Wooster's Chemistry Club Receives National Recognition

American Chemical Society's Committee on Education awards honorable mention

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster's Chemistry Club has been recognized as one of the nation's top chapters by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Wooster's club, which consists of 20 students, was awarded an honorable mention by the ACS Committee on Education.

"We are very proud of this recognition for our students," said Paul Bonvallet, assistant professor of chemistry at Wooster and former advisor to the Chemistry Club, which last received national recognition in 2004-2005. "They run the organization, and they are very deserving of the honor."

Wooster's club was recognized for a number of accomplishments, including the making of liquid nitrogen ice cream for elementary school students, the planting of a "Chemis-tree" in support of Earth Day, and the management of several successful fundraisers and National Chemistry Week events. The club was also commended for taking advantage of all resources available for communicating meetings and events, and for bringing speakers to campus.

"This group of students has shown great leadership and initiative," said Bonvallet. "They've demonstrated that they are very serious about chemistry, but that they know how to have fun, too."

Not only did the students excel during the year, but they also benefited from the experience of writing and submitting a proposal for the award. The detailed 16-page report is filled out entirely by students. "It is a peer review process, similar to what professors go through in writing papers or grant proposals," said Bonvallet. "It was a good professional development exercise. After the proposal is submitted, the reviewers provide feedback, which is very helpful."

The club will be officially recognized at the next ACS national meeting in March in San Francisco.