GEMS is an inspiring outreach program that introduces young students to the exciting world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands‑on activities, interactive demonstrations, and presentations of their own research projects, the girls get to share what they’ve studied and discovered. Our team was proud to volunteer, together with the Brazosport Section, at this year’s event at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on November 8, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, helping make STEM accessible, fun, and engaging for all participants.

Our team hosted a table display with the theme “Water Wonders: Explore, Mix, and Discover,” leading hands‑on demonstrations for the kids. Participants tested water pH using special strips to see if it was acidic, neutral, or basic, explored how chemical reactions can make water hot or cold, and experienced color‑changing magic by mixing acids and bases with indicators to see solutions turn pink and then back to clear. The event also tied into a broader STEM‑pop‑up supported by TikTok and the Houston Museum, which highlighted interactive science activities and brought greater visibility to fun, learning‑driven experiences. Volunteering at GEMS was a wonderful opportunity to spark curiosity, share the excitement of STEM, and help the next generation of scientists explore the wonders of science firsthand.

San Jacinto College South Campus held its Annual STEM Expo on November 13, 2025. About 500 students participated. ACS-GHS representatives held a safety training and conducted experiments for students.

Special thanks to Dr. Connie Gomez, the Department Chair, Physical Sciences, and Interim Department Chair, Life Sciences San Jacinto College (South Campus), and Mr. Jeff Robison, Chemistry Lab Coordinator, San Jacinto College (South Campus).

ACS-GHS volunteers Dr. Micheal Henk, Mrs.Obiageli Nwosu, and a cross section of the students 

Dr. Henk giving a safety training to the students.

National Chemistry week is a public awareness campaign that promotes the importance of chemistry in everyday life, particularly to children. This year the theme was "The Hidden Life of Spices," chosen to demonstrate the chemical properties of spices. Spices are used for many things in our day-to-day life including foods, aromatherapy, making perfumes, health benefits, and more! We partnered with the Children's Museum of Houston to host our event with dedicated volunteers.

Our volunteers in the Matter Factory!

The activities included secret messages with spice, hydrophobic properties of cinnamon and wax paper, cooking spices, Play Doh, and a History of Spices: Earth's Edible Treasures.

The secret messages with spice activity demonstrated the chemistry behind turmeric. Turmeric contains the chemical curcumin, which appears a different color to our eyes depending on the nature of the medium in which it is mixed. An acid would make it turn yellow and a base would make it turn red. When painting a tumeric mixture over a message from a baking soda mixture, the parts that contained baking soda turned red, revealing the message.

The cinnamon activity showcased how wax paper and the essential oils in cinnamon are hydrophobic. The children were given pipettes and observed how water doesn't absorb into the wax paper, but does on the hydrophilic paper towel fibers. When they dipped their fingers into a water cup with a cinnamon layer on top, the cinnamon coated their fingers and kept it dry, while an already wet finger had less cinnamon stuck to the wet surface. Robbyn Pope also brought common household spices for children to smell and learn about.

Our volunteers were very proactive and engaging teaching the chemistry behind these spices. The event started at 9 am and ended at 2 pm with many kids and families visiting throughout the day.

We had another great year hosting this event and look forward to National Chemistry Week 2026!

The ACS-GHS Awards Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Local Section Awards. The awards will be presented at our annual awards banquet on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

L to R: Mike Reynolds, Hightower Award; Omar Abdelrahman, Younger Chemist Award; Yokabet Gedeon, Two Year College Award; Claire Conboy, Excellence in High School Teaching Award; Kerry Spilker, Mamie W. Moy Distinguished Service Award

We are also proud to share that three Greater Houston chemists have been announced as ACS Southwest Regional Award winners, and will be recognized at the joint SERMACS/SWERM meeting in Orlando, Florida.

L to R: Naomi Halas, Southwest Region ACS Award; Roxie Allen, E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to ACS; Heather Burgess, Southwest Regional Award for Excellence in High School Teaching

The Greater Houston Section was pleased to host a seminar and panel discussion on the topic of Careers in Chemistry, with a focus on the outlook for PUI and Community College students. Aidan Looby (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Houston) kicked off the session with a presentation outlining the various career paths open to new chemists with different levels of education, and his presentation was followed by an open panel discussion featuring Dr. Yagmur Yegin (Research Engineer) and Thanh Nguyen (Graduate Student, University of Texas at Austin), answering questions from attendees.

If you weren’t able to join the conversation live, or want to catch up on what you missed, the recording is now available to watch on our YouTube channel!

Download presentation slides here

2025 Project SEED student Hieu Huynh capped off a successful summer project with Dr. David Thompson at Sam Houston State University by presenting a poster at the ACS Fall National Meeting in Washington, DC. Hieu reports:

"Going to the ACS National Meeting was such a fun and eye-opening experience. It was my first time ever being at a conference on such a huge national scale, and I was honestly amazed by how many scientists, students, and professionals were all gathered in one place. From presenting my own poster to walking around and seeing all the different talks and exhibits, it felt exciting and inspiring. I got to meet people from all over the country, hear about their research, and really feel what it’s like to be part of the larger science community. Overall, it was an unforgettable first experience that made me even more motivated about pursuing chemistry.  

Thank you Dr Thompson and his team of graduate students from Sam Houston State University, ACS National and ACS Greater Houston Section for giving me this awesome opportunity!"

We're proud to share that the ACS Greater Houston Section received a ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Performance by a Local Section (Large Size Category) at the Fall 2025 ACS National Meeting in Washington, DC!

The American Chemical Society, Greater Houston Local Section, proudly celebrated the 2025 Project SEED Summer Interns (11 students), Chemistry Olympiad winners, and Scholarship Examination awardees.

We were also honored to recognize Dr. Claire Conboy as the recipient of our Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching award.

Our heartfelt thanks go to ACS National, the dedicated Project SEED mentors and coaches at the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, and Houston Electron Microscopy Laboratory, as well as the parents and guardians who supported their students throughout the program.

Special thanks to St. John’s School for generously hosting us in their beautiful facility.

A big shout-out to Roxie Allen, Obiageli Nwosu (GHS Education Chair), Tai-Yen Chen, Jerry Yang, Carolyn Burnley, Gladys Cartwright, Lisa Houston, and Eme Abu (GHS Project SEED Coordinator) for their incredible support and leadership.

We look forward to doing it all again next year!

We had a fantastic time celebrating National Bourbon Day with the ACS-GHS Chemistry of Bourbon Seminar and Summer Social this past weekend. The event brought together both longtime members and many new faces, all eager to engage, learn, and connect.

A big thank you to Dr. Beth Lorsbach for delivering an insightful and engaging seminar that blended chemistry with storytelling. The guided bourbon tasting was a highlight, and early feedback has been incredibly positive. Attendees especially enjoyed the curated selections and learning the science behind each pour.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening such a success. Looking forward to more opportunities to bring the Greater Houston chemistry community together.

Dr. Heather Domjan and Dr Lionel Ronduen of SEFH Houston, and the amazing students who won various prizes this year.

The SEFH banquet was held on Tuesday, May 20th from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Excitement was in the air as students and their scientific achievements were honored  this academic year. The banquet was held at the University of Houston in the MD Anderson Library on the 2nd Floor in the Rockwell Pavilion.

Ms. Obiagele Nwosu, ACS-GHS Education Committee Chair, and Dr Heather Domjan, Executive Director of the UH STEM Center and Executive Director of SEFH