Doing justice to Recognition Night is challenging. There are so many excellent people, recognizers and recognees, so many achievements, and so much good fellowship! And our photo-documentarian, Vic Lewchenko, doesn’t help matters by taking so many fine pictures. In an effort to avoid tl;dr syndrome, it’s necessary to truncate. Please don’t interpret truncation as indicating […]
“Chemistry is pHun” outreach programs reached at least 11 schools and 483 students during Spring, 2016. Four different programs tailored to different age groups and teacher requests can be offered: “States of Matter”, “Chemistry is pHun”, “What is Matter?”, and “Polymers are Marvelous Molecules” (includes DNA extraction from strawberries). In addition, Using the Scientific Method
On Saturday, February 27th, Wentzville Holt High School hosted the Missouri Tri-County Science Fair (Honors Division). Our intrepid science fairy (is it OK to call you that, Sheryl Loux?) has reported the following projects/scientists as winners in the chemistry-themed category. First Place: Yushin Lee and Sydney Thomas, Grade 12, Fort Zumwalt North High School, O’Fallon,
The examination for the 2016 High School Chemistry Contest was given last Friday and Saturday, March 11th and 12th. Myron Reese, coordinator of the contest, has announced the results: REGULAR DIVISION Student School Teacher 1st Ben Langton John Burroughs School Eric Knispel 2nd Tong Zhao Clayton High School Brad Krone 3rd Liam Storan John
Our Councilors have reported from San Diego, where the 251st ACS National Meeting is wrapping up today. As usual, they have provided “Councilor Talking Points,” a document that summarizes the actions of various Council committees and Council at large. Lol Barton was quickest on the [Attach] and [Send] tool buttons this meeting. Thanks, Lol. Picking
Rhonda Woerndle, process development chemist at Monsanto, has won the 2016 St Louis Section Chemical Science & Technology Award. The announcement came from the Award coordinator and past winner, David Rhee. Rhonda received her undergraduate chemistry degree with honors in 1999 from Knox College in Galesburg, IL; soon thereafter she started her career as a
Natalie LaFranzo, Chair-elect of the St Louis Local Section, has been appointed Chair of the national Younger Chemists Committee (YCC), serving in 2016. Natalie became involved with the Committee in 2012, when she won a Leadership Development Award to attend the annual Young Leaders track at the ACS Leadership Development Institute in Dallas. In 2014
For the second year in a row, the Battle of the Burets was hosted by SIU–Edwardsville. On Tuesday, February 16, 24 two-person teams from 10 area high schools competed in the event. Each student performed three titrations, and team scores were composites based on their accuracy. The student teams with the best scores received trophies
Committee chairships don’t turn over very often [so zealously are those appointments guarded by appointees (right? … RIGHT?)], so it is worth noting when one does. One of the biggest jobs we do as a local section is to recognize and publicize excellence in all aspects of the chemistry enterprise. That job is largely the
This one is being resurrected literally from yesteryear (a word that will be forever linked in minds of a certain age with the Lone Ranger). It’s almost too old to report—too embarrassingly old—but Excellence deserves its due, even if it is overdue. The Salute to Excellence was presented to Jost Chemical Company on October 25th,
