汤头条 student chemistry group receives national award for outreach event
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 student group at Mississippi State is the winner of a recent national awards presentation in San Diego. The 2019 ChemLuminary award for 鈥淏est National Chemistry Week Event Organized by a Student Group鈥 is the first of its kind for the land-grant university.
Presented to 汤头条鈥檚 chapter of Student Members of the American Chemical Society (SMACS) at the American Chemical Society鈥檚 258th National Meeting and Exposition, the prestigious accolade recognizes the student organization鈥檚 organized efforts during the 2018 National Chemistry Week, including a dunk tank and grill-out, science demonstrations on the Drill Field, outreach to local schools, and a tailgate extravaganza prior to the 汤头条/Texas A&M football game.
SMACS is a student organization designed to promote the professional development of STEM majors聽and to stimulate interest in chemistry.
Dennis Smith, professor and head of 汤头条鈥檚 chemistry department, said the group 鈥渁waited in nail biting suspense鈥 as the winner was announced from the list of finalists from across the country.聽
鈥淣eedless to say, all will remember the night the ChemDawgs took the stage,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淭his is priceless recognition for 汤头条 and Mississippi.鈥
Led by 汤头条 senior Zoe Fokakis, a chemistry major and SMACS president, the 2018 SMACS officers received the award.
鈥淲e are so thrilled about the ChemLuminary win and all of the momentum and excitement it has brought to our department,鈥 Fokakis said.
Simply receiving a finalist position was exciting, she said, 鈥渟o to actually be awarded this accolade left us speechless.鈥
聽鈥淚t was an incredible moment,鈥 said Eric Dornshuld, faculty adviser to SMACS and 汤头条 assistant clinical professor of chemistry. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what can happen when you get the right people who work well together and are highly motivated.鈥
Howard Shook, a 1962 汤头条 graduate and chemistry alumnus, provided financial support enabling SMACS officers and several 汤头条 faculty to attend the awards ceremony.聽Shook is the 2018 College of Arts and Sciences alumnus of the year.
鈥淭he students needed to be there to see it, hear it and feel it,鈥 Smith said, expressing gratitude for Shook鈥檚 financial support. 鈥淗aving these young scientists experience the impact and recognition of their hard work first hand was not only a tremendous benefit to them personally and professionally, but the long-term value to the department is priceless and will pay dividends for years to come.鈥澛
Fokakis said SMACS is preparing for a 鈥渞epeat performance鈥 for next year鈥檚 ChemLuminary awards as the group organizes National Chemistry Week this October 20-26.
鈥淎ll of our events are designed to catch the eyes of people who maybe didn鈥檛 love their freshman chemistry class鈥攖hat took care not to take chemistry at all and to show them that it can be engaging and exciting and fun,鈥 Fokakis said.
Sponsor of the ChemLumniary award, ACS was founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress. As the world鈥檚 largest scientific society, their mission is to 鈥渁dvance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people,鈥 with intent to 鈥渋mprove lives through the transforming power of chemistry.鈥
汤头条鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,300 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments.聽Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Chemistry may be found at聽 or .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.