The Regional Meetings Committee (RMC) is charged by the Division to:
1. 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 Award winners;
2. Ensure that a Chemical Education Program is part of each Regional Meeting; and
3. Promote the purpose and work of the ACS Division of Chemical Education.
Our committee’s activities strongly align with the following goals in the Division’s Strategic Plan:
Professional Development (Goal 2) - Engage chemistry educators and education researchers at all levels in a wide range of high-quality, accessible learning experiences.
Identifying & Communicating Value (Goal 3) - Build and communicate the unique benefits and role of DivCHED.
- The Chair reached out to Aimee Modic to request feedback regarding recent changes to the committee’s Operations Manual
- The Chair coordinated efforts among the Public Relations Committee, Division staff, and the ACS Office to develop and implement a new procedure for distributing the Division's poster at regional meetings.
- One regional meeting occurred during the Reporting Period. 2026 Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM), Hershey, PA, May 17-19. The Division was represented by a member of the Regional Meetings Committee, Dr. Rob Mishur (Widener University), who served on the Meetings Award Committee, presented the DivCHED poster, and participated in the Awards Ceremony. The 2026 Middle Atlantic Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching was awarded to Sarah English, Sweet Home High School, Amherst, NY.
- Work with Aimee Modic to revise the Operations Manual
- Continue to work with ACS staff to develop a better system for processing of regional and national awards including a central location to post awardee information.
$8,000 was received for use in 2026.
Funds were allocated to support chemical education programming at regional meetings and to support the Division's presence at regional meetings by providing travel support for Division representatives. Funds have been approved to support programming at the 2026 Northwest Regional Meeting (NORM) and travel support has been used to ensure Division representation at regional meetings. The Committee will continue to promote the availability of funding for chemical education programming at regional meetings, and remaining funds will be allocated as requests are received.
Professional Development (Goal 2)
The Northwest Regional Meeting (NORM) supported two DivCHED symposia at their 2026 regional meeting: (1) From Access to Legibility: New Frontiers in Research Experiences for Students and Teachers highlighted programs (e.g. REU, CURE, Project SEED) that involved high school and college students in authentic research, and (2) Student Learning and Success in STEM, a flagship symposium, focused on pedagogical efficacy and student outcomes.
Identifying & Communicating Value (Goal 3)
Through Division-supported symposia and the presentation of the Division's poster at NORM and MARM, attendees were introduced to the benefits of DivCHED and opportunities for engagement with the Division.