Awards & Recognitions

Awards Liaison (term ends June 2024)
Vacant – Please contact Secretary/Treasurer Edith Kippenhan, kippenhane@gmail.com

There are 4 Regional Awards typically presented at CERM each year: E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society, Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, Regional Award for Excellence in High School Teaching, Partners for Progress and Prosperity Award (P3).

E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society

Purpose: To recognize the volunteer efforts of individuals who have served the American Chemical Society, contributing significantly to the goals and objectives of the Society through their regional activities.

Eligibility: A nominee must be a member of the American Chemical Society residing in a local section within the region, and will have made significant contributions to their region of the American Chemical Society. The volunteerism to be recognized may include a variety of activities, including but not limited to the initiation or sponsorship of a singular endeavor or exemplary leadership in the region. Past and present members of the ACS Board of Directors and staff are ineligible for this award. The awards committee of the region, or its equivalent, will select the recipient.

Establishment & Support: This award was instituted in 2006 by ACS Past President E. Ann Nalley as part of her presidential initiative to recognize ACS volunteerism. It is Dr. Nalley’s wish that the award continue in perpetuity at each regional meeting.

Nominations are eligible for 3 years and may be updated.

View the complete 2021 packet.

Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences (application due March 1 (to attend ACS Regional Meetings held January 1 through June 30) and August 1 (to attend ACS Regional Meetings held July 1 through December 31)

Sponsor: ACS Committee on Minority Affairs

Purpose:  The Stanley C. Israel Regional Award recognizes individuals and/or institutions who have advanced diversity in the chemical sciences and significantly stimulated or fostered activities that promote inclusiveness within the region.

Nature: The award consists of a medal and a $1,000 grant to support and further the activities for which the award was made. The award also will include funding to cover the recipient’s travel expenses to the ACS regional meeting at which the award will be presented.

Eligibility: Nominees may come from academia, industry, government, or independent entities, and may also be organizations, including ACS Local Sections and Divisions. The nominee must have created and fostered ongoing programs or activities that result in increased numbers of persons from diverse and underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, or women who participate in the chemical enterprise.

For more Details:  Visit the ACS National Website

View the complete 2021 packet.

Regional Award for Excellence in High School Teaching (deadline approximately 2 months before regional meeting)

Sponsor:  Division of Chemical Education

Purpose: To recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry in the ACS Regions.

Nature: The Region Award consists of a cash award and a plaque. Reasonable travel expenses to the Regional Meeting at which the award will be presented will be reimbursed. A certificate/plaque may also be provided to the recipient’s institution for display.  The awardee may be asked to give a keynote address and/or participate in a symposium with other teachers, usually at a future meeting. (Modified in 2015)

Eligibility: Any individual, except a member of the award selection committee or currently enrolled student of the nominee, may submit one nomination or support form in any given year. The nominee must be actively engaged in the teaching of chemistry or a chemical science in a high school (grades 9-12) on at least a half-time basis. The nomination should clearly demonstrate as many of the following attributes as possible:

  1. The quality of the nominee’s teaching; unusually effective methods of presentation should be emphasized;
  2. The nominee’s ability to challenge and inspire students;
  3. Extracurricular work in chemistry or a chemical science by the nominee, including science fairs, science clubs, and activities that stimulate the interest of young people in chemistry and related sciences;
  4. A willingness to keep up-to-date in the field, as evidenced by the pursuit of a higher degree in chemistry or a chemical science, enrollment in refresher courses and summer institutes, regular attendance at scientific meetings, membership in professional organizations, and other means of self-improvement;
  5. Evidence of leadership and/or active involvement within the profession.

Establishment & Support: The Division of Chemical Education (DivCHED) established an endowment in 2004 to support Regional Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching in each of the ACS Regions.

Nominations are eligible for 3 years and may be updated.  Each year, the winning teacher is automatically nominated for the national teaching award, the James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching.

View the complete 2021 packet.

Partners for Progress & Prosperity (P3) (not offered by CERM in 2021)

Purpose: To encourage and recognize successful and exemplary partnerships, a Partners for Progress and Prosperity (“P3”) Award is to be established as a new award administered by the ACS Regional Meetings.  These partnerships can be among industry, academia, government, small business and/or other organizations, including ACS local sections, ACS divisions, ACS international chemical sciences chapters, other societies or various entities domestic or overseas resulting in impactful outcomes in one or more of the following categories:

    1.  Improving the public perception and appreciation for chemistry
    2.  Promoting career advancement opportunities and/or supporting entrepreneurship in the chemistry enterprise
    3.  Advancing advocacy efforts with government and other thought leaders
    4.  Supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education and/or research

Eligibility: A nominee may represent academia, industry, government, small business or other organizations such as a Local Section.  Partnerships can include ACS international chemical sciences chapters, ACS divisions, or other entities domestic or overseas. A selection committee will be established by the Regional Meeting Boards to implement the process and to identify the winners.

Description:  The Regional Meeting award will consist of a special Partners for Progress and Prosperity silver/gold medallion plus a framed certificate of recognition (one for each Partner representing an entity or organization) plus up to a $1,000 grant split equally among the partners to further the activities for which the award is made.

Establishment & Support: This award was instituted in 2014 by a contribution from Marinda Li Wu from her ACS Immediate Past President’s budget as part of her presidential initiatives to promote partnering for progress and prosperity.

P3 Invites Participation from Local Sections and International Chemical Sciences Chapters Local sections and International Chemical Sciences.

Chapters are eligible to participate in the P3 program by acknowledging significant partnerships via a Salute to Excellence. The P3 award for local sections and international chapters consists of a commemorative plaque for presentation to your honoree. Each entity can designate one partnership per year. Entries from International Chemical Sciences Chapters will be automatically included as candidates for the annual Global P3 Award to be given at the ACS national meeting every Fall.