Greater Houston Section

  • 01 May 2021 8:55 PM | Dawn Friesen (Administrator)


    Earth Day, which takes place each year on April 22nd,  is celebrated by more than a billion people in 192 countries making it the most widely observed secular event across the globe.

    Congratulations to CCEW contest winner, Rosalia Pavelka!

    Rosalia shared:

    "I started on Saturday Apr 17th by trimming overgrown branches in my front lawn trees. I also checked all the sprinkler heads now that hotter days will soon arrive. I found about 5 that needed to be replaced and was happy to get more efficient ones at Home Depot (Rainbirds). Last, but not least, I have replaced/replanted the few bushes that died from the freezing cold spell last month. And from this campaign I was reminded to clean/wash my bird bath in the backyard. Thank you for that. Birdies can now drink clean, safe water from our patio."

    Rosalia will be receiving a $25 gift card.

    Thank you all for your participation!

  • 26 Apr 2021 8:54 PM | Dawn Friesen (Administrator)

    Congratulations to all the 2021 Science & Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH) winners in the Chemistry category! They will be recognized in a special awards ceremony in May.


     A special thanks to the ACS-GHS members that served as judges for the event.

  • 15 Apr 2021 11:01 AM | ACS GHS (Administrator)

    A little bit of iron cations in my life

    A little bit of cyanide anions by my side

    A little bit of water is all I need.

    What compound am I?

    Answer:  It's Prussian blue!

    Fe7(CN)18xH2O, where x = 14-16



  • 31 Mar 2021 7:02 PM | Dawn Friesen (Administrator)

    Congratulations to all the 2021 Science & Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH) winners in the Chemistry category! They will be recognized in a special awards ceremony in May. Watch for the announcement!


     A special thanks to the ACS-GHS members that served as judges for the event.

  • 12 Mar 2021 11:08 PM | ACS GHS (Administrator)

    I can be helpful during cold season. I like to break up phlegm and allow coughs to be productive. What compound am I?

    Answer: It's guaifenesin!

    Guaifenesin.svg

  • 20 Feb 2021 3:20 PM | Dawn Friesen (Administrator)


    The 3rd annual IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast event on Tuesday, February 9th was held jointly with the ACS Brazosport section. This year’s theme was Empowering Diversity in Science and included a virtual screening of the documentary "Picture a Scientist" in advance of the event. A 1 hr Zoom networking session followed by a panel discussion around the theme of discrimination and harassment faced by women and minorities in science, as highlighted in the “Picture a Scientist” documentary. Special thanks to our panelists, Carolyn Ribes, Amber Hinkle, Javoris Hollingsworth, and Kerry Spilker, for sharing their experiences and their inspiring words.

    Thanks to everyone who joined us for the 2021 Global Women’s Breakfast Networking and Panel Discussion. It was an amazing experience and wonderful opportunity to meet you all!

     ACS Diversity and Inclusion Resources (provided by Carolyn Ribes)

    In a recent letter, ACS President H.N. Cheng shared the updated emphasis on inclusion within ACS:

    I am proud to report that:

    The ACS Board voted to modify our existing core value of “Diversity, Inclusion and Respect” to include Equity. The revised core value, “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect” (DEIR), better captures our belief in diversity in all its forms. We embrace and encourage an inclusive chemistry enterprise and strongly support an equal and equitable environment for the practice of chemistry. In order to meet the global challenges facing us today and advance chemistry, we need to be more inclusive and respectful of people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences and ideas. This important update ensures that we will work to promote equity in the chemistry enterprise.

    The ACS Board voted to adopt a new goal for the ACS Strategic Plan. “Goal 5: Embrace and Advance Inclusion in Chemistry” aims to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and respect; identify and dismantle barriers to success; and create a welcoming and supportive environment so that all ACS members, employees and volunteers can thrive.

    https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/membership-and-networks/acs/welcoming/diversity.html


    CEN Article:  Confronting Sexual Harassment in Chemistry

    CEN Article:  Watch presentations from ‘Science of Sexual Harassment’ symposium

    ACS Webinars have had some outstanding sessions on diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect this year. For example, Fatima Dainkeh of She+ Geeks Out discusses what microaggressions are, provides every day examples, explains how they manifest, and how we can respond to them:  How to Recognize and Respond to Microaggressions

    The ACS Volunteer/National Meeting Attendee Conduct Policy can be found online at http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/about/governance/councilors.html

    A recording of the Panel Discussion is also available on our YouTube Channel.

  • 03 Feb 2021 4:48 PM | ACS GHS (Administrator)

    I fight gram-positive bacteria, but I don't do much in the gut. Someone locally synthesized me. What compound am I?

    Answer: It's vancomycin!

    Vancomycin.svg

  • 19 Jan 2021 6:19 PM | ACS GHS (Administrator)


    The 2021 GHS Executive Board, volunteers, and interested members met via Zoom on the afternoon of Saturday, January 16th 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. We had a great turnout and are thrilled to welcome several new volunteers to our various committees! Great plans are in the works for 2021 despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID pandemic, so stay tuned…

  • 15 Jan 2021 6:26 PM | ACS GHS (Administrator)


    Laura Smith Callahan is a Director of the Greater Houston Section and Chair of the Communications & Technology Committee, where she coordinates with our newsletter editor and website administrator to keep members up to date on important section news. Laura is also the powerhouse behind our social media accounts, sharing our section’s events and achievements along with a wide range of content to drive community interest and engagement in chemistry. She is instrumental in helping us welcome new section members and has been an active participant in several of our virtual program events during 2020. Laura, thanks for your hard work and congratulations on being named the GHS Volunteer of the Year for 2020!

  • 11 Jan 2021 6:50 PM | ACS GHS (Administrator)

    Cats love me, due to my psychoactive effect on them. What compound am I?

    Answer: It's nepetalactone!

    Nepetalactone.svg

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