The June 2026 Chemical Bulletin 
PDF of the Latest Bulletin
https://chicagoacs.org/images/downloads/Chemical_Bulletin/2026_06_chembull.pdf
Next Meeting
Chicago Section Family Social (In-person)
Sunday, June 14
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 LAKE COOK ROAD
Glencoe, IL
11:00 AM Meetup at Visitor Center
1:00 PM Lunch at the garden View Cafe
Bring the whole family and join the ACS Chicago Section for a fun, community-focused social event (open to the public). Science, smiles, and summer vibes await.
REGISTRATION: Two Parts
1) Please REGISTER HERE so the Chicago Section can estimate a head count:
https://chicagoacs.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=245
2) FOR BEST PRICES PURCHASE ADMISSION AND PARKING ONLINE IN ADVANCE:
https://www.chicagobotanic.org/visit
ADVANCE COST OF ADMISSION
ADVANCE COST OF PARKING (ONLINE PURCHASE).
See website for the on-site cost of admission and parking at the Chicago Botanic Garden on the day of the event.
FOR CAR / TRAIN / BICYCLE DIRECTIONS GO TO:
Questions? Email us (info-at-chicagoacs.org) or contact us by phone (847-391-9091).
IMAGE CREDIT: Image credit: Deb Winarski
Letter from the Chair
Maintaining a Safe Working
Environment for All Chemists
On May 15, 2026, the ACS Chicago Section celebrated the 115th recipient of the Willard Gibbs Award, Stephen L. Buchwald. Can you name the winner who received the award on June 14,1921 in the Congress Hotel in Chicago? Here’s a clue: She is interred in a lead lined coffin. Sadly, Marie Curie succumbed to aplastic anemia suspected to be caused by radium poisoning. With burned and scarred hands, she would carry test tubes of radioactive materials in her pockets and dig through pitchblende with her bare hands. She would even swirl her tea with tainted glass stirrers from the laboratory. Even today, she remains radioactive, hence the lead burial treatment. Unfortunately, lab safety rules did not exist at that time. Today, we begin each introduction to the lab with a version of the OSHA standards concerning protection and potential risks, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), proper handling, disposal and storage of chemicals, and emergency protocols.
SAFETY — the June theme for the ACS sesquicentennial — reminds chemists of its necessity. However, safety involves protection from more than physical areas. Psychological safety,1 ensuring the comfort of every member of the team to speak, ask questions, request help, and admit mistakes without fearing reprisal, serves as one of the most important aspects of interpersonal risk-taking. Research shows that psychological safety results in increased information sharing, elevated willingness to voice concerns, enhanced team learning, and even equitable pay grades.2 We must listen to others’ ideas, assist team members, and maintain our own accountability without the watchful eyes of fellow lab members. Punitive words and actions do not create success.
This month, perhaps we can recognize that our fellow chemists are doing a super job and that together we are creating a better product—whether molecules, methods, or emerging insights. We cannot exist in a lead coffin, shutting out other chemists. Leaders and managers should continue to recognize members of their teams by applauding thoughtful risk-taking and encouraging others to discuss tough issues in a constructive manner. Team members can focus on finding solutions and listening actively to others. Kind words and smiles work wonders. So, raise your right hand and give yourself a pat on the back. I think you are special. You are a member of the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society, a group whose members offers mutual support.
In addition, please continue to be involved by welcoming chemists to the Chicago area this coming August. Registration for the Fall ACS National Meeting in Chicago is now open. Be part of history by celebrating the 150th anniversary of the ACS with fellow chemists.
1 Cote, C. How to Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace. Harvard Business School Business Insights, May 20, 2025. https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/psychological-safety-in-the-workplace (accessed 2026-05-17).
2 Bahadurzada, H.; Kerrissey, M.; Edmondson, A. C. Speaking Up and Taking Action: Psychological Safety and Joint
— AMY BALIJA
Take the ACS Chicago Family Feud Survey!
Be part of history by participating in the ACS Chicago Family Feud Survey. The answers will be shared at the ACS Fall Meeting in Chicago August 23–27, 2026.
https://tinyurl.com/ChiACS-FamilyFeud2026
Awards
Chicago Section earns
Chemluminary Finalist Status
in six Categories
The Chicago Section has been selected as a finalist for each of the following ACS ChemLuminary Awards:
Chemists with Disabilities Inclusion Award
Outstanding Continuing Communications Program
Outstanding Local Section Younger Chemists Committee
Most Outstanding Local Section Women Chemists Committee
Fostering Interactions between Local Sections and Student Chapters
Outstanding or Creative Local Section Younger Chemists Committee Event
The award winners will be announced during the ACS Fall National Meeting.
For more about ACS' Chemluminary Awards, see:
https://www.acs.org/funding/awards/chemluminary.html
Special Recognition
ACS Members Mark
50, 60, and 70 Years of Service
We were honored to host Dr. Lee for this event, and it was wonderful to see a diverse and engaged audience come together to celebrate our members. Also, the luncheon provided a special opportunity to recognize and celebrate our anniversary members—an inspiring testament to long-standing dedication and impact within the scientific community!
Dr. Lee expressed her appreciation on the social media platform LinkedIn, writing: “A terrific afternoon. Thank you, Ilana Lemberger, Amy Balija, and all of the Chicago Local Section leaders and members. Congratulations to the ACS 50, 60, and 70 year members!”
Thank you to all who participated and contributed to making the event so meaningful and memorable. The continued engagement and enthusiasm of this community are what make these events so impactful! Please turn to the next page for photos of the event.
—ILANA LEMBERGER
5O-YEAR MEMBERS
60-YEAR MEMBERS
John Kay Allen
70-YEAR MEMBERS
Peter Hadley Jones
Notes: Three members with anniversaries declined to have their names included. The image of a vintage ACS pin is included for the purpose of illustration only; “eagle-eyed” readers will recognize that nowadays (since 1987) the head of the phoenix faces to the right.
Katherine Lee presenting
Chicago Section Chair Amy Balija as emcee, celebrating anniversary milestones.
50-year ACS member Gwendalyn Champion Baumann (center).
Katherine Lee (L) handing certificate to 50-year ACS member Muin Shawki Haddad (center), with Amy Balija (R)
Anna DeFilippi, daughter of 50-year ACS member Louis DeFilippi, enjoying her periodic table door prize.
These photos and more are available from the meeting's gallery:
https://chicagoacs.org/gallery.php?id=100
Recent Meeting
Strong Turnout Marks Memorable
Award Ceremony to Honor
115th Willard Gibbs Medalist
Stephen Buchwald
The 115th edition of the Willard Gibbs Award banquet and lecture took place at Meridian Banquets in Rolling Meadows on May 15, 2026. The award recognizes exceptional individuals whose pioneering work has opened new fields of chemical research. The Gibbs medal was bestowed on organic chemist Stephen L. Buchwald, Camille Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Section Chair Amy Balija handing award medal to Professor Buchwald, with ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez
Dr. Buchwald was honored “for the development of the Buchwald-Hartwig coupling reaction, fundamental advances in the discovery of metal-catalyzed coupling reactions, and for the resulting diverse applications in basic research, drug discovery, agrochemicals, materials science, and biology.” The palladium catalyzed cross-coupling methodology he pioneered has become an indispensable part of the everyday repertoire of synthetic organic chemists. Professor Scott Denmark (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) introduced the medalist, and the medal was presented to Dr. Buchwald by ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez and Amy Balija.
Following an elegant banquet, Dr. Buchwald delivered the evening's signature award lecture, which he titled, "Pd-catalyzed Carbon-Nitrogen Coupling Reactions: How Did We get Here and Why do We Care?”. It was brilliantly funny, deeply humble, and packed with invaluable lessons for the next generation of researchers. Rather than focusing on his own accolades, Buchwald dedicated his time to sharing stories of the discoveries made by his students, gracefully giving them full credit for the impact of their work. In addition to discussing his group’s scientific accomplishments, there were special moments of levity.
Although Buchwald’s coupling chemistry was not well received at first by some in the community, he said, it later proved to be an important contribution to the repertoire of organic reactions. As one example, the reaction was used in the preparation of Daraxonrasib (RMC-6236), a drug designed to target mutations in the RAS gene present in most pancreatic tumors. Understanding structure-activity relationships (SAR) in the drug was greatly assisted by the ability to modify the organic substituents in the molecule’s composition using technology developed by the Buchwald group.
Among the 125 in attendance were ACS Chicago Section members and their guests, many students from Chicago-area colleges and universities, and officials from the national office of the American Chemical Society, including Rigoberto Hernandez (President), Christina Bodurow (President-elect), Silvia Jurisson (District V Director), and Katherine Lee (District I Director); Jurisson and Lee are also members of the ACS Board of Directors, and Lee is a member of the Gibbs jury.
We were delighted to host five Chicago-area high school students for the event. Before and after the program, student participants gravitated toward the Dr. Buchwald as if drawn by a magnet.
The beauty and formality of the evening provided another reminder of the high esteem in which the medal and the medal recipient are held. Thanks to the co-chairs of the Gibbs arrangements committee Sharada Buddha, Anita Mehta, and their team members Margy Levenberg, Daniela Andrei, and Josie Alexander for their hard work in coordinating the venue and proceedings. Amy Balija, currently Chair of the Chicago Section, headed the committee of jurors that selected this year’s medalist.
Kudos to Dr. Buchwald on a richly deserved honor!
—ANITA MEHTA AND MARGARET SCHOTT
Images from the Gibbs Medal Event
Several individuals, including Josh Kurutz, Milt Levenberg, Kayla Liu, Paul Brandt, Katherine Lee, Gary Wang, Julia Wiester, Herb Golinkin, Ilana Lemberger, and Nic Gerst, contributed photos to the Chicago Section archives for this event, a selection of which are included on these pages.
Head table with Buchwald at center.
ACS officials (from left) Christina Bodurow, Rigoberto Hernandez, Gibbs medalist Buchwald, Silvia Jurisson, and Katherine Lee.
Buchwald preparing to slice cake, with (from left) Susan Haber, Anita Mehta, and Amy Balija.
Buchwald's celebratory cake
Students from Saint Xavier University
Students from the University of Chicago with Gibbs Medalist Stephen L. Buchwald (C). From the left: Rong Ye, Anki Xu, Stephen L. Buchwald, Liyan Kan, and Kyle Kwok.
From left: Zhe Ren, Xiaomao Wu, Gibbs medalist Buchwald, Lily D’Angelo, and Zhen Liu; the five with Buchwald are members of the Great Lakes Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society.
One of the banquet place settings, with neatly-arranged formal dishes and silverware, plus a program card with the embossed image of the Gibbs Medal, and a meal card designating a "salmon entree" and the details of the occasion, such as title, date, time, location.
These photos and many more can be found on the meeting's photo gallery:
https://chicagoacs.org/gallery.php?id=99
Special Event
Chinese American Chemical
Society Hosts 28th Annual
Great Lakes Conference
The Great Lakes Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society (GLCACS) recently marked a significant milestone by hosting its 28th Annual Conference on April 25, 2026, at Innovation Park in Libertyville, IL. As a non-political, non-profit organization for Chinese American professionals in chemistry and chemical engineering, GLCACS remains deeply integrated in the scientific community served by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Fostering Community and Collaboration
Centered on the theme "Build a Fulfilling Career in a World of Accelerating Change," the conference drew over 90 participants, representing a balance between regional academia (50%) and local industry (50%). The annual event serves as a vital hub for achieving the organization’s goals that include “encouraging professional excellence, fostering career advancement and contributing to community,” as put forward by Dr. Norman Li, GLCACS Board Chair and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, in his opening remarks. Mr. Salman Mir, President of the AgroSolutions Division of Sumitomo Biorational Company (event co-sponsor), also shared his personal growth journey with an eye toward inspiring future leaders and promoting lifelong learning.
Professional Growth and Innovation
The conference featured five plenary speakers who addressed the evolving landscape of their respective fields, the impact of the AI era, and strategies for navigating unprecedented opportunities and challenges.
• Industry Perspectives: Technical and innovation insights and leadership experiences were shared by two industry leaders, Andrea Bozzano, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Honeywell Process Technology and Dr. Mark Zhen, Senior Manager of Sumitomo Biorational Company.
• Academic Excellence: Leadership vision, experience and skills were the focus of presentations by Professor Hu Yang from Marquette University, Professor Junhong Chen from the University of Chicago, and Professor Huimin Zhao from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Conference participants could opt for (i) a workshop on "How to Navigate a Career in Today’s Work Environment" led by Dr. Roger Quan, (ii) a tour of the global research division of Sumitomo Biorational Company, or (iii) exploration of career information at booths hosted by experienced employees from Honeywell UOP, AbbVie, Sumitomo Biorational, Astellas, ChemScene, and Ladas & Parry LLP.
Commitment to the Future
Highlighting a commitment to the next generation of scientists, GLCACS launched the "Build the Bridge" mentorship program and held its annual Graduate Research Presentation Contest. Eighteen graduate students and postdocs from area universities presented cutting-edge research, with top honors awarded to Qianhui Wang and Sammer Marzouk (1st Place winners), Chaolumen Wu and Cuizheng Zhang (2nd Place winners) and Zi-Ming Ye, Bang Hou, Lianshun Luo, and Feipeng Chen (3rd Place winners).
GLCACS is proud to maintain close ties with the ACS-Chicago and AIChE-Chicago sections. By sharing resources and promoting events of mutual interest, we continue to strengthen the professional fabric of the larger chemical community. For more information on our initiatives and upcoming events, please visit the GLCACS website.
— XIAOMAO WU, President, Great Lakes Chapter of the Chinese American Chemists Society
Attendees of the 28th Annual Conference for the Great Lakes chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society
From the Editor's Desk
Dear Readers,
This sixth issue of the calendar year wraps up our newsletter’s publication for the “academic” year that starts in September. In its early days the Chicago Section published a July (or July/August) issue, or “number”, which was a directory with company advertisements. In less than two months we will be wrapping up a special bulletin issue in time for the Fall 2026 ACS Fall National Meeting, as we did in August 2022, the last time the Chicago Section served as local section host at McCormick Place.
Thanks to Ilana Lemberger for introducing us to two new contributors — Xiaomao Wu and Brody Johnson—who wrote excellent pieces covering the GLCACS event (page 9) and a chromatography “boot camp” experience (page 11. This issue is longer than most because there has been a lot going on in the Section. But since we are no longer a print publication, the need for page length conform to a multiple of four has been dispensed with.
Thanks also to comptroller Tim Marin and the finance team for providing a snapshot of the Section’s flow of funds during 2025, and to the student contributors who have helped prepare the ChemShorts column in recent issues. I feel proud of our membership for their hard work, not just to keep the Section “alive”, but for the creative programming and organizational efforts that helps it flourish. Fingers crossed for some good news at the ChemLuminary Awards in August!
One hundred years ago, in June 1926, Professor B. S. Hopkins of the University of Illinois was the Chicago Section program meeting speaker. His topic? A new element called “Illinium”.
If you have an idea for an article, column, short entry, advertisement, humorous science poem, or an historical note of interest, write to me at editor-at-chicagoacs.org. Thanks for reading! —MARGARET E. SCHOTT
— MARGARET E. SCHOTT
Other Events
a Chromatography Boot Camp Experience
This past February, the ACS Chicago Section gathered for our monthly meeting at Axion Labs & Training Institute’s beautiful state-of-the art facility in the West Loop. While there, we enjoyed a delicious buffet of Greek food, some lively conversation, and two wonderful talks on HPLC method development and validation from Axion’s Dr. Lee Polite and Pharmalytik Consulting’s Dr. Kim Huyhn-Ba. And at the end of the meeting, a free Axion training course was raffled off to one lucky attendee. As it happened, that attendee was me.
So last month, I returned to the West Loop and joined eleven other chemists for one of Axion’s LC/GC Bootcamps. Our group was made up of analytical and process chemists from specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies from the Chicagoland area and across the US. There was a recently promoted analytical lab manager looking to hone her skills and find new ways to train her team. There was an experienced chemist who had just pivoted from formulations to QC and was looking to learn more about how to maintain her lab’s GCs and troubleshoot problems. There was even an entrepreneurial father-son duo who were looking to start their own analytical laboratory to test peptide products.
Group photo of the Axion LC/GC Bootcamp from April 2026; Brody Johnson is in the back row, third from left. Image courtesy of Axion.
Throughout the week, Dr. Polite guided this assortment of chemists through a series of in-depth, yet approachable, lessons. He explained the core components of GC and HPLC instruments, taught us the fundamental theories of chromatography, and translated those theories into practical takeaways. He and his team of experienced and ever-helpful technicians guided us as we developed and optimized chromatographic methods in the Axion laboratory. Along the way, we also got some hands-on experience with GC maintenance and learned how to diagnose and fix some common problems with HPLCs and GCs. And when each day’s instruction was over, the Axion team kept us entertained with group dinners and excursions to speakeasies and live music venues. These outings were a great way for everyone to connect—and sample some amazing food and drinks.
By the end of the week, we had received outstanding hands-on training in chromatographic methods and built our professional networks while we were at it. Thank you to the ACS Chicago Section and Axion Labs for giving me the opportunity to attend this incredible training!
—BRODERICK (BRODY) JOHNSON
Glossary:
HPLC = High performance (or pressure) liquid chromatography
Award Winner
Ilana Lemberger Named
2026 Emerging Star
Congratulations to ACS Chicago Section Member Ilana Lemberger for being selected winner of the 2026 Emerging Star Award! Ilana has contributed her considerable talent, energy, and ideas to the Section through volunteer service as Hospitality co-chair (2018), House co-chair (2018–19), Women Chemists co-chair (2016–present), Alternate Councilor (2017–2025), Director (2015–2017; 2023–25), Program Arrangements co-chair (2020–24), Program chair (2025–present), and participation on the Nominating Committee for several years.
During the past few years, she has been “ramping up” her involvement, taking the Program Committee to a new level—including bringing in nationally known speakers for the Section’s monthly program meetings. Moreover, she has introduced new programming features such as door prizes and raffles, including a free chromatography course, to enliven events and stimulate participant engagement; worked to coordinate special venues like the Chicago Surgical Museum; and promoted the Section’s events on social media. In addition, she invited Dr. Lee Polite of Axion Labs and Training Institute in Chicago to make a significant donation.
Ilana completed her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at The University of Illinois at Chicago and earned a Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry, with a focus on business and industry, from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). She also obtained a certificate of completion in managing customer relationships from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Ilana has served as a regional science fair judge for several years at the high school level. Her most recent title was Customer Success Manager for the Pharma Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The Emerging Star Award was established by the Section in 2019 to recognize “younger members or members with less than 10 years of service with the Chicago Section who have provided exceptional service to the Section over, above and separate from any other achievements of the recipient, either in the profession or by the National ACS.”
According to the Section’s Policy Declarations, “The recipient of this award shall be selected by a committee of the last five Distinguished Service Award recipients.” This year’s selection committee consisted of Paul Brandt, Irene Cesa, Tim Marin, Sherri Rukes, and Margaret Schott (chair). The Policy Declarations also state that “each of the committee members may, if they choose, nominate one candidate…and shall provide supporting information.”
Presentation of the award was originally intended to be performed in a recognition ceremony at the June meeting, alongside presentation of the Section’s annual Distinguished Service Award and recognition of our members with 50, 60, and 70 years of service. This year, however, the plaque will be presented at the September program meeting. Well done, Ilana!
—MARGARET E. SCHOTT
Chicago ACS Finances
Chicago ACS 2025 Financial Report
The annual financial statement for the ACS Chicago Section is presented below. The report was prepared by Tim Marin, Section Comptroller, and is published in The Chemical Bulletin for dissemination to the membership, in accordance with standard operating procedures for the Section. In this article we describe the role of Section officers and other elected and appointed members of the Board of Directors (the governing body for the Section) with responsibility for Section finances.
The Treasurer, Russ Johnson, is an elected officer of the section with duties specified in the Section Bylaws. These duties are to account for the operating funds of the Section by keeping an accurate record of receipts and disbursements and disbursing funds as approved by the Board. The Treasurer prepares a monthly report of all transactions for the Board.
The Treasurer works closely with the Budget Director, who is appointed by the Chair in June of each year. Julia Wiester is the current Budget Director. Based on procedures laid out in the section’s Policy Declarations, the Budget Director prepares a written financial statement of estimated revenues and expenditures for the year and submits the proposed budget to the Board for their review and approval. Expenditures that are not covered in the annual budget adopted by the Board must be voted on separately by the Board before funds can be disbursed. The Budget Director also prepares monthly and yearly reports showing actual and budgeted income and expenses for all Section activities, including the office, staff, events, committee functions, and scholarship payments.
Tim Marin is the current Comptroller for the Chicago Section. The duties of the Comptroller, who is elected by the Board, include preparing the annual financial statement and are further delineated in the Policy Declarations. The integrated financial report consists of two main parts—the profit and loss statement showing the annual income and expenses (operating budget) for the Section, and the balance sheet summarizing the Section’s assets, liabilities, and equity. This report is also transmitted to the National ACS office each year. In consultation with the accountant, the Comptroller executes and submits required tax forms to the Internal Revenue Service and engages in regular conferences with the Auditor. The Comptroller consults with the Assistant Comptroller, currently Mark Cesa, in all these matters to ensure accuracy of reporting.
Responsibility for overseeing and managing the permanent or investment funds for the Chicago Section rests with the three-person Board of Trustees, whose role is spelled out in the Section Bylaws. Trustees are elected by the Board to serve staggered three-year terms that begin January 1 of each year. Current trustees are Paul Brandt, Mark Kaiser, and Milt Levenberg. (The Treasurer is also an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees.) According to the Bylaws, the Trustees have charge of the trust funds and permanent investments for the Section and administer these accounts based on both the Bylaws and any specific conditions under which individual trust funds may have been acquired. The Trustees are authorized to purchase and retain investments. At the close of each fiscal year the Trustees prepare and submit an annual report to the Treasurer.
Permanent endowment funds maintained by the Chicago Section include the General Endowment Fund, the Willard Gibbs Medal Endowment Fund, the Henrietta Z. Freud Trust Fund, the Scholarship Fund, the Marie Lishka Scholarship Fund, the Bernard Schaar Scholarship Fund, the Marshall Smoler Scholarship Endowment Fund, and the Project SEED Endowment Fund. The Comptroller oversees tracking of these funds. Earnings from the funds are used to supplement operating expenses and Section activities, including student scholarships and awards.
INCOME, FISCAL YEAR 2025
|
National ACS Allotment |
$27,830 |
|
Donations and Contributions |
$27,625 |
|
Councilor travel rebates |
$40,000 |
|
ACS Awards, Grants |
$372 |
|
Local Section and Affiliate Dues |
$17,939 |
|
Program Meeting Registrations (including Gibbs Medal) |
$12,762 |
|
Other |
$0 |
|
Interest and Dividends |
$60,727 |
|
TOTAL |
$187,255 |
EXPENSES, FISCAL YEAR 2025
|
Total Awards (includes Gibbs Medal) |
$34,819 |
|
Scholarships (includes Project SEED) |
$14,250 |
|
Payroll plus FICA |
$39,971 |
|
Payments to Contractors (e.g., Web, Election Administration) |
$2,543 |
|
Occupancy and Office |
$22,016 |
|
Postage |
$348 |
|
Hospitality, speaker expenses, Gibbs arrangements |
$22,890 |
|
Meal expenses plus snacks/supplies |
$8,217 |
|
Councilor Travel |
$42,119 |
|
Leadership Institute |
$189 |
|
Committees and other |
$3,778 |
|
TOTAL |
$191,139 |
|
TOTAL 2025 DEFICIT |
($3,884) |
ASSETS as of Dec. 31, 2025
|
Invested Funds |
|
|
Equities |
$888,550 |
|
Fixed Income |
$294,033 |
|
Unrealized Capital Gains |
$1,805,552 |
|
Money Market |
$0 |
|
US Government Money Market |
$74,014 |
|
Alternative Assets |
$45,057 |
|
Other Investments |
$15,387 |
|
Cash |
$1,376 |
|
Operating Cash on Hand |
$21,578 |
|
Gibbs Medal Inventory |
$21,485 |
|
Office Security Deposit |
$782 |
|
TOTAL ASSETS, 2025 |
$3,167,814 |
LIABILITIES as of Dec. 31, 2025
|
Unrestricted Funds (operations) |
$223,323 |
|
Restricted Funds (scholarships and awards) |
$2,800,645 |
|
Scholarship Operating Fund |
$100,000 |
|
Ipatieff Holding Fund |
$869 |
|
Payroll Taxes |
$23,219 |
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES, 2025 |
$3,148,056 |
|
EQUITY as of Dec. 31, 2025 (ASSETS – LIABILITIES) |
$19,758 |
|
Investment custodian is J. P. Morgan – Chase |
|
|
December 31, 2025 market value |
$3,123,968 |
|
2025 total return |
20.8% |
|
2025 net return |
16.1% |
The trend in the Chicago ACS portfolio value over time is shown below.
- SUBMITTED BY TIM MARIN, COMPTROLLER
Chart of Chicago ACS portfolio value increasing from approximately $1M in 2005 to approximately $3M in 2025
ChemShorts for Kids
FiZZy Lemons
Did you know you could turn fruits, like the lemon, into a volcano? By combining a few simple pantry staples with a common fruit, you can use the power of chemistry to transform a plain lemon into a bubbling, technicolor volcano.
Materials:
- Paper plate or Pan
Caution:
Food coloring can stain clothes and surfaces. A cutting knife should be used or supervised by an adult.
Experiment:
After cutting a lemon into two halves, lay the halves onto the pan (or plate), with the flat side facing up. If the lemon halves are struggling to stay upright, cut a small part off the bottom, to give it a flat base. Using the butter knife or spoon, break up the inside of the lemon. Once the center of the lemon is broken up, add a few drops of any color food coloring to the inside of the lemon (for rainbow effects add many different colors). Spoon a few scoops of baking soda onto the lemon. Using the butter knife or spoon, poke the mixture into the lemon and watch the fizzing grow. To keep the reaction going, add the lemon juice from another lemon half or add a little more baking soda.
What’s Happening?
Lemons are a type of citrus fruit, which means they contain lots of citric acid. This acid is what gives lemons their famous sour taste! Like all acids, citric acid is packed with hydrogen ions (H+), which our taste buds recognize as “sour.” Acids react with other chemicals called bases. Baking soda (NaHCO3) is a great example of a base. Bases contain lots of hydroxide ions (OH–). When an acid’s hydrogen ions are combined with a base’s hydroxide ions, they neutralize each other. When the baking soda (the base) encounters the lemon juice (the acid), a chemical reaction starts (this is called an acid-base reaction). The reaction neutralizes the acid and forms carbonic acid (H2CO3) which breaks down into water and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The gas wants to escape the liquid, creating the bubbly foam that fizzes over the sides of the lemon! Once the citric acid and baking soda have neutralized each other, the reaction stops, so eventually the lemon volcano will stop erupting. We’ve seen this reaction numerous times before, for example with baking soda and vinegar (containing a different acid), but giving the same results.
Extension:
Does this experiment work with other citrus fruits, like oranges or grapefruits? Which type of fruit works the best, and which one give the best eruption? Does the eruption happen with other household bases, like a Tums tablet? What happens if you add dish soap to the eruption? Does it make the foam bigger or change the number of bubbles?
Resources:
https://www.sandiegofamily.com/for-the-kids/family-science/easy-science-experiments-for-kids
To view all past “ChemShorts for Kids”, go to: https://chicagoacs.org/ChemShorts
—KATE SCHMIDTHUBER & PAUL BRANDT
Upcoming Events
Chicago ACS Section Programs
https://chicagoacs.org/meetinginfo.php
|
Jun 14 |
Chicago Botanic Garden Family Event see details above |
|
Aug 23 - 27, 2026 McCormick Place, |
Chicago Section to host Fall ACS National Meeting of the American Chemical Society May we count on your volunteer help at the Welcome Booth? Contact chair-at-chicagoacs.org |
|
Sept 17 |
(TBD) Monthly Program - Education night |
|
Oct |
(TBD) Monthly Program |
|
Nov 6 |
Basolo Medal lecture by Prof. Kimoon Kim at Northwestern University, with reception and dinner to follow |
|
Dec 11 |
(TBD) Holiday Party |
Please also refer to the Section’s website chicagoacs.org/meetinginfo.php and social media accounts
FALL ACS NATIONAL MEETING IN CHICAGO
AUGUST 23–27, 2026
Chicago Chromatography Discussion Group
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
6 – 9 PM Dinner and Lecture:
“Working with USP Methods
and Their Updates:
Available Adjustments”
Westwood Tavern, Schaumburg, IL
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988455986383?aff=oddtdtcreator
Register by June 24 ($25 / students $15)
CHICAGO SECTION BOARD MEETINGS
Open to all Section members. For Zoom link, contact: office-at-chicagoacs.org
2026: June 11, August 7, Sep 13, 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
October 2026 September 16, 2026
November 2026 October 16, 2026
December 2026 November 16, 2026
Board & Committee Members
2026 Chicago ACS Section Officials
|
Chair Chair-Elect Past Chair Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer |
Amy Balija Inessa Miller Anita Mehta Sunshine Silver Michael Koehler Russ Johnson |
|
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Directors |
2025-2026 Daniela Andrei 2026-2027 Ken Fivizzani |
directors-at-chicagoacs.org |
|
Councilors |
2024-2026 Paul Brandt 2025-2027 Josh Kurutz 2026-2028 Amy Balija |
councilors-at-chicagoacs.org |
|
Alternate |
2024-2026 Avrom Litin 2025-2027 Katie Leach 2026-2028 Nicolas Gerst |
altcouncilors-at-chicagoacs.org |
* One vacancy to be filled by the Board
Masthead
Bulletin Information
June 2026, Vol. 113, No. 6
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, Anita Mehta
How to reach us
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