Marty Perry, 2021 Chair: mdperry@uams.edu
The Regional Meetings Committee (RMC) is charged by the Division to:
- Provide oversight of the ACS Division of Chemical Education Region Awards, which includes the development and maintenance of Award Guidelines, participation in the selection and presentation of the Region Awards,
- Ensure that a Chemical Education Program is part of each Regional Meeting, and
- Promote the purpose and work of the ACS Division of Chemical Education.
RMC is pleased to outline in this NEWSLETTER Report recent efforts to address its charge.
ACS Division of Chemical Education Region Awards
2021 ACS Division of Chemical Education Region Awardees for Excellence in High School Teaching:
Seven of the ten ACS Regions will hold meetings in 2021 providing opportunities to recognize and reward excellence in the teaching of high school chemistry. RMC is pleased to report on the one region Award presented in Spring/Summer 2021. MARM presented awards to its 2020 and 2021 awardees at this year’s meeting.
The 48th ACS Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting, June 9-12, Newark, DE
The winner of the 2020 Division of Chemical Education Middle Atlantic Regional Award for Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching is
Dr. Jean M. Mihelcic from Conestoga High School in Conestoga, PA.
Dr. Jean M. Mihelcic received her M.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University. Prior to starting her teaching career, she worked for DuPont in Parlin, NJ and Wilmington, DE. She started teaching at Conestoga High School since fall of 2000 as a member of the chemistry department and quickly distinguished herself as an outstanding teacher and leader in the AP program. She has taught all levels of chemistry, served on District Committees, and has been involved in extracurricular activities. As a teacher of AP Chemistry, Jean focuses on teaching her students how to think like scientists and critically analyze information and data. She has placed a high emphasis and value on laboratory experiences and demonstrations. She has adapted labs and regularly searches for new ones to ensure that the students are engaging, safe, and inquiry based. Jean’s students score in the top 20% nationally on the AP chemistry exam, with her average score on the 2019 exam being 4.2 (with over 40 students taking the exam. In addition to her classes, Jean has taught and mentored student for the Chemistry Olympiad, some of whom have also placed well both locally and nationally. Jean has served as the advisor for the Chemistry Club. Mole Day and National Chemistry Week (NCW) are big holidays for Jean and her students. She stays current with research-based trends as a member of AACT, and attends national meetings with the ACS, NSTA, BCCE, and AP Annual Conference. Dr. Mihelcic is the Philadelphia Local Section’s Recipient of Excellence in Pre-College Teaching Award for 2020.
The 48th ACS Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting, June 9-12, Newark, DE
The winner of the 2021 Division of Chemical Education Middle Atlantic Region Award for Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching is
Laura Trout from Lancaster Country Day School in Lancaster, PA.
Laura Trout has a B.S. in chemistry from Central Washington University and a M.S. in chemistry from the University of Washington. She has taught high school chemistry (college prep, honors, AP and IB) for 28 years in both Washington State and Pennsylvania. She was also a lower school science specialist for 7 of those years. Laura is very involved with The POGIL Project. She has been writing and implementing guided inquiry activities for her students for about 20 years, as well as facilitating POGIL workshops for about 16 years. She served as the Editor-in-Chief for the High School POGIL Initiative (HSPI) which produced four POGIL activity books for high school - Biology, Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP Chemistry. She has also helped to produce a lab manual for AP Chemistry for PASCO Scientific which utilizes POGIL techniques. She has been a member of The POGIL Project Steering Committee and continues to develop workshop sessions and materials for that organization. Laura lives with her husband and daughter in Lititz, PA.
The 75th ACS Northwest Regional Meeting, May 9-11, 2021, Bellingham, WA (virtual)
The winner of the 2021 Division of Chemical Education Glenn & Jane Crosby Northwest Region Award for Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching is
David Stitt from Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor, WA.
David Stitt has a B.A.Ed from Western Washington University and a M.A.Ed in Chemistry Education from Western Governor’s University. He has taught high school chemistry and A.P. Chemistry for 15 years and as an adjunct professor (inorganic chemistry) for 10 years in Washington State. David is very active in the local WA STEM Network where he has served as a quarterly guest lecturer on the application of chemistry in astronomical research. To date he has provided over 20 separate mini workshops called “Stem Cafés” for science teachers ranging from pre-K instruction to AP Chemistry. He continually provides professional development to the educational community through presentations at state science teachers conventions (chemical demonstrations) and annual multi-district workshops for the last 10 years. David fosters an environment which celebrates failure as well as success as students establish academic “risk-taking” as a norm. At the front of his classroom is the mantra “Let’s Try… Let’s make fantastically interesting mistakes… Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow.” David lives with his wife, three daughters, son and three dogs in Gig Harbor, WA.
The 44th ACS Great Lakes Regional Meeting, June 6-9, 2021, Minneapolis, MN (virtual)
The winner of the 2021 Division of Chemical Education Great Lakes Region Award for Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching is
Tanya Katovich from Hoffman Estates High School in Hoffman Estates, IL.
Tanya Katovich has been teaching science for 26 years. She has spent the past nine years teaching first-year chemistry and Advanced Placement Chemistry at Hoffman Estates High School. She previously taught science at Schaumburg High School for 17 years. As a teacher she embraces her inner geek with a goal of making students passionate about learning. She emphasizes a student-centered classroom where teenagers do science every day. Tanya loves bringing the real-world into her chemistry classroom and incorporates activities that provide students with rigor and scientific skills. Tanya is the Vice President of Northern Illinois Science Educators (NISE), a non-profit organization that helps K–12 teachers integrate the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and STEM curriculum into their science classrooms. Tanya enjoys teaching workshops to science teachers. These workshops provide hands-on experience with inquiry labs, fun demonstrations, and curriculum development. Tanya has also collaborated with Northwestern University on their iLabs Network and Duke University on their Pharmacology Education Partnerships. She co-teaches the chemistry summer institute for high school teachers at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Recently, Tanya became a 2020 Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Tanya earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, a M.S. in chemistry from DePaul University, and a M.S. in education administration from Northern Illinois University. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher.
Finalists for the Spring 2021 ACS Division of Chemical Education Region Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching:
In 2014 RMC began the practice of using the CHED Newsletter to recognize all nominees for the Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching and the schools at which they teach. In the tables below we list each Region Award, the 2021 Recipient, and all those whose complete nomination portfolios came before the Region Awards Committees.
2020, 2021 ACS Division of Chemical Education Middle Atlantic Region
Award for Excellence in High School Teaching
AWARDEES
Dr. Jean M. Mihelcic
Conestoga High School, Conestoga, PA17516
Laura Trout
Lancaster Country Day School, Lancaster, PA 17603
FINALISTS
Rupa Bhattachary
Trenton Public School, Trenton, NJ
Mary Fretts
Washington-Lee High School, Arlington, VA
Shawn Hampt
Manchester Valley High School, Manchester, MD
Anjana Iyer
Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough, NJ
Carrie Jacobs
River Dell High School, Oradell, NJ
Connie Long
Pocono Mountain West High School, Pocono Summit, PA
Stephanie O’Brien
Commack High School, Commack, NY
Rachael Pearce
Walkins Mill High School, Gaithersburg, MD
Erin Radebe
Springbrook High School, Silver Spring, MD
Audrey Smeltzer-Schwab
Muhlenburg High School, Laureldale, PA
2021 ACS Division of Chemical Education Glenn and Jane Crosby Northwest Region
Award for Excellence in High School Teaching
AWARDEE
David Stitt
Peninsula High School, Gig Harbor, WA 98332
FINALISTS
Brian Butcher
Jesuit High School, Portland, OR 97225
Sarah Hocken
South Eugene High School, Eugene, OR 97401
Stephanie Marshall
Woodland High School , Woodland, WA 98674
Kristi Miller
Sunset High School, Portland, OR 97229
Kathleen Thomas
North Medford High School, Medford, OR 97504
2021 ACS Division of Chemical Education Great Lakes Region
Award for Excellence in High School Teaching
AWARDEE
Tanya Katovich
Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
FINALISTS
Pat Meloy
Robert M. La Follette High School, Madison, WI 53716
Jennifer Miller
Washington Community High School, Washington, IL 61571
Natasha Ploss
McCutcheon High School, Lafayette, IN 47909
Karen Trine
Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago, IL 60607
Chemical Education Programming at Regional Meetings:
RMC continues to work with organizing committees for Regional Meetings early on in the planning process to not only encourage Chemical Education programming but to also volunteer to organize symposia, general sessions, or poster sessions. Attention is now directed toward expansion of the Chemical Education programming at the regional meetings planned for 2022.
Promotion of ACS Division of Chemical Education through Regional Meetings:
RMC continues its joint project with the New Members Committee involving the design, preparation, and display of a poster that describes, using text and images, the mission and activities of the Division of Chemical Education. The poster is displayed by the DivCHED Representative, at each of the Regional Meetings, in a formal poster session and/or in the Registration area. The poster serves as a device to disseminate information about Division and to recruit new members to the Division. The new poster includes new text and images highlighting Division activities, resources, and ways for members to become involved.