- Last Call for Sign-Up … Members’ Meeting and Picnic
- 50th KACS Awards Gathering – Hard Work and Positive Disposition Rewarded!
- Chemistry Day at the Museum—Save the Date!
- Encouragement to Attend Regional Meetings
- KACS Calendar
Last Call for Sign-Up … Members’ Meeting and Picnic
By Ed Thomas
KACS members, please join us for our KACS members’ meeting on Saturday, June 24 at the Oshtemo Township Park at 7275 West Main Street. We view the meeting, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., as a time to socialize outdoors, have members get reacquainted in person, and highlight benefits of the ACS to members and prospective members. Members, their families and your guests, who might be interested in joining KACS, will be treated to pizza and a hotdog and hamburger cookout between 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., to be followed by the meeting itself. If this is something that interests you and you have been looking for a way to increase your involvement, please join us. To ensure an accurate count of attendees for food and supplies you must register at Eventbrite by June 21: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kacs-spring-2023-members-meeting-tickets-620039443667. For any questions, or to offer your help, please contact the meeting organizer Ed Thomas at edwardwthomas@gmail.com.
KACS Members’ Meeting
Oshtemo Township Park
7275 W. Main St., Kalamazoo
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Agenda
4:00 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Welcome and picnic
5:00 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Meeting call to order and chair remarks
5:05 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Introduction of executive committee and chairs
5:20 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Key activities accomplished and planned for in 2023
5:30 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Benefits of Joining ACS/KACS
5:40 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Members Survey and Feedback
6:00 PMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Close of meeting
50th KACS Awards Gathering – Hard Work and Positive Disposition Rewarded!
Twenty-six individuals signed on to the ZOOM platform on Monday, May 8, for our Section’s 50th Awards Gathering. Though the format has changed over the years there is expectation that the next gathering will be “in person” once again.
Though participation on ZOOM does not require travel to a location or parking, etc., we miss the opportunity to speak individually with each awardee to encourage the enviable work ethic, shown to this point, to continue to make a positive change in their world – which usually includes further study and exploration of math and science, as educators, or in industry, or in journalism ….
The turnout for the meeting was very encouraging: we had 100% participation from our College Awardees, 9/11 nominated Outstanding Chemistry Students present, along with a parent and some teachers, as well as 2/3 of our 2022 Project SEED participants!
At our Gathering we also recognize members of our Section who have been ACS members for 60 and 50 years (we had 2 and 5, respectively, in 2023), as well as a member identified as having given exceptional service to our section “above and beyond” (a full list of awardees since the inception of the Meritorious Service Award in 1989 may be found at kalamazooacs.org/past-recipients-of-the-kacs-section-award/)
In addition to the full program for the Gathering – congratulate any of these folks that you know – below is a picture, courtesy of Sheryl Loux, one of the 3 50-year members who “attended” our gathering. Pictured are Edward Thomas, Sheryl Loux, and Ronald Gammill.
Chemistry Day at the Museum—Save the Date!
By Hershel Jude
Chemistry Day at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum will be held in person on October 14, 2023, 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 form on the faces of children and adults alike! The topic of 2023 National Chemistry Week is Health and Medicine: The Healing Power of Chemistry.
Do you have a great and safe experiment you can share with an audience of participants of any age, from elementary through adult? Are you interested in demonstrating one of several experiments that are performed and enjoyed 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, possibly-aspiring scientists in our community? We need your help to make this event a success. If you are willing to participate, please email Hershel Jude.
Encouragement to Attend Regional Meetings
Regional Meetings offer an affordable opportunity for students to gain experience with research presentation skills before peers and faculty at universities in the area of the meeting, to network and to travel more affordably to cities which are not as distant from their location; overall these meetings are not as intimidating as the very large national meetings offered by ACS; they usually have an exposition to which all are invited and at which company representatives may offer opportunities for one-on-one encouragement to consider available jobs. There often are sessions offered on career counseling and resume’ review with ACS volunteers who are more than happy to assist.
One such opportunity will be available in Central Regional Meeting in the Detroit area in June; another will be the Joint Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Meeting offered in the St. Louis, Missouri, area in October (18-21) by the Great Lakes Region (of which the Kalamazoo Section is a part) in cooperation with the Midwest Region. The abstract deadline for the Joint Regional Meeting in October is Monday, July 17, 2023 Website: https://mwrm2023.org/?c=230524_em_abstract_mtg_regmtg_MWGLRM2023
It would be wise to consider attendance at either or both of these meetings (information about CERM is given below in the June Calendar). [For information regarding the various Regions of ACS see https://kalamazooacs.org/the-great-lakes-region/]