Highlights

• Message from incoming chair Edward Thomas
• Outreach event at Milwood Elementary
• Report from the Project SEED fundraiser
• Changes to the upcoming calendar

Welcome KACS Chair Elect Edward W. Thomas

Please welcome new Chair Elect for the KACS, Edward W. Thomas, Ph.D. He would like to share the following greetings with the Kalamazoo American Chemical Society membersn:

I am pleased to serve as the 2020 Chair-Elect and 2021 Chair of the Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society. I have over 35 years of pharmaceutical research and development experience and have been a member of ACS for 47 years. With all the benefits I have received from the ACS, I decided it was time to give back. In the past I have given demonstrations at Chemistry Day and visited local elementary schools to share with them the excitement of science and chemistry. Last year I was super-charged by our local section receiving the prestigious ACS National Historic Chemistry Landmark Award. I especially enjoyed the chemistry symposium on the day of the award, May 17, 2019, and the social event and dinner the previous evening. I wish to continue with the local committee to implement interesting scientific member meetings.

Membership enjoyment and participation, scientific meetings and education are my foci for this year. I hope you share with me, or other executive committee members, your interests and needs. Please feel free to contact me.

I look forward to helping the Kalamazoo ACS section achieve Hershel Jude's and our local section's goals through successful activities and increased membership participation.

Edward W. Thomas, Ph.D.
Chair Elect

Science Fun Outreach to Kalamazoo's Milwood Elementary

By Andrew Simpkins

A group of Western Michigan Chemistry Club members went to Milwood Elementary schools to present five different experiments to 4th graders on Friday, February 7 th , 2020. Those experiments included two dealing with pressure, one dealing with polarities, one dealing with making slime, and last being elephant toothpaste. The two dealing with pressure was putting something hot into something that was cold either crushing a pop can or pulling up cold water through an upside down erlenmeyer flask. Some things to make sure you do to ensure safety for those experiment's and the success of it would be to wear goggles, making sure there is water in the pop can or flask, using a hot plate so others around the experimenter are safe, have cold water or ice, have protective clothing, wear gloves, and an oven mit of some sort so you don't burn your hand on the transfer. The polarity experiment dealt with acetone and a styrofoam cup, which showed the kids that "like dissolves like". Some things to make sure of one's safety is to wear goggles, gloves, and have a big beaker so the risk of the acetone splashing on the experimenter and/or the observers, when it's being poured on the cup, is lessened. We also tried to make connections to everyday things they may have used before like nail polish remover for example.

Beer-Food Pairings: A Tasty Way to Support Project SEED

Photos courtesy of Linda Babb

On March 10, we were treated to a presentation of specially-paired foods and beers of Latitude 42 Brewing Company at their Oshtemo location on West Main St. Twenty local members and guests registered to attend and hear Mike Babb's description of the beer styles and flavor attributes that made them suitable for each selected food item. Doug Williams gave a short description of Project SEED, the ACS summer research program for disadvantaged high school students. And, we continued to give out special pint glasses and wallet cards to commemorate 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT). This was our third IYPT celebration event since last year, all sponsored by an ACS Innovative Program Grant. If you missed them, keep an eye out for us at future activities. We still have more glasses and cards to give away. You can also make donations directly to our local Project SEED fund at our PayPal donation page. See our Project SEED page for more information. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.

KACS Calendar for Spring and Summer

Due to the COVID-19 world-wide pandemic, Michigan have been modified, postponed or cancelled. Our section's Executive Committee met on March 17, by video conference call, and the following schedule modifications were decided at that time:

Participation in the April Earth Day-related KACS activities usually staffed by members and students in our college-affiliated chemistry clubs have been canceled.

The spring Awards gathering for recipients of ACS multi-year membership certificates, recipients of awards recognizing outstanding achievement in chemistry in their college and high school education etc. has been canceled; the awardees will receive their awards by mail and will be recognized through publicity in our KACS newsletter.

KACS participation by way of offering a water-stop during the Borgess Marathon currently scheduled for May 3rd is under consideration. The marathon organizers have yet to decide on whether or not the 2020 run will take place (NEWS FLASH: the Marathon has been canceled).

The Executive Committee will continue to meet monthly via a video conference until such time as it is deemed safe to resume normal activities.