ACS Southwest Regional Meeting (SWRM) 2026 - Abstract Submissions Now Open!

"Chemistry at the Intersection of Energy, Sustainability, and Biology"

Abstract submission for the upcoming 2026 ACS SWRM is now open! SWRM 2026 will be held November 16 - 19, 2026 in Forth Worth, Texas. Visit the SWRM 2026 Symposia page for Symposium Information and to access the Abstract Submission Portal.

Abstract submissions for all symposia have been extended to Wednesday, August 26, 11:59 PM EDT.

ACS-GHS 2026 Awards Banquet

Mark your calendars and plan to join us as we celebrate the best and brightest in the Greater Houston chemical community! Honorees include Greater Houston Section members of the American Chemical Society who have received local, regional and national ACS awards and GHS members celebrating 50 and 60 years of ACS membership. This celebration will be held as a hybrid (in-person and virtual) event.

Saturday, October 17, 2026

6:00 - 9:00 pm

St. John's School, Chao Assembly Hall

2401 Claremont Lane

Houston, TX  77019

OR

Virtual via Zoom

Tickets:

$60/person (in-person, includes dinner)

$15/person (virtual)

Purchase Tickets Here!

Dinner ticket sales close October 10, 2026, 11:59 pm

Diner attire is business casual. Self-parking is available at no cost.

Location and Parking Details

Sponsorship Opportunities Available Soon

2026 Celebration of Learning

The 2026 ACS GHS Celebration of Learning ceremony took place on July 31, 2026 at St. John’s School. Participants included the Project SEED Summer Research interns as well as the ACS-GHS High School Scholarship winners.

ACS-GHS Scholarship Winners, L to R: Smrithi Gudetti (1st year, 3rd place), Mrs. Obiageli Nwosu, ACS-GHS Education Committee Chair, Karen Wang (2nd year, 2nd place), Nash Patel (2nd year Honorable Mention).

We were also pleased to recognize Dr. Eric Oblinger of Concordia Lutheran High School as the 2026 winner of our award for Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching.

L to R: Lisa Houston (Awards Committee Chair), Dr. Eric Oblinger

Full Time Chemistry Stockroom Position at UH (Lab Supervisor)

Under the guidance of an immediate supervisor and laboratory coordinators, duties are to include:  Prepare chemical solutions; assist in collecting and inventorying ordered lab materials; disburse glassware, instrumentation, and chemicals; collect and prepare waste substances for proper disposal; and perform other related duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor, laboratory coordinators, and department chair.

Skills required: Good verbal and written communication skills; computer literacy, including some knowledge of spreadsheets for inventory tracking.  The successful completion of at least college-level freshman chemistry laboratory is required, and completion of college-level organic chemistry laboratory is preferred.

Hours: 40 hours per week.  Some Saturday morning hours may be required, but not to exceed 40 hours per week.

Please see the UH Careers website for additional information and how to apply for this role.

ACS Brazosport Section Awards

 Call for 2026 Chemical Technician Award 

Deadline Extended!

The Awards Committee of the Brazosport Section of the American Chemical Society is soliciting nominations for the 2026 Brazosport Chemical Technician Award, which will be presented to a chemical operator / technician / technologist who has demonstrated an extremely high degree of professionalism. Criteria used to judge the award include technical achievements, leadership, mentoring, contribution to safety, reliability, teamwork, publications, awards, and community service.

A nominee must be a resident of Brazoria, Victoria, Wharton, Jackson, Calhoun, or Matagorda County or be employed within any of the listed counties. Additionally, the nominee must have worked as a chemical operator / technician / technologist for a minimum of five years to be eligible for this award. Nominees are not required to be a Technician Affiliate or an ACS member to be eligible for this award. 

The award consists of one-year membership in the American Chemical Society and a plaque presented at the Annual Brazosport ACS Awards Banquet.

Nominations must be received by Praveen Boopalachandran as a single pdf file. The packet must include the following:

1. The completed nomination form. The application form can also be found on the ACS Brazosport website.(Note: Please do not send anything marked proprietary or confidential)
2. At least one letter of recommendation from someone familiar with the candidate’s work.

To be eligible, please submit the complete nomination package directly to pboopalachandran@dow.com by 11:59 PM CDT on September 18, 2026 (Friday). The winners will be announced about 3 weeks after the nominations are due.

Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested in this opportunity.

Another Successful Summer for Project SEED and the GHS!

The Greater Houston Section of the American Chemical Society recently concluded another successful Project SEED Summer Program, led by Eme Abu!

This summer, 16 students completed research experiences at the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, and Houston Electron Microscopy Laboratory. The program culminated in a Celebration of Learning at St. John's School in Houston, where more than 100 attendees gathered to recognize the students' achievements and the impact of the program.

The event also recognized this year's scholarship recipients which was led by Tai-Yen Chen. In addition, our local section's Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching award recipient, Dr. Eric Oblinger, and our dedicated Project SEED mentors were honored for their outstanding contributions.

We wrapped up the summer on a high note! Congratulations to all of our students, scholarship recipients, mentors, and award winners on an outstanding summer of discovery, learning, and achievement.

See more photos here!