FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | November 12, 2009

Scholarships for minority chemistry students available from American Chemical Society

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 – The American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholars Program is now accepting applications from African-American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian students who are pursuing or intend to pursue degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, chemical technology or related majors.

Renewable awards of up to $5,000 per year are given to qualified high school seniors, community college students and college freshmen, sophomores or juniors.

Applications will be accepted through March 1, 2010, for the 2010-2011 school year. Additional information and an online application form can be found on the ACS Scholars Program website (www.acs.org/scholars), by calling 1-800-227-5558, extension 6250, or by emailing scholars@acs.org.

ACS President Thomas H. Lane, Ph.D., points out that with a degree in chemistry you can change the world. “Whether you apply that degree to medicine and drug design, environmental studies, forensics, food, the search for alternate energy sources, safeguarding national security, or creating new materials, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you are improving people’s lives in a very real way,” Lane said.

Starting salaries in 2008 for newly graduated B.S. chemists averaged $35,000.

ACS established the Scholars program in 1995 to attract underrepresented minorities to the chemical sciences and to build awareness of the value and rewards associated with careers in chemistry. In addition to financial support, the program provides mentoring and research and networking opportunities that help students acquire the skills and credentials needed for a successful career. Since its inception, the ACS Scholars Program has awarded more than $11.7 million to more than 2,260 students. For the 2010-2011 academic year, the Society expects to award approximately $1 million to both new and continuing Scholars.

Program partners include founding partner, PPG Industries Foundation, Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline; The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation; Schering-Plough; Xerox; Procter & Gamble; 3M; AstraZeneca; Bayer; Dow Corning; Dow Chemical; DuPont; and new partner for 2010, the Ciba Foundation. The program is also supported through the generosity of many individual donors, ACS local sections and ACS members, including more than 60 former ACS Scholars.

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Media Contact:

Keith Lindblom

202-872-6214