Outreach Training Program (OTP)
The Outreach Training Program (OTP) is designed to help ACS members passionate about science outreach fully maximize Society resources through in-person workshops at regional meetings or a seven-week online course. The online classes start July 9th and continue weekly until August 20th. You can choose to watch the classes “live” or view the recordings at your convenience. What You Will Learn Introduction and History of...
ACS Sacramento Supports Future Powerhouse Science Center
The Sacramento Section is proud to announce its support of the future Powerhouse Science Center currently under construction along the river just north of downtown Sacramento. Sponsors have the opportunity to purchase an element of the periodic table (see below) to be inscribed with donor information for $5,000. We chose “Actinium” as it contained the first two letters of “ACS.” There are a few elements left if you want to...
WISTEM Talk at Davis Senior High School
Local Section chair Carla Saunders spoke about her research and career path at Davis Senior High School’s Women in STEM club on March 15. The WISTEM club is organized and run by Davis Senior High School students interested in encouraging an interest in STEM at their school. At each of their weekly meetings the club hosts a graduate student or professional from within STEM to give an informal 20-30 minute presentation about their...
High School Student Scholarship: Due May 1
The John Berg High School Chemistry Student Scholarship is presented annually to a high school student with a declared major in the chemical sciences who attends high school (including being homeschooled) within the boundaries of the Sacramento Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The Sacramento Section of the ACS will award a scholarship for $1,000 payable to the financial aid department of the student’s college or...
SCIENCE FAIR JUDGES NEEDED!!!
The Sacramento School of Engineering and Sciences (SES) has scheduled its science and engineering fair for Wednesday, December 19th from 2:30 PM-6:15 PM and they need YOU to judge student science fair projects! Interested individuals can sign up or get more information by contacting Pat Wong (pat.wong@arb.ca.gov). SES is located in the Pocket Area of Sacramento (7345 Gloria Drive). However its students are from a cross section...
Register for High School Chemistry Olympiad
The Sacramento Section of the ACS is proud to organize the 2019 High School Chemistry Olympiad. The Olympiad witll be held at Sacramento City College. Last year’s Olympiad was a big success! For more information, please click here. To register or if you have questions, please contact Mako Masuno. Students taking the local exam for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad on March 24th at Sacramento City...
Volunteers for Friday Speaker Series
The School of Engineering and Sciences (SES) is looking for volunteers to mentor students as they prepare their science projects and senior projects, serve as judges at science fairs, and speak or sponsor a Friday lunch talk. The school is a combination middle/high school which accepts students within the Sacramento School District and is located in the Pocket area in South Sacramento. Please contact Patrick Wong at...
New High School Student Scholarship
ACS Sacramento is very pleased to announce the John Berg High School Chemistry Student Scholarship, a new scholarship for high school students who intend to major in chemistry or a chemistry-related field. This scholarship will be for $1,000 and has a May 1, 2019 deadline. The scholarship is named for John Berg. John has served the Sacramento Section for a long time and in many ways. When he became a 50 year member of ACS, there was...
Sharing Chemistry with Kids in Honduras
If you google “Chispa”, which means “spark” in Spanish, you would learn that it is the name of a Latino dating app, but the Chispa Project is a volunteer effort to provide books to Honduran students. Our section had a couple hundred extra Earth Day booklets in Spanish that we donated to this cause. As you can see by the smiles below, the booklets were much appreciated!
Arlene Laurison Wins Chemistry High School Teacher Award
The Sacramento Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is pleased to announce that Arlene Laurison won the Janan Hayes High School Teacher Award (HSTA) for 2018. Ms. Laurison teaches at Sheldon High School. Ms. Laurison wins a $500 cash prize and $500 for classroom supplies. Additionally, she will be honored at the Sacramento Section’s awards ceremony on September 29th, 2018 that is part of the section’s “Flavors of Chemistry”...
2018 Cal EPA Earth Day Celebration
The Sacramento Section invited over 150 attendees at the annual CalEPA Earth Day Celebration to participate in an experiment demonstrating how CO2 absorption can increase acidity of the oceans. Kids and adults alike were amazed at the color change indicating a lower pH after blowing bubbles in a neutral solution with red cabbage pH indicator. The budding scientists were awarded stickers, mini-moles, tattoos and booklets with more...
Awards Subcommittee
The members of the awards subcommittee review applications for the Jan Hayes High School Teacher’s Award, the John Berg High School Chemistry Student Scholarship, and the Student Travel Award. These members are: Dean Tantillo, Professor of Chemistry at UC Davis Liang Xue, Professor of Chemistry at the University of the Pacific Marisa Alviar-Agnew, Professor of Chemistry at Sacramento City College Veronica Wheaton, Professor of...
Local Chemistry Olympiad Draws 60 Students
It was another great showing at this year’s High School Chemistry Olympiad with 60 students chowing up from 14 area high schools. These included Sheldon, Folsom, Davis, Pioneer, Mira Loma, Sacramento Country Day, Tracy, Oak Ridge, Rocklin, Lodi, Oakmont, Franklin, Vista de Lago, and John Adams Academy High Schools. The Olympiad was hosted by Mako Masuno and Varnell Crankfield at Sacramento City College (SCC) and sponsored by ACS...
ACS Sacramento Volunteer of the Year: Cindy Castronovo
Congratulations to Cindy Castronovo for winning the ACS Sacramento Section Volunteer of the year! Cindy Castronovo has been a long time contributor to the Sacramento local section, serving on the Executive Committee and spearheading the section’s involvement in various outreach activities in the Sacramento area. Cindy has served and currently serves as the Secretary for the section. Thank you, Cindy! Previous winners were Mako...
Needed: Science Olympiad Event Coordinators for March 3rd
The 2018 Sacramento Regional Science Olympiad will be held at Mira Loma High School on Saturday, March 3, 2018. Four events are looking for coordinators for this year: FORENSICS, OPTICS, HERPETOLOGY and REMOTE SENSING. James Hill, our Sacramento Section High School Teacher of the year, is looking for a qualified, interested person who would be willing to be the Event Coordinator for each of these topics at the event. The Event...
New Section Members for December
Welcome to the Sacramento Section! Rosemary Effiong Desiree Garza Amy Gilson Rebecca Hernandez Andrew Karman Mary Laing Leanna Monteleone Johnny Pan Devin Rippner Ryan Rutter Edward Scollon Ismaeel Siddiqui Sterling Smith Annie Bluhm
Volunteer to Judge a High School Science Fair!
The Sacramento School and Engineering Sciences (SES) will be having their high school science fair on Wednesday, December 20th starting at 2:45 PM. All science and engineering professionals as well as students of upper division status are invited to volunteer for this annual event. No previous experience is necessary. Members of PECG and CAPS are eligible to claim one hour of mentoring leave credit for every two hours volunteered....
Looking for Mentors: School of Engineering and Sciences
The School of Engineering and Sciences (SES) is looking for volunteers to mentor students as they prepare their science projects and senior projects, serve as judges at science fairs, and speak or sponsor a Friday lunch talk. The school is a combination middle/high school which accepts students within the Sacramento School District and is located in the Pocket area in South Sacramento. Please contact Patrick Wong at...
Next Executive Committee Meeting: August 27th
The next meeting of the ACS Sacramento Section Executive Committee will be on August 27th at 7pm in room 204 of Lillard Hall. For more information, contact Cindy Castronovo or Bill Miller.
2017 Volunteer of the Year: Mako Masuno
In the Sacramento Local Section, Mako has been the person responsible for running all aspects of the local and national U.S. Chemistry Olympiad for the last six years. Under his guidance, participation has grown each year due to the relationships he has built with the students and high school teachers and the very tasty liquid nitrogen ice cream he makes after the exams!