Kerrigan McManus, a student at Calloway County High School, recently won the first-place national award among high schoolers participating in this year’s Chemists Celebrate Earth Week Illustrated Poem Contest. This year’s contest theme was “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry.”
The Murray Ledger and Times recently featured Kerrigan’s win. Read the article here.
Congratulations Kerrigan!
October 2019 Kentucky Lake Section Meeting
@
University of Tennessee at Martin
Brehm Hall Room 258
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Dinner 6:00 pm
Meeting 7:00 pm
Dinner: BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Potato Salad, and Baked Beans
Price: $10 (students $5)
Program: Marvelous Metals National Chemistry Week Demonstration Show
September 2019 Kentucky Lake Section Meeting
@
Union University, Jackson TN
Carl Grant Events Center
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Dinner 6:00 pm
Meeting 7:00 pm
Dinner: Sliced Roast Beef or Herb Crusted Chicken, Salad, Cheesy mashed potatoes, green beans, and Chocolate Explosion w/ ice cream
Price: $10 (students $5)
Program: “From Bean to Cup: A Chemist’s Perspective on Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee” by Dr. Josh Williams, Union University
Abstract
Probably starting in Ethiopia, coffee has been cultivated and consumed by humans for over a thousand years, and coffee is now one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Coffee brewing methods vary widely as well, but they all have something in common. Brewing coffee, by any method, is ultimately the process of extracting soluble compounds from the solid coffee bean material into the solvent (water). This is, fundamentally, a chemical process. Utilizing chemical ideas and principles can help us to understand this brewing process more deeply and learn to optimize the different brewing variables to achieve what any serious coffee drinker wants – a better cup of coffee. The primary purpose of this very practical presentation is to give non-chemists in the general public a clear understanding of the entire coffee brewing process, and it is designed to be understandable by anyone, regardless of their chemistry background. So, bring a coffee-loving friend and come learn how a little chemistry can help you make a better cup of coffee.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Williams earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Augustana College in Illinois, and then a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Oregon. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland, WA, working on epitaxial growth of metal oxide superlattices for photochemical activity. He gained expertise in graduate school and his post-doc in using x-ray analysis methods to characterize thin films, which led to an industry position in Research and Development at Intel Corp. in Portland, a position as an Applications Scientist for an x-ray analysis equipment manufacturer, followed by a position as Chief Scientist in an x-ray analysis equipment manufacturing start-up company. He began teaching in higher education in 2008, and has been at Union since 2011. His current research interests include analytical instrument design and fabrication, exploring guest/host relationships in dye- inclusion crystals, and chemical education.
This year, the Kentucky Lake Local Section was selected as a finalist for four ChemLuminary Award(s). Winners were announced at the ACS Fall 2019 National Meeting & Expo on Tuesday August 27th in San Diego, CA. The section secured two awards:
“The Kentucky Lake Local Section conducted 5 hands-on science events, serving over 500 children across their rural region using the Let’s Do Chemistry kit. They partnered with Discovery Park of America to offer a free chemistry program; with the University of Tennessee Martin STEM Center to ensure that science had a prominent role at Martin Elementary School’s Family Fun Night; and with the ACS Student Chapter at Tennessee Martin to host a chemistry merit badge clinic for area Boy Scout troops.”
“Being a small section in a rural area is particularly challenging because members may have to drive upwards of 100 miles (each way) to attend meetings, activities, and events. The Kentucky Lake local section met this challenge—and maintained good attendance—by rotating programming through four regional locations and providing consistent, high quality programs that engaged students, academic, and industrial members.”
Congrats to everyone who made these awards possible!
You can read more about this year’s ChemLuminary awardees here.
Kentucky Lake Section 2019 Summer Social
@
Discovery Park of America
830 Everett Blvd Union City, TN 38261
Saturday, August 10, 2019
10am-5pm
Lunch: Heavy hors d’oeuvres in the Tennessee Room, from 12-2
Price: Free to members and their families with RSVP by July 31st.
Visit https://discoveryparkofamerica.com/about-discovery-park/ for more information about the Discovery Park of America.
The Paducah Sun highlighted the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day Illustrated Poem Contest. Read the article.
April 2019 Kentucky Lake Section Meeting
@
Perkins Restaurant
15301 South 1st St, Milan, TN
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Dinner 6:00 pm
Meeting 7:00 pm
Dinner: Order off the menu
Price: $10 (students $5)
Program: “Chemistry of Paper” by Dr. Joseph Mahoney, Buckman International
March 2019 Kentucky Lake Section Meeting
@
Dry Ground Brewery
3121 Broadway St., Paducah, KY
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Dinner 6:00 pm
Meeting 7:00 pm
Dinner: Pizza from Mellow Mushroom
Price: $10 (students $5)
Program: “Chemistry of Beer” by Dr. Daniel Johnson, Murray State University
The Addenda, UT Martin’s faculty and staff newsletter, highlighted the two ChemLuminary awards KLS won this year. Read the article.
West KY News highlighted the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day Illustrated Poem Contest. Read the article.
Kentucky Lake ACS 