Awards
Awards & Nomination Information
The award banquet will be held on a date to be determined, details to follow
Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences
Purpose
To recognize 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 and Establishment
The Stanley C. Israel Regional Award is sponsored by the ACS Committee on Minority Affiars and 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.
Rules of 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.
Deadline
August 1, 2024
How to Apply
The Nomination Form can be completed through the ACS website. Contact the American Chemical Society Department of Diversity Programs at diversity@acs.org with any questions. The nomination package must include:
A letter of nomination
A CV or resume containing relevant diversity promotion activities and factual data on outcomes
At least one, but no more than three supportive letters, one of which must come from the nominee’s ACS Local Section. Mailing address, phone number(s), and e-mail address of nominee/supporter must be provided.
Division of Chemical Education Region Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching
Purpose
In 2006, The Division of Chemical Education established an endowment to underwrite an Awards Program designed to recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry in the ten Regions of the American Chemical Society. The Region Award consists of a $1,000 cash award and an engraved plaque. Travel expenses to the meeting at which the Award will be presented will be reimbursed.
Eligibility
Nominees 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. Additional information and the application details can be found at the following LINK. Only complete application portfolios will be considered.
Deadline
Friday, August 16, 2024
How to Apply
The Excellence in High School Teaching Award package should include:
Completed nomination form.
Nominee Statement on Teaching Philosophy
Nominee Current CV
Letters of Support
Please submit Midwest Region Award package to Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner via email attachment at duffy@augie.edu.
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.
Nature and Establishment
This award was instituted in 2006 by ACS President E. Ann Nalley as part of her presidential initiative to recognize ACS volunteerism. It was Dr. Nalley’s wish that the award continue in perpetuity at each regional meeting. The award consists of a plaque honoring the recipient with an imbedded medallion commemorating Dr. Nalley. The award will be presented at the Midwest Regional Meeting of the ACS.
Rules of 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.
Deadline
Friday, August 16, 2024
Nomination Process
Any individual, except a member of the award selection committee, may nominate or support only one nominee for this award in any given year. Please complete all fields.
How to Apply
The E. Ann Nalley Regional Award package should include:
Nomination and support forms.
Biographical sketch (or curriculum vitae)
Please submit Midwest Region Award package to Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner via email attachment at duffy@augie.edu.
Partners for Progress and Prosperity Award
Purpose
To encourage and recognize successful and exemplary partnerships within the Region. These partnerships can be between industry, academia, government, small business and/or other organizations including ACS local sections, ACS divisions, ACS international chapters, other societies or various entities domestic or overseas resulting in impactful outcomes in one or more of the following categories:
Improving the public perception and appreciation for chemistry
Promoting career advancement opportunities and/or supporting entrepreneurship in the chemistry enterprise
Advancing advocacy efforts with government and other thought leaders
Supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education and/or research
Nature
The 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 $1,000 grant split equally between the partners to further the activities for which the award is made.
Eligibility
A nominee may represent academia, industry, government, small business or other organizations such as a Local Section. Partnerships can include any ACS, domestic or international entity.
Deadline
Friday, August 16, 2024
How to Apply
The P3 Award package should include:
Completed Nomination Form describing the partnership, its activities, outcomes, and impact.
Completed P3 Participating Partners Form from each of the participating partners.
A least one, but no more than three completed Supporter Forms.
Please submit Midwest Region Award package to Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner via email attachment at duffy@augie.edu.
Midwest Region Board’s Travel Award for Undergraduate Students
Purpose
The Midwest Regional Board of the American Chemical Society will have 5 travel awards to support undergraduate travel of up to $500 each. This program will support travel for undergraduates at schools in the MWRM area to the 2024 ACS MWRM meeting.
Nature
Institutions or local sections selected for the travel award will be reimbursed for the travel expenses (up to $500 dollars per award) at the regional meeting. Receipts for student travel, hotel and registration costs can be submitted for reimbursement at that time. Alternatively registration/travel costs can be submitted electronically after the meeting to the MWRM Board Award Chair.
Eligibility
Local sections and primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI) can apply for these awards.
Deadline
TBD (For reference, last year Nomination letters were due on September 15. Announcements of the Awards were made by September 20.)
How to Apply
The nomination package consists of a nomination letter. The nomination letter should be sent to the MWRM Board Awards Chair. The nomination letter should list the students that will be traveling to the meeting, a budget, and a list of student presentations for the proposed meeting. The nomination letter should clearly identify the contact information for the nominator including name, institution, email and phone number. It is expected that each award will support multiple students.
2023 Information: The nomination letters/receipts should be sent to: Dr. Jetty Duffy-Matzner, MWRM Board Awards Chair at jetty.duffy@augie.edu
Midwest Award
The ACS Midwest Award was established in 1944 by the St. Louis Section ACS to recognize a scientist who, while a resident of the Midwest, has made a meritorious contribution to the advancement of pure or applied chemistry or chemical education. The Award is conferred annually at the Midwest Regional Meeting of the ACS.
The Award Symposium will be on Monday afternoon, October 14, with a Reception & Awards Banquet to follow in the evening
Alexei Demchenko, Ph.D.
Professor & Department Chair
Department of Chemistry
St. Louis University
Alexei Demchenko, Chemistry Professor and Department Chair at St. Louis University, is the recipient of the 2024 Midwest Award. Demchenko graduated from the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia in 1988 with a Diploma (M.S.) in Chemical Engineering before joining the laboratory of the late Professor Kochetkov at the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry in Moscow. In 1993, Demchenko was awarded a Ph.D. in organic chemistry by the Russian Academy of Sciences for his work on the development of thiocyanate methodology for glycosylation. After two post-doctoral years under Kochetkov, he joined Professor Boons’ group at the University of Birmingham (UK) as a BBSRC post-doctoral research fellow, and in 1998 he moved to the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (University of Georgia, USA), as a research associate. In 2001, he joined the faculty at the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) as an Assistant Professor where he was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure (2007) and Professor (2011). In 2014, Demchenko was appointed Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In 2021, Demchenko joined the faculty at Saint Louis University as Professor and Department Chair.
Professor Demchenko has received a number of professional recognitions and awards including a CAREER award by the National Science Foundation (2005), the New Investigator Award by the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS, 2007), the UMSL Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creativity (2013), the ACS St. Louis Award (2014), the UMSL Senior Investigator of the Year Award (2017), Fellows Award by the Academy of Science – St. Louis (2020), the UMSL Co-Investigators of the Year Award (with Keith Stine, 2020), the Melville L. Wolfrom Award by the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Chemical Glycobiology of the ACS (2024), and the ACS Midwest Award (2024).
Professor Demchenko has co-authored 230 articles and has given more than 180 invited lectures and seminars. With participation of more than 170 co-workers/trainees, the Demchenko laboratory (Glycoworld) has developed many innovative tools for the synthesis and application of carbohydrates. His research interests are in the area of synthetic carbohydrate chemistry that include: streamlined synthesis of carbohydrate building blocks; novel glycosylation reactions; methods for stereocontrolling the glycosidic bond formation; strategies for expeditious assembly of complex glycans and glycoconjugates; synthetic vaccines and glycopharmaceuticals; human milk oligosaccharides and other food additives and ingredients; solid phase and automated synthesis; modification and conjugation of glycans to protein carriers, surfaces, and nanoparticles. His research program has been funded by grants from a variety of sources totaling $13M.
Professor Demchenko has served in many editorial roles and organized several international conferences including the 2015 Gordon Research Conference on Carbohydrates. From 2019, he has served as President of the U.S. Advisory Committee for the International Carbohydrate Symposia, and he was the 2020-2021 Chair of the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry of the ACS. Demchenko is the National Representative of the USA for the International Carbohydrate Organization.