Highlights
- Draft Strategic Plan Complete
- Sincere Thanks and Warm Wishes to Annette Hoppenworth
- Volunteer of the Year: Dr. Blakely Tresca
- Cheesy Science
- Editor’s Pick – Conversation Between Dr. Scott Denmark and Dr. Erick Carreira
- KACS Calendar
Draft Strategic Plan Complete
Dear Members,
The KACS’ draft strategic plan is complete and shown below. From November 12-14, Dr. Barbara Sawrey, an ACS member and emeritus professor from University of California, San Diego, and Dr. Amber Hinkle, an ACS member and Vice President at Covestro, facilitated our meeting.
The first portion of the meeting focused on reviewing and revising our vision and mission statements to the following:
Our Vision: Enriching all people's lives in our community through chemistry
Vision: Enriching all people’s lives in our community through chemistry
Mission: Connecting and educating local members, scientists, and students through innovative chemistry programs and outreach for the benefit of our community
We then looked to the results of the KACS membership survey which we conducted this fall, and in which many of you participated. With this information and prework the committee completed, we set out to devise three clear goals for our KACS section. Following agreement on the goals, we devised three strategies each that could be implemented over an 18-month to 3-year timeframe. The draft strategic plan and supporting documents will be finalized at the December 20 KACS Executive Committee Meeting.
During January 2022 the Executive Committee will vote to approve the strategic plan. The prioritization and timing of the identified strategies will be evaluated through 2022.
I wish to thank the planning committee (Nicole Burke, Luke Chadwick, Lydia Hines, Hershel Jude, Ben Maxey, Roger Nahas, Tomasz Respondek, Carl Stachew, Ed Thomas, Blakely Tresca and Doug Williams) for bringing a high level of professionalism, knowledge and commitment to the meeting and for producing our strategic plan. Further, thanks to Barbara Sawrey and Amber Hinkle for a productive and enjoyable weekend.
Sincerely,
Ed Thomas
KACS Chair 2021
Sincere Thanks and Warm Wishes to Annette Hoppenworth
In this final 2021 issue of The KalChemist News we would like to express our sincere thanks and warm wishes to Annette Hoppenworth on her retirement from her position at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum (KVM).
One of her many roles at the KVM was to champion our National Chemistry Week collaboration each October for the past 30+ years!
Many Thanks Annette! God-speed, and we will miss you!
Volunteer of the Year: Dr. Blakely Tresca
Dr. Blakely Tresca, Kalamazoo College faculty, was selected as KACS’ Volunteer Of The Year (VOTY) nominee; his name was submitted to the ACS’ Committee on Community Activities (CCA).
Though fairly new to the KACS, Blakely participated in NCW video activities at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum the last couple of years, is a cheerleader for the Kalamazoo College Chemistry club and has been active in co-organizing the last two virtual Speed-networking sessions held by our KACS. He also participated in the recently-held virtual Strategic Planning session.
He is helping to organize a Panel of “more recently-minted” Industrial chemists to present their experiences, and the expectations they have determined important, to KACS-area college students interested in an industrial career.
Cheesy Science
A fun article from ACS Industry Matters received by e-mail October 21, 2021:
“How More than 100,000,000 Lbs. of Low-Fat Cheese Ended Up In School Cafeterias”
Editor’s Pick – Conversation Between Dr. Scott Denmark and Dr. Erick Carreira
Editor’s (Lydia’s) Recommendation for your listening pleasure:
A short (~20 min) conversation between Dr. Scott Denmark, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Dr. Erick Carreira, recently-appointed editor-in-chief of JACS. [For the longer-term members the “local connections” may bring some nostalgia]
Watch the YouTube video here
