The ACS-GHS once again joined the Discovery Green Earth Day in Downtown Houston on April 25, 2026, as part of Chemists Celebrate Earth Week. This year’s theme was "Into the Woods with Chemistry", highlighting the chemistry of trees and forests. To help deliver and promote the theme, we had an informational section educating visitors about the importance of trees to our planet and human life. We also had an experiment for visitors to our booth where they could create their own tree using materials like moss and wooden sticks, and we handed out giveaway bags to visitors containing ACS educational materials and goodies. In addition, visitors were able to take their tree to go!

Volunteers from the University of St. Thomas ACS group came to help at this year’s event. Huge thanks to Kiresha (Reese) Johnson for organizing the day, and to our event volunteers for helping make this a phenomenal event!

Seventeen Project SEED summer candidates have been selected to participate in this year’s program, which runs from June 8 through July 30 and culminates in a Celebration of Learning on July 31. Participants will engage in a structured, hands-on experience designed to strengthen their research skills and professional development. This year’s cohort is supported by mentors from the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, and Houston Electron Microscopy, reinforcing strong academic and industry collaboration.

“There is no trophy at the end for slogging through a career you don’t find rewarding.” – Marciano Bagnoli

The ACS Greater Houston Section Younger Chemists Committee successfully hosted “Lab to Life: Chemistry Careers in Action” on the evening of April 29th, an engaging virtual event designed to highlight diverse career pathways in chemistry and support students and early-career professionals.

The event saw 80 registrations, marking a record for ACS-GHS YCC virtual programming, with over 50 participants actively engaged throughout the evening. This strong turnout reflects the growing interest in career development and community connection within the chemical sciences.

The evening featured keynote speaker Marciano Bagnoli, Operational Excellence Leader at Bakelite Synthetics, who shared valuable insights on innovation, leadership, and applying multidisciplinary approaches to solve complex challenges. A dynamic panel discussion followed, featuring professionals from intellectual property, academia, and industry. Panelists Valerie Moore, Caol Huff, Olbelina Ulloa, and Joseph G. Duff provided practical guidance and shared personal career experiences.

“Once I got into the chemistry track, the ACS was pivotal in my career. Our professors had us doing research every year, we were going and giving posters every year […]. I decided to change to a full-blooded chemistry major because I went to an ACS meeting and looked at all of the presentations that looked really fun […]. Los Alamos National Labs was doing a presentation on blowing stuff up and looking at the force and everything that goes into how much a sign bends and cars cave in, and I’m like, well that’s my math, and then that’s my chemistry...and I was like, that’s what I want to do the rest of my life. No, I don’t blow stuff up. I’m sorry.” – Valerie Moore

Key advice shared with attendees included the importance of:

• Networking intentionally and building meaningful connections
• Remaining open to new and unexpected opportunities
• Reaching out to professionals with clear purpose and curiosity
• Maintaining a strong work ethic
• Continuously developing soft skills alongside technical expertise

The event also fostered meaningful engagement through interactive discussions and breakout sessions, allowing participants to connect directly with professionals and peers.

Overall, the event provided a valuable platform for inspiration, mentorship, and professional growth. The ACS-GHS YCC looks forward to continuing to support the next generation of chemists through impactful programming and community engagement.

Looking for concrete steps you can take to prepare your career plan? Through the ACS Career Pathways program, ACS members (including student members) can take advantage of free on-demand (virtual) or select in-person career and leadership training, as well as engaging with personal career consultants for resume feedback, interview preparation/mock interviews, or answers to any other career questions you may have. Explore all the career resources and tools available to ACS members on the ACS Careers website, and let the ACS help you build the future you deserve.

We are saddened to share with our members the passing of three long-serving former volunteers and Executive Officers of the ACS Greater Houston Section. Their participation and contributions to the Greater Houston and broader chemistry community will forever be cherished by everyone whose lives they touched.

David (Dave) Singleton – March 6, 2026

Obituary: https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/houston-tx/david-singleton-12780750

Dave Singleton received his BSc in Chemistry at the University of London (Queen Mary College) and completed his PhD in Chemistry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in 1965. Following a two-year fellowship in organometallic chemistry at Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, he embarked on a 37-year career as a research chemist with Shell Chemical Company in California, Houston, and Amsterdam.

During his many years of volunteer activity with the Greater Houston Section of the ACS, Dave served as a Director (1995), through the Chair succession (1997-1999), and as a Councilor (2003-2020).

Simon Bott – February 11, 2026

Obituary: https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/bott/5289776

Simon Bott received his BSc in Chemistry from Bristol University (1983), and his PhD in Chemistry under the guidance of Prof. J. L. Atwood from the University of Alabama in 1986. His academic career as a teaching professor included 8 years at the University of North Texas and 19 years at the University of Houston, where he was a student favorite. In 2016, Simon moved to Swansea University in the UK to found/reopen the university’s chemistry department.

During his time in Houston, Simon was an active volunteer with the ACS Greater Houston Section and served through the Chair succession (2002-2004) and as a Councilor (2005-2016), while also running the section’s annual Scholarship Examination from 1998-2016 and organizing the Chemistry Olympiad competition from 2007-2016.

Benjamin (Ben/Benji) Outlaw – July 2025

Funeral broadcast, July 20, 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8it31UbMk

Ben Outlaw did his undergraduate study at the University of Arkansas–Monticello and at the University of Memphis (BS, 1963) and completed his graduate studies at the University of Memphis (MS in Organic Chemistry, 1965). He was employed as an organic synthesis chemist in oilfield corrosion control technology at Petrolite Corporation in St Louis, MO  from 1966-1997, and at Baker-Petrolite, a division of Baker Hughes, in Sugar Land, Texas from 1997 until he retired in 2002.

During his time in Texas, Ben was an active member of the Greater Houston Section of the ACS, serving on the Executive Board as Director (1999), through the Chair succession (2000-2002), Alternate Councilor (2003), and Councilor (2004, 2006-2008). His volunteer service with the St. Louis ACS section was similarly notable both before his move to Houston and after he retired to Missouri.

The 2026 ACS Greater Houston Section high school scholarship exam took place on April 25, 2026, on the University of Houston campus. This year saw record high attendance with 91 students registered for the examination, including 49 in the first-year and 42 in the second-year categories!

Thank you to our ACS-GHS volunteers (L to R): Dr. Linda Wong, Mrs. Obiageli Nwosu, and Dr. Tai-Yen Chen. A special shout out to our ACS-GHS Senior Chemist Dr. Linda Wong for her help.

To find out more about the ACS-GHS Annual Scholarship Exam, visit our Scholarship page.

Congratulations to our 2026 Scholarship Award Winners!

The Houston Museum of Natural Science - Matter and Motion Hall hosted a Science Demonstration Day on March 28, 2026, bringing science to life. Demonstrations included investigations into the principles of magnetism, Faraday's Law, the plasma ball, white light, and others to the delight of the visitors which packed the hall.

A volunteer from ACS (Kerry Spillker) was on site to provide demonstrations on the wonders of chemistry. Demonstrations included the chemistry and properties of carbon dioxide, vanishing colors, burning money and the crowd favorite, Elephant Toothpaste. None of this would have been possible without the chemist's Magic Pitcher.

  

Kerry also participated in the HMNS Celebration: Earth - Safeguarding Our Planet on April 21, 2026. In keeping with the CCEW 2026 theme, Into the Woods with Chemistry,  Kerry demonstrated Green Chemistry in HMNS Matter and Motion Hall Demonstration Station, discussing photosynthesis by which trees absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide and produce water and the oxygen we breathe, principles of light reflection and refraction, creating carbon dioxide gas and extinguishing a flame, chemiluminescence, capillary forces in plants and demonstrating the energy stored in nuts.

The ACS-GHS is proud to support the next generation of Chemistry Professionals through tutoring freshman chemistry students at San Jacinto College. Learn more about our efforts in our new STEM Bootcamp video on YouTube!

(Video/Editing: Ezenna Chukwujioke-Madu)

Volunteer tutoring is a great way to give back by sharing your time and experience with young chemists. With our recent tutoring sessions, the content was provided by San Jacinto professors and was aligned with course curricula.

Three hours of your day could mean the world to a student! Learn more about this and other volunteer opportunities on our Volunteer Page.

ACS-GHS Director and Communications Committee member Yangwei Liu was recently invited to give a talk about his career journey at Texas A&M University. As Yangwei shared on LinkedIn after the event:

"I had the privilege of being invited by the Texas A&M University SPE: Inspiring Plastics Professionals Student Chapter and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering to give a talk titled “From PhD to Industry.” I took this as a personal trip during my day off, hoping to do something meaningful while taking a moment to step back from work.

I shared an overview of Kaneka North America and the industry, along with my journey transitioning from academia to industry. It was a pleasant surprise to see strong in-person attendance and participants joining via Zoom. Many students shared that they feel anxious in today’s job market and have received rejections.

When discussing how to build relationships, I introduced organizations such as SPE South Texas Section, SPE Polymer Modifiers and Additives Division (SPE-PMAD), and the American Chemical Society Greater Houston Section (ACS-GHS). All of them are relevant platforms for connection and growth. At the same time, I emphasized that the key to networking is not about taking, but about understanding what value you can offer to others.

A few reflections I shared with the students:
• Never stop growing
• Take time to rethink what you believe
• Occasionally step away from your phone and reconnect with life

Hope my experiences and lessons learned can help students avoid a few detours and discover more opportunities. If I can positively influence even one young person’s future, that is more than enough."

You can view the full presentation here, and thanks to Yangwei for sharing his experience with TAMU students and ACS-GHS members.

On March 18, 2026, we were proud to host Kelly Dobos as she presented the first seminar of the 2026 ACS-GHS season. Approximately 20 virtual attendees joined to hear about the history of cosmetic science, from the early pre-industrial development of natural plant and mineral formulations (including lead and mercury compounds!) through the industrial revolution, and the application of scientific principles enabling scale up and consistency of the new cosmetic materials.

Along the way, we learned how and why historical cosmetic development influenced the current regulations governing cosmetic additives and formulators, and the complexities of cosmetic manufacturing today.

Some other interesting tidbits from Kelly Dobos’ talk – Did you know?

If you weren’t able to attend the March seminar and want to see what you missed, Kelly’s slides can be downloaded at the link below. We are incredibly grateful to have hosted her and thank her for sharing her knowledge with us!

Seminar Slides - Cosmetic Science by Kelly Dobos

Did you know? The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) has daily science demonstrations in the Matter and Motion Hall! ACS Fellow and long-time ACS Greater Houston Section member Kerry Spilker puts the spotlight on chemistry as the Docent presenting chemistry demonstrations on Wednesdays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (schedule may vary).

Kerry has been recognized for innovative contributions to energy conversion technologies resulting in inventions and the development of biofuels, distributed hydrogen and chemical enhanced oil recovery, as well as her commitment to outreach through chemistry demonstrations and student mentoring that she continues through her work with HMNS.

Why not check out the HMNS during a demonstration day on Saturday, March 28th? You can catch Kerry performing chemistry-specific demonstrations from 3:30 – 5:30 pm, and enjoy other science demonstrations throughout the day!