Quincy University’s American Chemical Society (ACS) student chapter received an Honorable Mention award for its activities conducted during the 2016-17 academic year, in addition to a special commendation for the commitments and efforts that Dr. Scott Luaders, professor of chemistry, has given towards the chapter. Quincy University has been a member of the ACS with a Student Affiliate Chapter since 1996, and it is the 22nd year that Luaders has served as the faculty advisor.

“I have always enjoyed doing entertaining chemical demonstrations for students of all ages,” says Luaders. “I have done demonstrations for students in pre-K all the way up to the students in the Pursuit of Learning in Society program (POLIS).”

Students in the ACS chapter participate in chemical demonstrations, learning the chemistry of the demonstration and the importance of laboratory safety. This provides a fun learning experience for students as they explain and perform chemical demonstrations in front of a crowd.

Some activities that students participate in are National Chemistry Week and Earth Week. During this week students make the periodic table out of cookies or cupcakes, do chemical demonstrations at local schools such as liquid nitrogen popcorn, ice cream, chemical pie, dry Ice experiments, volcanoes, slime, canned heat, gold and silver pennies. Students run a science day for the Cub Scouts so they can earn their science belt loop. In the past, students have walked around North Campus and picked up trash for Earth Day. In addition, the chapter hosts a webinar sponsored by the ACS in both the Fall and the Spring semesters.