Section Committees

Our committees are as follows:

• Academic Relations
• Audit
• Awards
• Career Services
• Chemists with Disabilities
• Communication
• Council Affairs
• Education & Outreach
• Finance & Budget
• Government Affairs
• Member Affairs
• Minority Affairs
• Nominations
• Public Relations
• Program Planning
• Senior Chemists
• Social
• Tellers
• Women Chemists
• Younger Chemists

Academic Relations: Melissa Cichowicz (Chair)

Audit: Wei Gao (Chair)

Awards: Wei Gao (Chair)

Career Services: Jim Murray (Chair)

Our mission is to: proactively assist section members with their careers in a way that facilitates intramember relationship building, develops personal growth, and assists in career establishment, maintenance and growth so that members can successfully manage their own satisfying and fulfilling careers. We are an active committee of volunteers who meet monthly to plan career workshops and consulting events in the Philadelphia area. Contact acsphillycareerservices@gmail.com for information about the next ACS Philadelphia Section Career Services Committee event.

Chemists with Disabilities: Lee Hoffman (Chair)

Communication: Lee Hoffman (Chair)

Council Affairs: Anne DeMasi (Chair)

Education & Outreach: Tom Umile (Chair)

Purpose: The Education & Outreach Committee organizes and executes events that engage the community with chemistry-themed demonstrations, celebrations, and activities. Events involve K-12 students, college and university students, and the larger community in the southeastern Pennsylvania region. At present, seven such events are conducted annually: a National Chemistry Week Illustrated Poetry Contest, the Herb Bassow Memorial Chemistry Demonstrations, local testing for the National Chemistry Olympiad, the CHEMAGINATION article contest, a Chemists Celebrate Earth Week Illustrated Poetry contest, hosting a table at the Philadelphia Science Carnival, and the ACS Scholastic Achievement Awards for local college and university students.

Structure: The Education & Outreach Committee ideally has seven Project Coordinators, each who operate one of our annual events. (In the absence of a coordinator, the committee chair assumes the duties for that event.) The coordinators operate relatively autonomously, with the support of the Committee Chair. The Committee Chair submits an annual budget to the Philly ACS Board based on the coordinators’ anticipated costs; regularly communicates with, supports, and advises the project coordinators to ensure their success; communicates coordinator needs to the Board (and vice-versa); and supports the advertisement of committee activities in publications such as the Catalyst.

Project Coordinators:
Herb Bassow Memorial Chemistry Demonstrations
Jaskiran Kaur – Co-coordinator
Daniele Ramella – Co-coordinator

National Chemistry Olympiad:
Laura Grande – Co-coordinator
Craig P. McClure – Co-coordinator

Scholastic Achievement Awards:
Mike Vogel – Coordinator

Finance and Budget: Victor Tortorelli (Chair)

Government Affairs: Alan R. Heldon (Chair)

Member Affairs: Alan R. Heldon (Chair)

Minority Affairs: Greglynn Gibbs (Chair)

Nominations: Graham Dobereiner (Chair)

Program Planning: Matthew Irwin (Chair)

Public Relations: Alan R. Heldon (Chair)

Senior Chemists: Michael Castaldi (Chair)

Social: Michael Vogel (Chair)

Tellers: Steven Fleming (Chair)

Women Chemists: Brisa Hurlocker, Jessica Myers

Younger Chemists:
Dr. Andres Vazquez-Kopez (CoChair)
Dr. Kunyu Wang (CoChair)