Who is CALACS?
The California Section of the American Chemical Society promotes chemistry and the chemical profession in the Northern California area: We provide programs and services for members, recognize and assist educators and students, and host public outreach events to convey the importance of chemistry in today’s rapidly changing technological society.
Best New Senior Chemists Activity within a Local Section
Water Management In The Era Of Climate Change: California And Michigan Experience
Using a Senior Chemist's Committee grant, a joint panel discussion was held with the Huron Valley Section around Ann Arbor, MI. The event was coordinated by Mary Lynam of Huron Valley and Lee Latimer of CalACS. Spekers were Kris Olson, Watershed Ecologist, Huron River Watershed Council, and Ben Bray, Senior Civil Engineer, East Bay Municipal Water District in Oakland, CA.
Outstanding Global Partnership Award
IUPAC's Global Women's Breakfast - Virtual Networking event
CalACS participated in the annual IUPAC's Global Women's Breakfast. This year the theme was "empowering diversity in science". Cal ACS partnered with Local ACS sections (Portland, Silicon Valley, Puget Sound, Berkeley student affiliate chapter, Northeastern student affiliate chapter), Assoc. Of Women in Science (AWIS, Seattle and East Bay chapters), NOBBCHE, AICHE Northern California chapter, University of British Columbia, NorCal Society of Toxicology chapter, CalState East Bay, Chinese American Chemical Society to create a "diverse" science event and develop relationships with and support other professional societies.
Outstanding U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
The California Section is an enthusiastic supporter of the Chemistry Olympiad. The past year presented both opportunities and challenges to the California Section in overseeing the Chemistry Olympiad. The Section has been looking for ways to increase participation into the areas of our Section beyond the immediate Bay Area. To this end, our Section has a travel voucher of up to $250 for up to three students who live 75 or more miles from the Bay Area to participate in the national exam assuming that the national exam would have been an in-person event.
This fall, we continued our partnering with chemistry and chemical engineering students at the University of California, Berkeley who tutor students in chemistry at Galileo High School in San Francisco, a school with economically disadvantaged students and high minoritized population. We also expanded our program to tutor high school chemistry students on the Olympiad. We invited students from all high schools in our Section and over one-hundred students started in the program this fall although several have dropped out over time. The tutoring occurs weekly via Zoom and students were placed in groups based on performance on a placement test.
Outstanding Performance by a Local Section – Large Size Category
Below is a list of events put on by our section. Additionally, our committees have been very active in 2021, and you can find more information on their activities in the links below.
Merck Research Laboratories in South San Francisco-Discovery Chemistry at Merck in the Bay Area
Presented by the Women Chemists Committee — All Are Welcome Time 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Chatting 11:00 a.m. Talk and Discussion Reservation RSVP by February 2, 2021. For more information…
Virtual Networking Event
Join CalACS and our global partners for a speed networking event with students and professionals within the chemical sciences. Our partners include professional societies like NOBCChE, CACS, ebAWIS and many…
International Women’s Day Celebration: Choose to Challenge
(ACS California & AWIS East Bay Joint Virtual Event) This Year’s Theme: #ChooseToChallege A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions…
From Water to Human Dynamics: Taking a Non-traditional path to make chemistry more inclusive
About the speaker Dr. Chrissy Stachl (she/ella) graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with dual B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Neuroscience. Prior to starting her Ph.D., she spent…
Bimonthly Happy Hour and Career Conversations: Confidence
Bimonthly Happy Hour and Career Conversations This month’s topic: Confidence A co-sponsored online event between ACS California Section and AWIS East Bay In this career development conversation with Dr. Barbara…
Choosing a PhD Program & an Advisor
A co-sponsored online event between ACS California Section and AWIS East Bay The event will include a presentation followed by a Q&A session. The decision to do a PhD is…
Intentional Leadership: A Conversation with Claudia Graham & Matthew Lynch
Chevron Downstream & Technology General Manager and Senior Manager (ACS California & AWIS East Bay Joint Virtual Event) About Panelists: Claudia Graham: Claudia is the General Manager for Products &…
Air Pollution in High Definition: Building Low-Cost Sensor Networks & Community Partnerships
Presented by the Women Chemists Committee — All Are Welcome Time 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Chatting 11:00 a.m. Talk and Discussion Reservation Please register no later than Friday, Sept. 17,…
Our Outreach committee is deeply involved with local student sections as well as the local science outreach communities to provide events and scientific expertise to our area. From National Chemistry Week events, Earth Day events, and other National led events to broad local events like Bay Area Science Festival, our section is active in bringing our love and enthusiasm for science to future members and the wider society. Read more
Our section had a robust and award winning Project Seed program. This section has funded hundreds of students throughout the years and has successfully advocated for students in our section. Read more
Events
Rescheduled: Lubricants and Glitter: Revolutionizing Sexual Assault Investigation
A co-sponsored online event between ACS California Section and AWIS East Bay Sexual assaults are an unfortunate reality in modern society, which includes situations in which the assailant is known…
Multi-Electron and -Proton Chemistry: from Biology to Solar Fuels
We will hear from our distinguished speaker, Prof. Louise Berben. The event will include a presentation followed by a Q&A session. Abstract: Small molecule transformations, such as CO2 or N2…
Metal-Organic Frameworks: From Energy Storage to Drug Delivery
Are you fascinated by crystals and porous materials? If this spark your curiosity, please come and join our lunch presentation by Prof. Adam Matzger from University of Michigan, an expert…
Reactivity-Directed Analysis-A novel approach for the identification of toxicants in drinking water
Green Laboratories in Industry and Academia: Sustainability in Practice
Covid–19 and the Ethics of Scarcity
RSVP here! Our Distinguished Panelist: Margaret R. McLean, PhD Associate Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Associate Director McLean lectures on ethics…
Merck Research Laboratories in South San Francisco-Discovery Chemistry at Merck in the Bay Area
Presented by the Women Chemists Committee — All Are Welcome Time 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Chatting 11:00 a.m. Talk and Discussion Reservation RSVP by February 2, 2021. For more information…
Virtual Networking Event
Join CalACS and our global partners for a speed networking event with students and professionals within the chemical sciences. Our partners include professional societies like NOBCChE, CACS, ebAWIS and many…
International Women’s Day Celebration: Choose to Challenge
(ACS California & AWIS East Bay Joint Virtual Event) This Year’s Theme: #ChooseToChallege A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions…
The Vortex
Our monthly publication, The Vortex, has relevant articles for our members and write-ups of our events. Peruse the editions below from 2021.
