National Chemistry Olympiad Held at SCC
by Mako Masuno The National Chemistry Olympiad was held on 4/18/2015 at Sacramento City College. A special thanks to the supporting parents and teachers, and also Varnell Crankfield, who each year, tirelessly supports the lab portion of the exam. Please congratulate Richard Duan, Katherine Hu, Ranya Odeh, and Jean Yasis for qualifying and participating in the National Chemistry Olympiad (Karthik Raju participated in the exam in...
Michelle Faust Wins Sacramento Section Outreach Volunteer of the Year for 2014
In an effort to recognize the immeasurable outreach efforts made by local section volunteers, the Committee of Community Activities (CCA) has established the Local Section Outreach Volunteers of the Year recognition program. Each local section has an opportunity to recognize one individual annually for demonstrating extraordinary outreach volunteer service within the section. Volunteers are only eligible to be recognized once every...
My Super-Commuting Life
by Handeep Kaur The thought of moving out of CA was hard to stomach. My husband had been moving up fast in his career with the state. I had spent most of my life comfortably in California surrounded by my family, friends, and accustomed surroundings. For years, I had been devoted to staying in the Sacramento-Bay area after I finished my Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Davis. After all, I thought, life is about spending it with those near...
University of the Pacific Chemistry Department Annual ACS-BBQ
by Andy Franz On April 18, 2015, the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Pacific held its 66th Annual ACS-BBQ for approximately 130 alumni and friends in attendance. The Sacramento Section of the ACS generously supported the event, which featured world-renowned astrophysicist Dr. Alex Filippenko (Professor for astronomy at UC Berkeley, featured on the History Channel “The Universe”) who delivered a fascinating lecture...
ACS Sacramento Honors Its 50 and 60 Year Members
The American Chemical Society and its local sections are honoring those who have reached 50 years of membership in 2015. This year, the society has 1,061 50-year members worldwide. To commemorate reaching this milestone, each member receives a 50-year certificate, a special lapel pin, and a permanent member card entitling him or her to free registration at all national and regional ACS meetings. The Sacramento Section is proud to...
Discoveries: Many plastics labeled ‘biodegradable’ don’t break down as expected
Plastic products advertised as biodegradable have recently emerged, but they sound almost too good to be true. Scientists have now found out that, at least for now, consumers have good reason to doubt these claims. In a new study appearing in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, plastics designed to degrade didn’t break down any faster than their more conventional counterparts. Susan Selke, Rafael Auras and...
San Joaquin Delta College ACS Chapter
by Salvador Bernardino A small club from a community college with a great motivation to positively affect its community with science is what would describe our American Chemical Society club located at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, CA. Beginning in 2012 founded by former club President Rodrigo Tellez, the club has grown from a very small group of students to over 30 members and growing every semester. We are set forth with...
Chemistry Club at UC Davis Goes Waste-Free!
by Kate Gibson The Chemistry Club at UC Davis provides outreach to schools, community groups, and UC Davis students. The annual audience of the Chemistry Club Picnic Day “Magic Show” exceeds 1500 participants, ranging from small children to seniors. For the first time in the history of the Chemistry Club, the annual Picnic Day “Magic Show” was accomplished without producing any hazardous waste. Joshua Greenfield, a graduate student at...
SCC Chem Club Outreach and Field Trip to LBNL
The Chem Club completed two different outreach activities on three separate days. Twice students visited seventh grade classes at Emerson Junior High to demonstrate and discuss chemical reactions including burning, dissolving, and precipitation reactions. The students loved the demo of a candle burning in pure oxygen versus just plain old air. Club members Nicole Ackerman, Alexis Kennedy, Zach Kehrt, Jose Lopez, and Jasmine Hakim...