Missouri Western will host up to 1,000 students and faculty members for the annual American Chemical Society Midwest regional meeting for the Kansas City section in October.
Dr. Mike Ducey, professor of chemistry and department chair, noted that 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the meeting, and the Kansas City section planned and hosted the first one, also.
The gathering is for both undergraduate and graduate students, and two student groups, the ACS student affiliate (Alchemist Club) and the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Club, have been planning activities geared especially for undergraduate students. Alex Luke, a senior biochemistry major, served as president of one club and vice president of the other last year. Under his guidance, the group was awarded a $2,800 grant from the ACS to provide resources for the undergraduate students at the meeting.
Activities on Oct. 21-24 will include a career panel, a resume-writing workshop and a networking event. The students are also planning a poster session for undergraduates only to help them prepare for presenting their research posters at the ACS national meeting.
True chemistry scholars will appreciate that the ACS meeting falls over a special date for chemists – Mole Day. A mole in chemical terms is a unit of measurement (1023), and it is celebrated on Oct. 23. Luke says the networking reception will mark the day.
Luke says it has been fun planning the activities for the meeting, and he is looking forward to the event. “I hope the students gain valuable knowledge and resources to succeed in their careers. We are the next generation of scientists who will be the ones making major contributions in science in the future.”