Greater Houston SectionEstablished in 1917, the Section serves about 2500 members, consisting of chemists, chemical engineers and professionals in allied fields. The American Chemical Society is recognized as a world leader in fostering science education and research, and promoting public understanding of science. The Greater Houston Section of the American Chemical Society is one of 189 local ACS sections across the nation. |
2023 Southwest Regional Meeting Report
L to R: Frank Blum, Cheryl Frech, Lloyd Bumm, and SWRM Board Chair Ruthanne Hathaway The ACS Southwest Regional Meeting (SWRM) was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on November 15-18. The meeting was sponsored by the Oklahoma Local Section of the ACS where the theme was "Chemistry Energized". The energy was evident in the more than 1000 attendees who gathered to speak and/or hear about recent advances in chemistry and chemistry-related fields developed in partnership with local sections and technical divisions, including special symposia on Lessons and Inspirations from the History of Chemistry, Best Practices for Small Chemical Businesses, and Innovative Ways to Convey the Value of Chemistry to the Public. Special events included the Senior Chemists Breakfast and Lecture, Women Chemists Breakfast and Lecture, and the SWRM Awards Dinner where Cindy Welch of the Greater Houston Section and Kingwood High School received the 2023 ACS Division of Chemical Education SW Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching. Congratulations to General Chairs, Cheryl Frech and Lloyd Bumm, and Program Chair Frank Blum for organizing an exceptional regional meeting!
Stephen Prilliman presenting the SWRM Teaching Award to Cindy Welch ACS-GHS Fall Science Cafe - Narrated Glassblowing Demonstration & Studio Tour
Thanks to those who joined us for our Fall Science Cafe at Glassblowing Houston in Tomball on November 11, 2023. We hope that you enjoyed learning about glassblowing and creating unique pieces, viewing the beautiful works of art on display, and mingling with other members. The food was pretty tasty too! It was our pleasure hosting this event and hope that you will join us for future events. | GHS January Kick-Off Meeting The 2024 ACS-GHS Executive Board and associated volunteers will be meeting in January to review the section's strategic goals and annual plans, assign committee chairs and volunteers, and ensure a smooth transition between board members in new positions. This is a great opportunity for members interested in volunteering with the ACS Greater Houston local section to meet the board and get involved in our 2024 activities! The transition meeting will take a hybrid format and registrants are invited to attend in person or virtually according to their preference. Saturday, January 13, 2024 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Hybrid Meeting In Person: University of St. Thomas Center for Science and Health Professions, Room 251 4102 Yoakum Blvd Houston, TX 77006 Virtually: via Zoom All registered attendees will receive the Zoom meeting link by email. Upcoming events
National Chemistry Week at the Children’s Museum HoustonOctober 21, 2023From Bob Botto, Event Organizer, on behalf of the Greater Houston Section - American Chemical Society in Partnership with Chemical Marketing & Economics (to see the full report with additional photos, click here): National Chemistry Week (NCW) at the Children’s Museum has been held every year since 2015 except the two Covid years of 2020 and 2021. Each year National ACS sets the theme for NCW and I interpret it, plan, and set up the event. This year the NCW theme was “The Healing Power of Chemistry”. This year also the GHS-ACS had the good fortune of being sponsored by the Chemical Marketing & Economics (CME) organization which donated $1000 specifically for this event.
Our volunteers came from Chemistry clubs at three local colleges: University of Houston Downtown, Rice University and University of St. Thomas, organized into two shifts. The kids started coming at 10 am with their family members. I counted how many were there several times during the day. At least 15 visitors were there with a maximum of 21. I estimated that they spent 10 minutes in the area so if we average 18 visitors and they turn over 6 times an hour that is 540 visitors for the entire 5 hour day. I saw a congestion of people at the end of the Great Hall where we were set up all day. Last year I estimated 400 visitors so this was a significant increase over last year.
I believe this event was a blowout success in every way. The public learned the importance of chemistry in healing and the kids and adults had a lot of fun. Respectfully submitted, Bob Botto ACS-GHS Kids & Chemistry Coordinator |
