PDF of the Latest Bulletin

https://chicagoacs.org/images/downloads/Chemical_Bulletin/2026_10_chembulll.pdf

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Next Meeting

Basolo Medal Lecture and Reception

Friday, November 6

Prof. Kimoon Kim

Pohang university of Science and Technology

"From Supramolecular Materials
to Sound-Controlled Chemistry:
A Journey in Chemical Innovation"

4:30 PM Lecture
Northwestern University

6:30 PM Reception
Hilton Orrington
Evanston, IL

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National Chemistry Week

NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK
OCTOBER 18-24

The theme of this year’s National Chemistry Week is Chemistry Under Construction — exploring how chemistry improves the strength, safety, sustainability, and durability of everyday materials like concrete, steel, and glass. Educational resources on construction materials, as well as the Illustrated Poem Contest for students in grades K–12, are available at the NCW website. Outreach coordinator Sherri Rukes of the Chicago Section has written an activity entitled “Using Candy to Learn About Making Fractures” for the current issue of Celebrating Chemistry (downloadable as a PDF).

National Chemistry Week (NCW) is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of chemistry in everyday life. ACS members and chemistry enthusiasts celebrate NCW by coordinating events and communicating the importance of chemistry. The mission of NCW is to reach the public, particularly elementary and secondary school children, with positive messages about chemistry to make a positive change in the public's impression of chemistry, promote a mechanism for effectively mobilizing ACS local sections, and motivate ACS members through local section activities.

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Save the Date - Following Meeting

Monthly Program Meeting

Angela K. Wilson

Past ACS President

Vice President for Research and Professor of Chemistry, Texas A&M University

November 20
5:30 - 8:30 PM

Roosevelt University 
1400 North Roosevelt Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173

More information about this event will be available online or in the November bulletin issue.

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Award Winner

Chad Mirkin Awarded
2027 Priestley Medal

The American Chemical Society has selected Chad A. Mirkin of Northwestern University to receive the 2027 Priestley Medal, the Society’s highest honor, for his “pioneering contributions to nanochemistry and for impacting the chemistry profession globally through innovations in education, service, and policy at the highest levels, and entrepreneurship.” According to Joe Francisco, a past President of ACS, “Professor Mirkin has transformed the landscape of nanostructured materials, redefining how chemists design, build, and deploy them across diverse scientific and technological domains. I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.”

In 2025 the Chicago Section recognized Mirkin with the Willard Gibbs Medal for his world-leading accomplishments. He was also named a Kavli Prize in Nanoscience laureate in 2024. Mirkin is one of the few individuals to hold memberships in all three National Academies—Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Mirkin's life story, "Living Large Studying the Small", can be found at the Kavli Prize website.

^{Image credit: Tricia Scully, Northwestern University}

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Letter from the Chair

Are You a Lifelong Learner?

Were you at the ACS Fall 2026 Meeting in Chicago?  Did you learn something new about the chemical history of Chicago?  Did you take a picture with Alice Hamilton at our booth?  Did you admire the beauty of Lake Michigan?

Thank you to all who attended, presented and volunteered to create a spectacular impression of our Chicago Local Section and city.  At a time when ACS seeks to improve its connection with the local sections, your involvement at the Fall ACS meeting—whether speaking at our Sunday symposium about historical chemistry contributions, writing articles for The Chemical Bulletin newsletter, interacting with ACS members, visiting the Chicago booth in the Local Section Row at SciMix, or welcoming people at our section’s booth in the Membership Lounge—demonstrated the strength, creativity, and enthusiasm of a model section. Congratulations!  I am particularly impressed with our efforts to reach out to the younger chemists.

Regardless of our age, ACS members are lifelong learners, who voluntarily continue renewing their knowledge of chemistry and the world.

The 150th anniversary theme of this month, lifelong learning presents us with the challenge to participate in discussions of great magnitude, such as the use of AI; the ability to safeguard people and our earth through green chemistry; or the capacity to remain a viable contributor to our knowledge base and its containment.  As the world changes at great speed, lifelong learners keep an informed pace with the growing body of science, remain confident that chemistry will continue as the backbone of these incredible changes, and serve as satisfied and profitable members of society. Your participation in the ACS meeting demonstrated that you value lifelong learning. Continue to challenge yourself. You are doing great.

Please consider extending your impact on chemistry and our local chapter by becoming an officer. We need your valuable insight and enthusiasm to grow even stronger.

—AMY BALIJA

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Special Feature

Chemistry Quiz Online

Do you enjoy challenging yourself by taking quizzes? In preparation for the Fall 2026 National ACS Meeting, Chair Amy Balija authored questions for use at the Chicago Section’s welcome booth. Milt Levenberg created the software application. As Milt noted, “It would be great if some of our readers enjoyed taking one of the quizzes and the project didn't just disappear once the Chicago Fall National Meeting ended.” The quiz can be found by going to the ACS/State Fair area of our chicagoacs.net archival hosting site and selecting “Chemistry quiz for serious students” on the left sidebar, or by using the QR code, or via the direct link: https://chicagoacs.net/statefair/ACS_Quiz/index.html. There is a large variety of questions, and participants see a different subset of them every time he/she enters the quiz. In addition, quiz-takers have the option of selecting questions from the “Chemistry Student” or “Science in Chicago” categories. Why not give it a try?

Sample question:  Argonne National Laboratory researchers developed the widely used NMC battery cathode material. What does NMC stand for?

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Awards

Amy Balija named ACS Fellow

Chicago Section Chair Amy Balija was one of 59 newly named ACS Fellows celebrated at a special ceremony hosted by ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez during the Fall 2026 National Meeting in Chicago. Fellows are ACS members who have made outstanding achievements and significant contributions to science, the chemistry profession, and the broader community. A listing of the 2026 Class of ACS Fellows can be found in the July 27 issue of Chemical & Engineering News.

Balija is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Loyola University Chicago. She was recognized for her exceptional contributions to teaching and implementing novel training strategies, the study of environmentally friendly polymers for encapsulating organic pollutants, and her inspirational leadership as Chair of the National ACS Women Chemists Committee. Her work in undergraduate education includes developing new laboratory experiments for introductory chemistry courses and exploring ways to foster belonging in the classroom. Balija’s research has focused on developing methods to visualize microplastics in aqueous environments using commercially available dyes, as well as on bio-renewable polymers for addressing environmental challenges.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Chicago Section for 2026, Amy coordinated a large team of volunteers, designed the interactive welcome booth space, and spearheaded several events during the national meeting. Her positive outlook and imaginative vision went a long way toward providing a welcoming space for all participants. She also serves as an Associate Member of the ACS Membership Affairs Committee.

“Being named an ACS Fellow is a tremendous honor, especially as the ACS celebrates its 150 year anniversary in 2026,” said Balija. “I am especially grateful to my students, colleagues, and ACS volunteers whose support, guidance, and collaboration have been invaluable throughout my career. This honor motivates me to continue pursuing excellence in teaching, research and service to the chemical community.” Congratulations, Amy!

Note:  Some of the content for this article was obtained from Loyola University’s website.

Emerging Star Award Goes To
Ilana Lemberger

I am deeply honored to receive the 2026 Emerging Star Award from the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society!

This award recognizes exceptional service and leadership within the first ten years of service to the Chicago Section. It is especially meaningful to be recognized by a scientific community that has given me so many opportunities to lead, collaborate, and help connect chemists at every stage of their careers.

Through my work as Program Chair and in other Chicago ACS leadership roles, I have had the privilege of bringing together students, educators, industry professionals, and distinguished scientific leaders. Every successful program has been made possible through collaboration with dedicated colleagues and volunteers who share a commitment to strengthening our chemistry community.

My sincere thanks to Chicago Section Chair Amy Balija, ESA Award Committee Chair Margaret Schott, and everyone who supported and encouraged my work. I am grateful for this recognition—and excited to continue serving, building connections, and creating opportunities for others. Thank you to the American Chemical Society - Chicago Section for making me feel that my contributions truly matter.    

—ILANA LEMBERGER

Ana Clara Leal
Recognized for Leadership

Ana Clara Z. Leal recently received the ACS Leadership in Mentoring Award through the American Chemical Society’s Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Recognition Program. This national award highlights outstanding efforts and impact in research and safety mentoring, broadly defined. She writes that “Mentoring students has been one of the most rewarding parts of my undergraduate and graduate experiences. I am grateful for the opportunity to support students as they develop confidence in research, explore new ideas, and grow as scientists.” 

Ana is a doctoral student in the Mirkin research group and a Biotechnology Training Fellow in the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute at Northwestern University. Although still early in her career, Ana—a first-generation Latinx scholar, has been honored with three other national ACS awards, namely, the Undergraduate Senior ACS Award, the ACS Younger Chemist Leadership Institute Award, and the Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry. In the Chicago Section she serves as a Board Director and as Co-Chair of the highly successful Younger Chemists Committee. Congratulations Ana!

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From the Editor's Desk

Reflections on the
Activities of August

Welcome to Volume 113, issue number 8 of The Chemical Bulletin as we head into the fall. Regular readers will have noticed that last month's special issue, published to coincide with the Fall ACS National Meeting, was full of historical insights and information as well as chemistry-themed puzzle challenges. If you haven’t already seen the August/September issue, please visit chicagoacs.org and select the News menu at the top of the page.

In the current issue we celebrate awards received by Chicago Section members, namely, Chad Mirkin (Priestley Medal), Amy Balija (ACS Fellow), Ilana Lemberger (Emerging Star Award), and Ana Clara Z. Leal (ACS Leadership in Mentoring Award). Regular columnist Paul Brandt brings into view a battery-themed ChemShorts experiment, Mark Cesa reports on the work of the ACS Council, and new contributor Abdul Motakabber Sarkar reflects on his first-time participation at the national meeting. Also included in these pages are many images from recent events that were taken by Mark Zhen, the Younger Chemists Committee, Abdul Motakabber Sarkar, and Ilana Lemberger. Can you spot the historical figure Alice Hamilton who “attended” the meeting? 

August was a busy month, with many members contributing to the success of the Chicago Section Welcome Booth and other events such as the Industry Panel and the table at Section Row. A big thank you to Office Manager Josie Alexander and her family members for going above and beyond the call of duty, and to Chair Amy Balija for spearheading so many creative initiatives that drew crowds seeking information, entertainment, and of course the hundreds of give-aways.

Looking for chemistry swag for yourself or others? Please refer to page 11 for examples of science-themed merchandise created by Professor Dennis Cao (Macalester College). His website features organic chemistry and NMR design motifs, among others. Professor Christian Diercks (Scripps Research) will be giving an online talk as part of the Front Row lecture series (also on page 11). Both Dennis and Christian were formerly members of the Chicago Section as students in the research group of Professor Fraser Stoddart. I hope you enjoy reading this issue.

— MARGARET E. SCHOTT

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Recent Meeting

Almost Atomic at the
Chicago Botanic Garden

By popular request, the Chicago Section hosted a social event at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois on Sunday, June 14, 2026. The weather cooperated to allow tours of the late spring blooms and an outdoor lunch at the café. In addition, a special sculptural installation resembling atoms and molecules caught participants’ attention.

Program Chair Ilana Lemberger remarked that “it was wonderful to spend time together and engage in lively discussions on a variety of topics, including preparations for the upcoming ACS Fall National Meeting in Chicago. The enthusiasm, ideas, and connections shared throughout the day made the event a great success.”

Chicago Section ACS members and others enjoying lunch at the Chicago Botanic Garden in June 2026. Photo by Ilana Lemberger

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Inflatable iridescent sphere sculptures at the Chicago Botanic Garden's art installation "Evanescent" in June 2026. Photo by Mark Zhen

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Younger Chemists Committee

Bread and Butter for Younger Chemists

Thank you to everyone who joined the Chicago Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) and the DePaul University Chemistry Club for a hands-on presentation on “The Chemistry of Bread & Butter” on Saturday, September 19, 2026, given by Dr. Shelby Hatch of Northwestern University.

Chemists and non-chemists from across the Chicago area learned about the science behind bread and butter, made their own handmade butter, networked with fellow attendees, and entered our ACS tote bag raffle. Anyone interested in more information about the chemistry of bread baking is referred to the infographic by Andy Brunning.

Dr. Shelby Hatch presents the Chemistry of Bread and Butter to the pizza-fed Younger Chemists group

Two chemists proudly display the butter they made at the Chicago YCC event 

November YCC Career Panel

WCC Speed Networking Event

4th Annual! 

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Councilors' Report

ACS Fall Council Meeting Report

ACS National Meeting
Chicago, IL
August 26, 2026

The Fall 2026 National Meeting of the ACS was held in-person in Chicago, IL and virtually from August 23 to 27, 2026. The theme of this meeting was “The Chemistry Continues.” Dr. Rigoberto Hernandez, ACS President, presided over the Hybrid ACS Council Meeting on August 26, 2026. More than 13,000 attendees (in-person and virtual) took part in the National Meeting, including about 4,500 first-time attendees.

The Chicago Section was represented at Council by the following ten councilors: Amy Balija (Membership Affairs), Mark Cesa (Ethics), Russell Johnson (International Activities), Fran Kravitz (Women Chemists), Josh Kurutz (Chemists with Disabilities), Milt Levenberg (Senior Chemists), Tim Marin (Constitution and Bylaws), Anita Mehta, Margaret Schott, and Ana Clara Zampirolli Leal. 

Several ACS Chicago Section members also serve on ACS National Committees. They include: Ken Fivizzani and Katie Leach (Economic and Professional Activities), Herb Golinkin (Constitution and Bylaws), Paul Brandt (Communicating Chemistry), Mike Morello (Environment and Sustainability), Susan Shih (Senior Chemists), and Sherri Rukes (Community Activities).

Election Results

By electronic ballot, the Council selected the following Councilors for service on Elected Committees of Council:

Council Policy Committee (CPC): Rodney Bennett, Martha Hollomon, Veronica Jaramillo, and Sheila Murphy (2027-2029).

Committee on Committees (ConC): Janet Asper, Jeanne Berk, Anna Cavinato, Thomas Gilbert, Michelle Rogers, and Laura Sessions (2027-2029); Janet Asper (2027-2028); and Mary Ann Meador and W. Matthew Reichert (2027).

Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E): Amber Charlebois, Milagros Delgado, Arlene Garrison, Patrick Gordon, Jennifer Maclachlan (2027-2029); Jingbo Louise Liu (2027-2028); and Erin Dotlich (2027).

Highlights from Committee Reports & Key Actions:

In addition to reports from elected ACS officers, the following information is noteworthy:

Resolutions passed by Council included:

For further information on Council and the Fall 2026 Council meeting, see: https://www.acs.org/about/governance/councilors.html

—Submitted by Mark Cesa

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Recent National Meeting

STUDENT REFLECTION

From Monosol to McCormick Place:
My ACS Fall Experience

This past July, I attended a Chicago Section event for Younger Chemists, which consisted of a Lab Tour and Networking event at MonoSol—a company that focuses on “high-performance materials engineered to work with nature and help reduce environmental impact”, according to their website. At that event, I was thrilled to win a complimentary ACS Fall 2026 National Meeting registration and an ACS membership through the YCC giveaway.

The Fall 2026 National Meeting took place August 23–27 at McCormick Place in Chicago, bringing together chemists and researchers from around the world. The meeting featured technical sessions, keynote events, the Expo, networking opportunities, and career development offerings—something for every stage of a chemistry career.

Abdul at the ACS Fall 2026 meeting display

A major highlight was the ACS150 JACS Symposium Series: Chemistry is Everything, which showcased talks by Nobel Laureates Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi, Prof. Stefan Hell, Prof. Jack W. Szostak, and Prof. M. Stanley Whittingham. Their insights into the power and impact of chemistry were truly inspiring and thought-provoking.

Banners welcoming ACS meeting attendees

Beyond the science, I was grateful for an opportunity to volunteer with the Chicago Local Section during the meeting. It was a meaningful way to give back, support the chemistry community, and connect with professionals who share a passion for advancing our field.

Volunteering at the Chicago Section welcome booth

Winning the meeting registration giveaway was a turning point, allowing me to experience the ACS Fall 2026 meeting, expand my network, and explore cutting-edge chemistry. YCC also paired me with Professor Amartya Chakrabarti (Dominican University), whose guidance throughout the conference was highly valuable. I am grateful to YCC and the Chicago Section for this opportunity.

—Abdul Motakabber Sarkar

Abdul is a Ph.D. candidate in the chemistry program at the University of Illinois Chicago, working on advancing molecular electrochemistry for sustainable catalysis. 

“Receiving the YCC giveaway allowed me to fully experience ACS Fall National Meeting, expand my network, and grow as an early-career chemist.”

- Abdul M. Sarkar

Scenes from the Fall 2026 National Meeting

Chemistry is Everything arch at McCormick Place. Photo by Mark Zhen

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Jeopardy competitors at the Chicago Section welcome booth, with Alice Hamilton mannequin at far left. Photo by Mark Zhen

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Exploring the Expo and the latest advances in chemistry

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Younger Chemists’ social
at the Fall ACS Meeting 

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Three YCC photos by Gowri Singappulige 

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Sponsors of this issue

Sponsor of this issue:

realsciencemerch.com

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Chemistry Humor

A Collection of Colloid quips

Everybody was talking colloids at the Urbana meeting.  A glass chemist, a glue chemist, a milk chemist and a rubber chemist lunched together and began to feel they were not strangers.  As a border-line science, colloid chemistry offers all the thrills of the most speculative.

How doth the little busy bee
      Improve each shining hour?
By physics and by chemistry
      We learn to know its power.
How doth the little silkworm win
      Its product from the tree?
Because it is proficient in
      Its colloid chemistry.

The use of the word ‘“colloid" is at present being made an excuse and a catchword in the chemistry industry and elsewhere, the uninstructed public having heard so much recently of progress in colloidal chemistry that any new project connected or presumably connected with it attracts undue attention.

My 4-year-old son remarked, while eating his cone, “Daddy, this ice cream hasn’t enough gel in it.  It is gritty. The man who made it studied the wrong book in college.”

A parody by Jerome Alexander on the Major-General’s song from the operetta Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan. For lyrics see the February 2026 bulletin issue.  Here are the last few lines just for fun:
    You’ll find in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
    The colloid chemist proves (s)he is the modern Chemist Gineral.

What this country needs is a good, active Society for the Suppression of Advice.  Lots of good advice goes wrong, gets colloided into proverbs and things that make it sound good enough to take three times a day before meals.  If you fall for that sort of stuff, there’s no hope for you, so we ought to have a really activated catalytic society to stop it.

Most of us become acquainted with the soap bubble at an early age.  Its form and ease of manufacture appeal to our nascent sense of workmanship … The soap film is too often considered merely as a slab of soap solution in two dimensions only and, hence, as a dispensation of Providence for the demonstration of surface tension.

The meetings of the National Puzzlers’ League and those of the American Chemical Society [in Rochester] overlapped for a few hours, and the league posted its greetings in the following anagrams, both of which spell out the words “The American Chemical Society.”
    I LAITY CAN CHEER ATOMIC SCHEME
    OH SCIENCE MAY IT TEACH MIRACLE
Puzzlers who got into the Division of Colloid Chemistry by mistake soon realized that they were over their depth and returned quickly to the relative simplicity of cryptograms and magic squares.  On the other hand, [the] colloid chemists are reported to have felt so at home in the fogs of puzzledom that it was only after the puzzlers adjourned that they learned they were in the wrong meeting.  In spite of defections to the puzzlers convention, colloids played to standing room only and had to be moved to larger quarters.

Equally valuable is the focusing of attention on the mesoscale, the traditional regime of colloid science, as a locus of new phenomena made possible by relative liberation from both gravity’s enervating tug and heat’s crazy battering.

Evanston IL sighting: This car’s paint color (below) matches that of hydrated CuSO4:

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ChemShorts for Kids

Coin Voltaic Pile

Batteries are used for so many applications.  The technology has improved immensely but we can do better and many people are working on it.  A landmark experiment performed by Alessandro Volta in 1800 achieved the very first battery.  This is a fun experiment to reproduce a battery with everyday materials but you will need a multimeter to see the voltage that is achieved.

Materials:

• 3 nickels and an equal amount of pennies
• Paper towel
• Aluminum foil
• Multimeter
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Cup
   

Experiment: 

You need clean coins to start, so mix ¼ cup or so of vinegar with roughly 1 tablespoon of salt in a cup and then add the coins.  Stir these around for about a minute. Remove the coins followed by a rinse in tap water and then set them off to the side to dry.  Tear off a piece of aluminum foil about two inches wide and fold it in half lengthwise and then in half widthwise and then in half widthwise again so that it is roughly 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.  Put a penny on the edge of the foil.  Tear off a small piece of paper towel about the size of a quarter and fold it several times so that it will fit on the penny but not go over the side. Add a few drops of the vinegar solution to the towel.  Place a nickel on the wet towel.  This makes a single voltaic cell.

Using the multimeter, turn it to DC voltage (2 V or 200 mV).  Place one of the probes on the foil and the other probe on the nickel.  If you get a negative voltage, switch the probes.  Apply different pressures with the probe to see what happens to the numbers on the meter.  A fairly hard press should give a fairly stable reading.  If the reading jumps a lot or gives a 0.0 reading, it may be that you have too much solution on the towel and it is dripping and short-circuiting the cell, or the towel is overlapping onto the surface below.

Photo showing how to use a multimeter to measure voltage in this coil battery experiment

Repeat the process making another cell by sandwiching another penny, wet towel, and nickel.  Set this on the aluminum foil and determine it’s voltage.  Stack one cell on the other by placing the penny of one cell on the nickel of the other cell (no towel between them).  Test the voltage of the two combined cells.  Did the two voltages add together to give a combined voltage?  Keep repeating until you run out of coins – but always end with a nickel on top.

What’s Happening? 

The battery operates by electrons moving and the multimeter detects this as a voltage.  A typical AAA, AA, C, or D cell battery is a 1.5 V battery.  It would take a lot of pennies and nickels to get that many volts!  Because a nickel is actually made from nickel and copper and the penny has an outside coating of copper, electrons move from the nickel (negative anode) to the penny (positive cathode) giving a voltage.  By combining multiple cells as in this experiment, you are creating a series of cells which adds the voltages.

Extension:

Do pre-1982 pennies give different voltages than newer pennies due to their copper content?  What happens if you use other coinage (dimes and quarters)?  Can you get greater voltages using copper and zinc washers?  Can you get an LED light bulb to light up?

Resources:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Energy_p015/energy-power/make-a-battery-from-coins

To view all past “ChemShorts for Kids”, go to: https://chicagoacs.org/ChemShorts

—PAUL BRANDT

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Upcoming Events

Chicago ACS Section Programs

https://chicagoacs.org/meetinginfo.php

 Please also refer to the Section’s website chicagoacs.org/meetinginfo.php and social media accounts

SOUTH SIDE SCIENCE FESTIVAL

“Where Science is for Everyone”

Saturday, October 3, 2026  |  11 AM – 5 PM
University of Chicago in Hyde Park

Plan to attend the fifth annual South Side Science Festival and participate in over 100 hands-on experiments and brain-bending challenges, plus demonstrations. RSVP and view schedule at the website. The event is free to attend. Be there to build a marshmallow tower and more!

FRONT ROW LECTURE SERIES
SCRIPPS RESEARCH

“Accelerating evolution to
create new medicines”

Wednesday, October 14, 2026
4:00 p.m. PT | 6:00 p.m. CT
Register here

In this free online lecture, Assistant Professor Christian Diercks will discuss how he harnesses accelerated evolution—a laboratory process that speeds up cycles of genetic change and selection—to engineer therapeutic enzymes that actively break down or modify disease-related molecules.

International Institute for Nanotechnology

2026 IIN Rosemary Schnell Symposium

Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Hilton Orrington | Evanston, Illinois

See how researchers are using nanocatalysts, light, RNA, and bioelectronics to advance imaging, energy, medicine and materials. Register online and view the speaker lineup. Hosted by Northwestern University Professor of Chemistry and IIN Director Chad Mirkin.

ACS REGIONAL MEETINGS – CERM
(Central Regional Meeting)

NOV 15–17      
Register at: www.acscerm2026.org

Researchers, and students, and colleagues are invited to participate in a program featuring cutting-edge science, professional development opportunities, and networking events. Invited speakers include Omar K. Farha (Northwestern University), Jie Xu (University of Chicago), Mickey Rogers (AAAS Science & Technology and Policy Fellow), and Paul S. Weiss (UCLA), presenting on topics including sustainability, AI-driven chemistry, science communication, and nanoscience. Planned event include Career Workshop Day Facilitated by ACS and The Procter & Gamble Company (Saturday, Nov 14) / Women in Science Innovators Breakfast / Awards Banquet / From Writing to Visuals: Scientific Figure Design / Tour of the Oesper Collections in the History of Chemistry / Chemistry on Tap – Beer and Spirit Tasting, and The Science Behind Beer, Fermentation and Flavor

CHICAGO SECTION BOARD MEETINGS

Open to all Section members. For Zoom link, contact: office-at-chicagoacs.org

2026: October 8, Nov 12, Dec 3

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Deadlines for Bulletin Submissions

Deadline for bulletin submissions is the 16th of each month. Content can include photos, reports, past event summaries, flyers and information for upcoming events, original articles, current chemistry, etc. Contact editor-at-chicagoacs.org. Thank you!

Issue                     Deadline

November 2026         October 16, 2026
December 2026         November 16, 2026
January 2027             December 16, 2026

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Board & Committee Members

2026 Chicago ACS Section Officials

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Masthead

Bulletin Information

October 2026, Vol. 113, No. 8

Published monthly (10 issues, Sept – Jun) by the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society
https://chicagoacs.org

Editor: Margaret E. Schott
editor-at-chicagoacs.org

Digital Editor: Josh Kurutz
historian-at-chicagoacs.org  

Proofreaders: Amy Balija, Nicolas Gerst

How to reach us

office-at-chicagoacs.org   (847) 391-9091

ACS Chicago Section Office
Krasa 035B and C
5700 College Road
Lisle, IL 60532 

Website:  https://chicagoacs.org

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Social links

Follow ChicagoACS on social media!

Bluesky (new!): https://bsky.app/profile/chicagoacs.bsky.social 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChicagoACS/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoACS

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