Hello from Hotlanta! Hopefully you have been able to find some relief from the hottest July on record. My apologies for just now introducing myself to you as I welcomed my third child in March just prior to the Spring meeting. As the new school year is fast approaching (or already begun), I find myself in a state of reflection and renewal. I have been a member of the DivCHED for 16 years and in this community have found beloved mentors, dear friends, and treasured colleagues. I have also been provided the opportunity to develop my teaching, research, mentorship, and leadership skills. The Division of Chemical Education is most definitely a place where I have firmly planted roots and I was able to grow and flourish! My hope for all of our members is that you have a similar experience no matter what area of our field you identify, we have a place for you to come, plant your roots and grow.
If you are not currently involved in one of our many committees and would like to be, please join us in our upcoming meetings, reach out to committee chairs to volunteer or nominate yourself to be a formal member of a committee. I would like to personally welcome all our members to join the open session of the DivCHED Executive Committee virtual meeting on Saturday, August 12 at 1:30pm PST. As a member of our Division your presence and voice are always welcome at this meeting and it is a great way to get to know what is happening and ways you can get involved. For those attending the fall meeting in San Francisco, please be sure to check out the excellent CHED programming! I’ve highlighted below just a few of the variety of ways that DivCHED members contribute to the success of our division and additional ways you can too. Please be sure to read the entirety of our newsletter for more detailed information about your Division of Chemical Education.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Cortes
klinenbe@kennesaw.edu
Happy 100th Birthday to the Journal of Chemical Education!
2024 marks exactly 100 years since the first issue of the Journal of Chemical Education! The Journal of Chemical Education is celebrating this milestone all year including the recent release of a virtual issue on 100 years of Teaching and Learning: Organic Chemistry. Additionally, Tom Holme (Editor of JCE) has organized a celebratory hybrid symposium for the fall 2023 meeting: “Celebrating 100 Years of the Journal of Chemical Education.” Please mark your calendar for Sunday, August 13 to celebrate this momentous occasion, to reminisce with colleagues, and to be inspired about what the next century might bring for the dissemination of chemistry education!
DivCHED Strategic Planning
As we reestablish ourselves as a Division post-pandemic, this fall we are asking committees and membership to reflect on DivCHED strengths and areas for improvement. This will be in preparation for the important work of a new strategic plan for the Division which will be led by Resa Kelly (Chair-Elect). Please read the information from Resa for ways in which you can be a part of this effort.
San Francisco (Fall 2023) Governance Meetings
A reminder that most CHED Governance Meetings will be virtual for the fall 2023 national meeting. Governance committees will convene the weekend of August 12-13, 2023. Committees will meet at their long-standing “regular” times, using the San Francisco Pacific time zone. Please visit DivCHED.org for information on how to register to receive the zoom link(s) for the committee meetings you wish to attend.
Travel Awards are BACK!!!
As conferences are getting back to in-person and requiring us to move away from our couches, DivCHED is once again offering financial support for travel to the spring National ACS meeting and to international chemical education conferences held outside the United States. Additionally, there are funds available to support travel for professional development of faculty at smaller institutions to attend workshops to enhance their teaching skills. The application deadlines for the DivCHED Travel Award, the DivCHED International Travel Award, and the Passer Education Grants are fast approaching so please be sure to check them out and apply if you meet the requirements.
AACT Representative
Congratulations to Michael Mury on his appointment to the AACT (American Association of Chemistry Teachers) Governing Board! He teaches and is a high school science curriculum specialist at Polk County Public Schools in Florida. Michael served during 2022/2023 and was reappointed by the Chair of the ACS Board of Directors for a second, 1-year term for 2023/2024.
CHED Elections
The Division of Chemical Education will be holding elections this fall. Please read the information from Jennifer Lewis, our CHED Secretary, for details on the ballot and how to vote.
Get (Re)Engaged
If you are looking to become more involved in DivCHED here are some good places to start:
Calls for programming will soon be coming out for the spring 2024 National ACS meeting in New Orleans and the 2024 BCCE hosted at University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Please consider organizing a symposium, hosting a workshop, or submitting an abstract.
If you are looking for a way to participate in the DivCHED on a more local level, you may want to consider getting involved with our Regional Meetings Committee to help support DivCHED programming at all of our Regional ACS meetings.
If assessment is your interest, get involved with the ACS Examinations Institute. There are many opportunities for involvement at various levels with the ACSEI including volunteering to sit on an exam writing committee or trial testing exams, or becoming an Institute Fellow or Postdoctoral Fellow.
You may also consider partaking in the centennial celebration of JCE and submitting a manuscript for publication or becoming a reviewer. To become a reviewer visit https://acs.manuscriptcentral.com/acs/ and follow the directions for registering as a new user. Once you have entered the general information, remember to select the Journal of Chemical Education and select keywords that represent your expertise.