"Chemical Heartstrings"
Prof. Raychelle Burks, Ph.D.
American University
After working in a crime lab, Dr. Burks returned to academia, teaching, and forensic science research. Her research team is focused on the development of field portable colorimetric and luminescent sensor arrays for the detection of analytes of mainly forensic interest such as explosives, chemical weapons, controlled substances, and latent prints. She writes a science-meets-true crime column called “Trace Analysis” for Chemistry World. Beyond forensics, Dr. Burks collaborates with colleagues in a variety of fields on projects where low cost and reliable rapid screening methods are needed. An in-demand science communicator, Dr. Burks regularly appears on TV, in podcasts, at large genre cons such as DragonCon and GeekGirlCon, and other venues to converse on chemistry, forensic science, and STEM meets pop culture. She is the 2020 recipient of American Chemical Society's Grady-Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public. She is a member of several local, national, and international committees, task forces, and projects focused on social justice and STEM. In 2021, Dr. Burks was listed as one of the “6 women who are changing chemistry as we know it” by BBC Science Focus Magazine.
See Dr. Burks in the Harper Center Auditorium on Sunday at 5:30 PM, October 13th!
Prof. Alexei Demchenko, Ph.D.
St. Louis University
"From Stereocontrolled Glycosylation to Automated Chemical Synthesis"
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.
For more information on Prof. Demchenko's achievements, visit Awards.
The Award Symposium will be on Monday afternoon, October 14, with a Reception & Awards Banquet to follow in the evening.
Sign up for the following activities at registration
For un-ticketed social and networking activities that do not require registration, see the Events tab
To find your way around the conference space, please use the Harper Center Building map link
Poster presentations will be in the Ahmanson Ballroom - Mike and Josie Harper Center
Poster dimensions must be no larger than 48” wide (landscape) and heights no larger than 54” high (portrait)
Arrive at least 5 minutes early to find your position
Push pins will be available on your poster board
Presenters should be present for the entire session but may step away for a few minutes to enjoy the refreshments in the ballroom
All oral presentations are in-person only, and .pptx (PPoint) or .pdf format is strongly recommended
All session presiders will have access to a desktop computer in the room
A wired microphone is provided for the larger rooms
A slide advancer or laser pointer may be available for use
You may bring your talk on a thumb drive or on your own laptop (which must have an HDMI port or adapter)
If your talk is on a thumb drive, transfer it to the presider’s computer before the session begins
Arrive at least 10 minutes before your assigned session starts and check in with your presider
All scheduled time slots include 3 minutes of Q&A at the end
For example, if you have a 25-minute time slot, please aim for a 22-minute talk to leave time for questions
Your presider will provide any additional details at the start of the session