January 2022 – Message from the Chair

Happy New Year KLSers!

I’m excited to be serving as your chair again this year and we have some very exciting programming coming up in the next few months that I hope you will attend. We’ll start off remotely in January and have an excellent speaker from ORNL, Dr. Stephan Irle – we hope that everyone can join in! PLEASE encourage students and other professionals in our region to attend this meeting. Zoom meetings are not great and I hope that we can put these behind us in the near future, but participation is needed if we are going to continue to draw in speakers from outside of the region. Beyond January, we hope our meetings will be held in-person and that at least one of our discussions will involve an industrial speaker. Looking forward to April, we’ll have a special program at MSU on additive manufacturing (3D printing) and a poster session for undergraduates in the region to show off their research accomplishments…more details to come!! Please let me know if there is anything we can do as a section to be of assistance or if you have any ideas or suggestions for future programming. All the best to a successful and safe 2022!

Kevin Miller, 2022 KLS Chair

August 2021 – Message from the Chair

Hello KLS Family,

It is exciting to resume in-person KLS meetings. Our annual picnic has been scheduled for September 2^nd (6:00-8:00 pm) at the Bailey Pavilion at Central Park (Gil Hopson Drive, Murray). We are proud to announce that our section has been selected as a finalist for the following two ChemLuminary Awards: Best New Senior Chemists Activity within a Local Section and Outstanding Performance Awards – Small Size Category. This year’s ChemLuminary Award ceremony has been scheduled virtually for the National Chemistry Week in October.

We will also recognize 2021 KLS-Chemists Celebrate Earth Week Illustrated Poem Contest Award Winners at the meeting.

Kind Regards,
Bikram Subedi, 2021 KLS Chair

January 2021 – Message from the Chair

Happy New Year KLS Family,

We certainly share our 2021 resolution contributing to end this pandemic and accomplish many exciting projects. Make 2021 the year YOU get involved! We have a range of volunteer and leadership opportunities available for you to engage with the KLS – from one-time events to programming to awards to executive committee positions, we invite your participation.

I would like to thank Dr. Kevin Miller’s leadership and all volunteers last year despite the global turmoil. I look forward to working with you all this year. The first KLS executive committee of this year met virtually on January 11^th and discussed several agenda including tentative spring meetings, grant/report, budget, and committee members for the 2021 term. In January’s virtual meeting (scheduled for 25^th), Dr. Grace Eder from Murray State will be presenting 1-3 dimensional polymer materials for sustainability applications. Please join us on 25^th at 7:00 PM.

We are planning to have a panel on chemistry careers in the industry for current students and other recent graduates who may have an interest in joining the industry. This panel will be virtual (open to everyone) and involve several recent graduates from our area institutions who are currently in the chemical industry. The event is sponsored in part by an IPG (Innovative Project Grant) from the American Chemical Society. Please contact Dr. Miller or me to share any suggestions.

As part of the “Senior Chemists” project sponsored by the ACS Senior Chemists Committee 2020 Mini-Grant, our four Chemistry senior students interviewed Prof. Harris Fannin, Mrs. Erica Gray, and Dr. Fred Allen. Please visit our KLS webpage and feel free to publicize those amazing interviews!

Kind Regards,
Bikram Subedi, 2021 KLS Chair

September 2020 – Message from the Chair

Greetings KLS members!

Welcome to what will be the virtual/hybrid edition of our fall calendar. I hope everyone had a safe summer. While we weren’t able to have a welcome back picnic this year, we do have a few exciting events shaping up this fall. To start us off we will have a hybrid September presentation by Lyndi Strange, a recent graduate of Union University, on transition metal dichalcogenides. Many thanks to Prof. Randy Johnston for setting up this meeting. I know that many of us are either going to Zoom into the meeting or conduct virtual viewings at our respective locations, but you are also welcome to attend in person. In addition to the September meeting, we are planning on having a panel later on this fall for current students and other recent graduates who may have interest in attending graduate school. This panel will be virtual (open to everyone) and involve several recent graduates from our area institutions who are currently in graduate school. The event is sponsored in part by an IPG (Innovative Project Grant) from the American Chemical Society. A similar event is in the works for the spring that will focus on chemistry careers in industry. Finally, we are working on some creative programming for National Chemistry Week. So please tune in for the discussion at Union University and let us know if you have any questions, concerns or ideas!

Thanks!
Kevin Miller, 2020 KLS Chair

November 2018 – Message from the Chair

 

Greetings KLS Members,

As we transition from October to November, it’s officially election time! If you haven’t already voted for ACS president, you have until October 31st. Our own KLS ballots for Chair-Elect will be sent out by email one week prior to our November 15th meeting (or you can attend the meeting to cast your vote in person.) Dr. Kevin Miller of Murray State University has thrown his hat in the ring for Chair-Elect, offering to serve as the newest
member of the KLS Executive Committee. In addition to elections, this month we’ll be recognizing our 2018 award winners for the Howard Huyck Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher Award, the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award, and
the Outstanding Professional Researcher Award. We even have three 50- and 60- year ACS members to announce! Don’t miss this fun evening of networking and celebrating the wonderful accomplishments of our diverse and talented local section members.

Kind regards,

Genessa

October 2018 – Message from the Chair

 

Greetings KLS members,

Next week, as a prelude to National Chemistry Week, we will be meeting for our annual SMACS Demo Show at UTM.  Please join us for this fun & interactive event!

Also, If you haven’t already marked your calendars, please note these upcoming dates:

• Friday October 19^th is the deadline for our section award nominations.  Nomination forms are available at: https://kentuckylakeacs.com, and can be submitted by email.
• Thursday November 15^th, we will hold our last meeting of the calendar year at Bethel University where we will elect our next Chair-elect and announce award winners.

See you next week,
Genessa

September 2018 – Message from the Chair

Greetings KLS members,

Last month I had the pleasure of jointly representing our section at the 20^th annual ACS ChemLuminary Awards ceremony in Boston. What fun it was!! We won two awards this year: Fostering Interactions Between Local Sections & Student Chapters – for involving students in the SMACS groups with our science centers, and Outstanding Performance by a Local Section – Small Size Category Award – for our ongoing children’s science center activities, hosting a Nobel Prize Gala, celebrating National Chemistry Week, and participating in Earth Day activities.  Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to making our section great!

As we look to the fall meeting line-up, please mark the following dates on your calendar:

• Oct 18^th: National Chemistry Week Demo Show @ UTM
• Fri Oct 19^th: Deadline for submitting professional & student award nominations.
• Thu Nov 15^th: KLS Elections & Awards @ Bethel U.

Finally, I know that the November elections might seem far away, but we are actively looking for who might serve as our next Chair-Elect.  If you would like to run (or nominate a colleague for the position) please contact me!

Best regards,

Genessa

March 2018 – Message from the Chair

Greetings KLS Members,

This month we will be hearing from Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, a visiting professor at Berea College. Dr. Thomas is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and spent 6 years working as an organic chemist at Eli Lilly. Those of you who enjoy pharmaceutical chemistry won’t want to miss this event!
See you next week,

Genessa

Don’t forget: The 41st Annual Area Collegiate Chemistry Meeting is April 7th at UT-Martin.  Deadline to submit for oral or poster presentation is April 3rd.

February 2018 – Message from the Chair

Greetings KLS Members!

February may be the shortest month in the calendar, but there’s double the opportunity for you to meet and mingle with other chemistry enthusiasts this month!

For our regularly scheduled meeting, we’ll be hearing from Dr. Bikram Subedi, professor at Murray State University.  Dr. Subedi specializes in the development of analytical methods to analyze chemical contaminants in water and will discuss the application of these methods toward quantifying illicit drug use within communities.

The following week, on Tuesday February 27, an ACS “program-in-a-box” event Opiods: Fighting Addiction With Chemistry will take place.  This topic is incredibly timely, and the program promises to be engaging and informative.  Dr. Rebecca Brown will be hosting at WKTCC in Paducah, KY, and Drs. Abigail Shelton and Robbie Montgomery will be hosting at UTM in Martin, TN.  If you would like to attend, please contact one of them for more details.

Kind regards,

~ Dr. Genessa Smith, Chair

January 2018 – Message from the Chair

Greetings KLS Members! With the turning of the calendar from 2017 to 2018, we once again find ourselves in a new year of KLS programming and leadership. Please join me in welcoming Kevin Revell as our new chair-elect. Kevin is already hard at work planning the spring program—stay tuned for more details!

This month’s speaker—Dr. Kevin Miller—is one of our own and I know that you won’t want to miss the opportunity to come hear why he was selected for the 2017 KLS Outstanding Professional Member Award. Dr. Miller specializes in organic and polymer chemistry at Murray State University and will be talking about applications of dynamic bonds in polymers.

As we enter the new year, I’d especially like to encourage you to be proactive in your KLS involvement. Whether that looks like attending monthly meetings, participating in committee work, helping with the kids’ science centers, fostering interest in National Chemistry Week, or designing a completely new KLS activity—opportunities abound! If you are particularly ambitious, you can spearhead an application for up to $3,500 in ACS funding through the Innovative Project Grant program. Application deadlines occur twice yearly: January 18th and June 30th.

Best wishes for a wonderful start to 2018.

~Genessa, KLS Chair