28)
• Volunteers Requested for Chemistry Day at the Museum
• Chemical Kim Celebrates Making the Joy of Chemistry for Everyone!
• Input Requested for Next Regional Meeting
• Former KACS Chair Co-Authors Article in Senior Chemists Newsletter
• KACS Calendar

Celebrating 150 Years of the ACS at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum

Project SEED Update and Poster Session Invitation (August 28)

Lastly, we appreciate you, our members, who generously support our program. 100% of all member donations are used directly for student stipends. Please see our website for more information about donating.

Meet our 2026 Project SEED Fellows

Jesse Sanchez

Hi, my name is Jesse Sanchez. I’m entering my freshman year of college at Ferris State University this fall after graduating from Hamilton High School. I’m hoping to major in Pre-Pharmacy. I’m currently enrolled in the ACS SEED program and working at K College in Kalamazoo, MI. I’ve been working with Dr. Tresca on research involving peptoid synthesis and 3D virtual modeling. This summer research program has been an incredible experience and opportunity. It’s been great meeting new people, making connections that could be valuable in the future, and gaining hands-on lab experience. This program has provided me with numerous avenues for personal and professional growth that I intend to leverage in the future. This summer opportunity has become one of my most anticipated activities each day. The program has been incredibly helpful for my lab experience, which is crucial for Pharmacy. I’ve had ample lab time and learned a wide range of skills throughout the program. I genuinely enjoy this program and don’t think anything could change that.

Karim Heydarzade

I am a rising junior at Portage Central High School and Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC). This is my first year participating in Project SEED. I learned about Project SEED through KAMSC’s Research Director, Mrs. Rebecca Joyce. I am doing my summer internship at Western Michigan University, and my mentors are Mert Atilhan, Qingliu Wu, and Nimarta Kaur. This summer, I am working on CO2 adsorption using different rock samples. On some days, I also help with other lab activities that help me gain experience and learn new techniques. This program has been amazing and has helped me develop many new skills that will be useful for my future academic and career goals.

Lizbeth Mares Castro

I am Lizbeth Mares-Castro and am about to enter my senior year at Loy Norrix High School. My Project SEED mentor is Dr. Dwight Williams. This is my second year as a project seed fellow at Kalamazoo College. I learned about this program through my older sister who attended Kalamazoo College and recommended the program to me. This program has taught me how to problem solve and I also gained valuable hands-on lab experience that will help me in the future after high school. I would like to enter college as a biochem major working towards medical school.

Volunteers Requested for Chemistry Day at the Museum

Chemistry Day at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum will be held on October 17, 2026, 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 faces of children and adults alike! The theme of the 2026 National Chemistry Week celebration is “Chemistry Under Construction.” Do you have a great activity or experiment you can share with an audience of elementary or middle school students? 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-to-be in our community? We need your help to make this event a success! If you are interested in participating, please email Hershel Jude or Carol Guerrero.

Chemical Kim Celebrates Making the Joy of Chemistry for Everyone!

Input Requested for Next Regional Meeting

Below is a request for programmatic input for the 2027 Joint Great Lakes and Central Regional Meeting to be cohosted by the Wabash Valley Section (Great Lakes Region) and Indiana Section (Central Region) in Terre Haute, IN, in 2027. KACS is part of the Great Lakes Region.

Dear American Chemical Society member,

The planning for the American Chemical Society 2027 Joint Great Lakes and Central Regional Meeting in Terre Haute, Indiana, is well underway, and we’re excited to begin shaping a truly standout event.

Our goal is to build programming that is both technically engaging and intellectually inspiring, while also offering ample opportunities for connection, collaboration, and celebration of the scientific spirit through non-technical events. To do that well, we want to hear directly from the communities we serve.

To help us gather broad, enthusiastic participation from all corners of our two regions, we’ve created the survey linked below.

The survey focuses on two major areas:

1. Gauging interest in potential programming topics, and

2. Identifying individuals or groups interested in contributing to the planning process.

My colleague on this project, Krysta Riel Maas, is coordinating with Division leadership to shape the technical program. In parallel, my aim is to bring together the strengths, resources, and unique perspectives of scientists throughout our regions. Together, we hope to craft a Regional Meeting that is attractive, valuable, and energizing for chemists at every career stage.

Please forward this survey to anyone in your community who may be interested in helping us create worthwhile programming. We would appreciate feedback by September 30, which will ensure we have ample time to plan for this exciting endeavor.

Sincerely,

Erica Price
Chair-Elect, St. Joseph Valley LS
Non-Technical Program Chair
Local Organizing Committee, GLCRM 2027

Former KACS Chair Co-Authors Article in Senior Chemists Newsletter