• Our 2025 KACS Honorees
• Spotlight on Excellence: Student Achievements in KACS Competitive Exam and U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
• Stevens-Truss Honored for 25 Years of Service
• Frantz Nominated for Teaching Award
• Lithium Batteries Topic of ZOOM
• KACS Calendar
Our 2025 KACS Honorees
Each year, the Kalamazoo Section of the ACS recognizes several individuals at its Awards Gathering. The program consists of brief introductions of our 50- and 60-year ACS members, our KACS past-chair, students who have completed a summer research experience through our KACS/ACS SEED program, and our Section’s Meritorious Service Award winner; others who are recognized and receive awards are an outstanding teacher, outstanding graduating chemistry majors from Kalamazoo College and WMU, HS students nominated as outstanding by their chemistry teachers and HS students who have performed well on a two-tiered examination.
We especially honor our 60-year ACS members: Dr. Malcolm Moon and Dr. Andrew Zeiler and our 50-year members: Dr. Ray Sweany, Dr. John Stodola and Dr. Rodney Walters.
This year’s awards ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 20, starting at 6 p.m. via ZOOM. Contact Dr. Joe Chemler for a link to participate.
Congratulations, and our best wishes to all of this year’s honorees!
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Below is wise advice offered by one of this year’s 50-year members, who served as our 1999 KACS chair—Dr. John D. Stodola
“Why join ACS as an undergraduate? It is a great investment! Go for it. Pass it on to the next generation.”
For about the price of a tank of gas you get:
· a lifetime of contacts with other chemists, especially the ones that will hire you and be your co-workers
· a weekly look at Chemical & Engineering News (and surprises you won’t see anywhere else)
· a path into the chemical literature and updates on what’s happening outside your field
· a wide range of meetings (with some discounts) and programs to share your work
[Editor’s note: Many thanks, John, for your comments and continuing enthusiasm; John joined the ACS at the encouragement of his undergraduate adviser and served our profession in Kalamazoo, starting at The Upjohn Company!]
Spotlight on Excellence: Student Achievements in KACS Competitive Exam and U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
By Dr. Carol Guerrero and Dr. Doug Williams
Competitive Exam Subcommittee, USNCO co-coordinators
The Kalamazoo American Chemical Society (KACS) successfully completed its newly structured Competitive Exam and participation in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) competition. Both the KACS Competitive Exam and the USNCO competition are established academic competitions designed to identify and nurture outstanding achievement in chemistry among high school students. These competitions attract motivated students who demonstrate a passion for chemistry and seek to challenge themselves in a competitive setting. Participation in these competitions fosters a sense of camaraderie among like-minded peers and encourages continuous learning and growth.
Both programs aim to motivate high school students to pursue academic distinction through challenging assessments while recognizing outstanding achievement. In addition, the initiatives recognize the contributions of chemistry educators and foster collaboration between KACS and local high school chemistry teachers.
Between March 1 and March 23, 2025, a total of 134 students from 11 area high schools participated in the KACS Competitive Exam. High schools represented included Climax-Scotts High School, Galesburg-Augusta High School, Gull Lake High School, Hartford High School, Kalamazoo Central High School, Kalamazoo Christian High School, Loy Norrix High School, Parchment High School, Portage Central High School, Portage Northern High School, and Vicksburg High School. This assessment served a dual purpose: it determined the recipients of the KACS scholarships and acted as the qualifying exam for the USNCO competition. All registered students who took the exam received a certificate of participation.
The top three scorers in the KACS Competitive Exam were awarded KACS scholarships in recognition of their outstanding academic performance. The top scorer was Madeline Beck (Portage Central High School) followed by the second- and third-highest scorers David Shen (Portage Northern High School) and Janelle Yao (Portage Central High School), respectively. Scholarship recipients will receive a check and certificate of achievement.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) determines the number of USNCO qualifying students for each local section based on the number of ACS members in the local section, with a maximum of two students per home high school. The KACS was allotted 12 students for the competition. The 12 qualifying students, in alphabetical order, were Madison Alspach (Gull Lake High School), Sophia Barnard (Kalamazoo Central High School), Madeline Beck (Portage Central High School), Georgia Edmonds (Loy Norrix High School), Ethan Jastifer (Vicksburg High School), Lena Kuhn (Gull Lake High School), Isaac Patrick (Loy Norrix High School), Katherine Risley (Kalamazoo Central High School), David Shen (Portage Northern High School), Isabelle Tai (Portage Northern High School), and Janelle Yao (Portage Central High School). All 12 students attend the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center.
On Saturday, April 12, the qualifying students gathered on the beautiful campus of Kalamazoo College to take the rigorous, three-part USNCO national exam. The competition included two written exams and a laboratory practical. During the event, students had the opportunity to connect with local chemists and engage with Kalamazoo College students over lunch. Qualifying USNCO students received a commemorative lapel pin provided by the ACS. Students who completed the USNCO competition received a certificate. Their teacher, Claudia Witt-Thomas, was recognized with a certificate for her role in supporting her students.
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The KACS Competitive Exam Subcommittee extends its sincere thanks to Kalamazoo College for generously hosting the USNCO competition and supplying the necessary materials for the lab practical. Special thanks go to the individuals who volunteered their time and talents to help make this event successful, including Dr. Blakely Tresca, Jarred Fitch, Maxwell Rhames, Will Tocco, and Caroline Johnson from Kalamazoo College, and Dr. Kristen Burns from Western Michigan University.
We also express our deep appreciation to the KACS Executive Committee for their continued leadership and support, as this year marked both the inaugural year of the new competitive exam structure and the return of the USNCO competition to the Kalamazoo region.
This year’s efforts reflect KACS’s continued commitment to advancing chemistry education. As the competitive exam program continues to evolve, it will no doubt continue to motivate students to further their interest and skills in the field of chemistry.
Stevens-Truss Honored for 25 Years of Service
Last month we announced that we like to share good news about our members. I am happy to report that Regina Stevens-Truss took the message to heart and sent the following good news!
Regina Stevens-Truss, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Kalamazoo College, was honored during the College’s Founder’s Day Celebration for 25 years of service. Regina started her career at K in January of 2000 and served on the KACS Women Chemists Committee for several years working with the group on the Glowing Embers Girl Scout Chemistry Badge. Most recently, Regina was elected to the Executive Committee of the newly-named ACS Division of Biochemistry and Chemical Biology. Of note, Regina was the driving force behind the new annual Undergraduate Award in Biochemistry and Chemical Biology.
Congratulations, Regina, and thanks for sharing this news with all of us!
Frantz Nominated for Teaching Award
KACS member Nathan Frantz, a first-year chemistry professor at Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, MI, was recently nominated for the E.J. Shaheen Chair for Teaching Excellence Award. While he ultimately was not selected, he and other nominees were recognized at a recent ceremony held on the college campus.
Congratulations, Nathan, for making an impact on students’ lives!
Lithium Batteries Topic of ZOOM
The Upper Peninsula Section of the ACS extended an invitation to our section members to attend a live online ZOOM presentation by Michael O’Brian, from the Brighton Area [Michigan] Fire Authority, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, starting at 7 p.m. (ET). The title of the presentation is Lithium-Ion Battery Safety: Risks, Challenges, and Public Awareness and a short abstract was given as “Lithium-ion batteries are light weight, popular, and pervasive. The risks and challenges of using lithium-ion batteries will be presented, along with what can be done to enhance public awareness and safety.”
Advance registration is requested by using the link https://american-chemical-society.zoom.com/meeting/register/38udbw8DTzqrRJZUfwy8-w.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The ZOOM room will open at 6:45 p.m. EDT for social interactions, and will remain open for an additional 30 minutes after 8 p.m.
