Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award Recipients

Read about the accomplishments of Outreach Volunteers of the Year below. Awardees' individual profiles are alphabetized by local section/international chapter.

2024 Recipients

Every year, one of these awardees is also named Global Outreach Volunteer of the Year. The 2024 global winner, who has conducted outreach with their local section for over 30 years, has chosen to remain anonymous.


Brazil International Chapter

Leonardo Fraceto

Leonardo Fraceto has volunteered with the ACS Brazil Chapter in multiple capacities since 2018. Since 2021, he has served as president. He has contributed to volunteer activities such as the chemistry festival, organizing events with student chapters in Brazil, and student events through activities between industry and academia. He has also been involved in international collaborations between the ACS Brazil Chapter and other chapters in America. He has additionally led the mentoring program proposal with the UNA Student Chapter in Costa Rica. The ACS Brazil Chapter would like to extend sincere gratitude to Fraceto for his dedication to promoting chemistry.

Leonardo Fraceto

Brazosport Local Section

Poulami Dutta

Poulami is an engaged and active member of the Brazosport local section. She recently accepted the challenge to become a champion of our outreach efforts in 2023. Poulami has planned several of our large outreach activities, coordinating members and leading brainstorming efforts. Her constant support and attendance at local section activities has been invaluable to the Brazosport local section leadership.

Poulami Dutta

California Local Section

Vanessa Marx

Since joining Cal ACS, Vanessa Marx has combined her enthusiasm for hands-on science outreach with determination to organize events and recruit her coworkers to participate. She was key to our success at three major festivals over the past year, from setup to cleanup, interacting with hundreds of visitors at each event and connecting fun activities with the NCW or CCEW theme. Her active role in the SF AIDS Walk underlines her dedication to broader societal issues. As chair of the WRM 2025, Vanessa continues to show her commitment to both science education and social responsibility at the regional level.

Vanessa Marx

Central Texas Local Section

Dodie Wells

For more than 16 years, Dodie Wells has planned, coordinated and provided complete kits for public outreach activities for National Chemistry Week and Chemists Celebrate Earth Week. Dodie creatively adapts interactive activities to the target audience of children and families present at public parks, and also for volunteer high school and college students. Student organizations enthusiastically sign up each year to participate as volunteers. The Central Texas Local Section is grateful for the dedicated service of Ms. Dodie Wells!

Dodie Wells

Detroit Local Section

Nawana Lawson

For the last four years, Nawana Lawson has served as our Women Chemists Committee Chair as well as two years as Secretary. Nawana is an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer who cares deeply about students, her community, and her peers. Nawana has co-coordinated Skills Beyond the Bench, an event unique to the Detroit Section, for four years. She partners with other ACS and NOBCChE groups to bring diverse speakers and networking opportunities that target students and anyone interested in a chemistry career. Additionally, Nawana volunteers for many outreach activities organized by the Detroit Local Section.

Nawana Lawson

Erie Local Section

Betty Jo Chitester

Dr. Chitester continues to encourage new innovation in the Erie Local Section. She was instrumental in securing a key speaker from our district to speak to members and students. She encouraged another section member to apply for a METT grant, which expanded our ability to offer hybrid meetings, thereby increasing options for members of the ACS and the Erie community to attend our events. We recently hosted two hybrid meetings that successfully expanded our geographical area, via virtual participation. Dr. Chitester is an essential contributor to other outreach programs across the community, specifically during National Chemistry Week.

Betty Jo Chitester

Georgia Local Section

Laurel Royer

In her seven years with the local section, including two as WCC chair, Laurel has transformed community engagement by focusing on chemistry, policy, and environmental justice education. She's led initiatives for engaging local schools with classroom visits, hands-on activities, and NCW outreach. This year (among other activities), Laurel spearheaded the Chemistry in Dalton, GA meeting, bringing together local industries, community leaders, and activists to discuss the local economy and environmental justice. She's also organizing a workshop on Global Environmental Justice for the 2024 Green Chemistry Conference in Atlanta, highlighting her dedication to enhancing chemistry's role in society and community participation.

Laurel Royer

Greater Houston Local Section

Dingshyue (Jerry) Yang

Jerry manages the Chemistry Olympiad program in the Houston area.  Annually, he organizes and administers around 400 tests, which for a city the size of Houston is no small feat. He also administers the local awards on both a district-level and school-level to the top performers, and supports the students advancing to the International Chemistry Olympiad. In 2023, Jerry assisted during the special Student Awards and Project SEED Dinner (for the first time since COVID) to recognize students that participate in our various outreach programs including Chemistry Olympiad.

Dingshyue (Jerry) Yang

Green Mountain Local Section

Dave Heroux

David has been instrumental in increasing the impact of our local section's Outreach Activities. Several years ago, he lead the effort to establish our partnership with the ECHO/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain to provide chemistry outreach activities for kids during NCW. He continues to coordinated volunteer efforts for the day-long event that attracts more than 1000 attendees. In addition to coordinating the event he facilitates activities and performs and chemistry magic show during the event.  He also volunteered at the ACS KidsZone event at both National Meetings.

Dave Heroux

Huron Valley Local Section

Larry Kolopajlo

Larry Kolopajlo has truly given of himself in many outreach and educational efforts through dedication and enthusiasm, for over 20 years. He has reached hundreds, if not thousands of students with hands-on and classroom demonstrations via elementary and middle school visits, summer programs, and special events for families. His outreach often targets underserved populations.  Larry also has many years of experience with the USNCO Olympiad, judging at science fairs, and his involvement as an AP Reader in Chemistry demonstrates his love for education.


Indiana Local Section

Hannah Zimmerman-Federle

Hannah is a graduate student in her 3rd year of her PhD program at IUPUI. Since moving to Indiana during the pandemic, Hannah has jumped at the opportunity to act as a student leader and advocate. Due to her influence, the section was able to send 80 students to the 2023 Spring National Meeting which resulted in the section gaining two new student organizations. She always makes a conscientious effort to serve her community in Indianapolis, while bringing a STEM influence to populations that may not otherwise be afforded the opportunity to be exposed to the chemistry discipline.

Hannah Zimmerman-Federle


Lehigh Valley Local Section

Philip Elias

Since his senior year in college, Philip J. Elias has been an engaged member of the Lehigh Valley Local Section (LVACS). Philip started volunteering at NCW events and was elected as the section chair in 2023. Philip has been the section's NCW and CCEW coordinator, organizing several outreach events with a local ISE partner and with the PA Migrant Education Program. Philip has also hosted the Lehigh Valley Science Fair and has been active at outreach events within the section, such as the STEAM Expo and Night of Science. The LVACS is privileged to have Philip as a member.

Philip Elias

Midland Local Section

Regina Malczewski

Gina continues to explore new and exciting ways to engage and educate her community on the transforming power of chemistry. She trains dozens of teachers and volunteers (locally, nationally, and in Guatemala), organizes local events that educate hundreds on the social responsibilities of chemistry, and also helps to provide  scientific evidence by engaging with hundreds of future scientists. Events include, hands-on demos at local malls and community events, the annual Earth Day Action Expo, summer camps for local students, and the Food Science Cafe "Scrumptious Seaweed", where professional chefs educate on the nutrition, flavors, and textures of seaweed!

Regina Malczewski

Nebraska Local Section

Martha Morton

Professor Martha Morton is the Director of Research Instrumentation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Chemistry Department. As a member of the Nebraska Local Section, Dr. Morton has been a major organizer, recruiter, and volunteer for leadership positions and outreach activities. She has previously served multiple terms as Chair, Chemists Celebrate Earth Day and National Chemistry Week coordinator, and is currently serving as Councilor. This year's networking ice cream socials held around the state, were suggested and organized by her. Because of this, I believe Dr. Morton deserves the 2024 Outreach Volunteer of the Year for the Nebraska Local Section of the ACS.

Martha Morton

Nigeria International Chapter

Blessing Innocent Umoh

Blessing Innocent Umoh is an outstanding volunteer because of her involvement in all of the programs and activities of the chapter. Blessing has been an exemplary and consistent volunteer in every ACS event organized by our Chapter ranging from Student Engagement Programs, National Chemistry Week (NCW), Chapter Creation, Symposia/Conferences, and especially during chemistry Festivals. Her love for chemical sciences and her tireless dedication through advocating and volunteering for outreach activities have inspired many students across different institutes of learning in our local region to become ACS members, for the past 3 years. She is brilliant!

Blessing Innocent Umoh

North Jersey Local Section

Mary Okorie

Mary Okorie is an outstanding NJACS volunteer who participated in and programmed multiple events, impacting various age groups. She participated in Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, teaching the audience how chemistry and the environment go hand in hand. During Edison Day, an activity at the WOA Street Fair attended by thousands of people, she taught the general public how to build circuits using LEDs and explained solar energy. Throughout the year, Mary organized three events for graduate chemists, showcasing different career paths after graduate school. Even though NJACS sponsored events, they were announced on LinkedIn, allowing anyone worldwide to attend.

Mary Okorie

Orange County Local Section

Beverly Matsuda

Bev's efforts in gathering the information on teachers allows us to try for as much inclusion of schools and diversity of students participating as possible.  It is a task that takes many hours, as each school has its own website structure, and there are around 100 high schools in the Orange County section.

Beverly Matsuda

Orlando Local Section

Denisia Popolan-Vaida

Denisia was National Chemistry Week (NCW) coordinator for our local section, for the past three years. She organized extraordinary outreach events to celebrate NCW with demos and hands-on activities to engage people of all ages and inform the public about the importance of chemistry in our daily lives. For the NCW activities, she has engaged over 90 volunteers of different ages from local universities, community colleges, industry, and public schools. She has conducted 40 demos and hands-on activities, for over 1200 visitors. Her level of enthusiasm and commitment to engaging an audience is contagious.

Denisia Popolan-Vaida

Permian Basin Local Section

Rigel Rilling

Rigel enthusiastically presents to students grades K-12 with the wonders of chemistry. Rigel and his team of Angelo State undergraduate students engage ~500 students annually with "mysterious" chemical demonstrations and interacts with these students through inquisitive questions and simplified answers. Rigel has a passion for sharing these "wonders" with students and he thoroughly enjoys the "oohs" and "aahs" from his audience, and the subsequent discussions/explanations that follows the presentations.

Rigel Rilling

Puerto Rico Local Section

Edmy J Ferrer-Torres

Edmy J. Ferrer is a dedicated advocate for chemistry education and outreach. She has been an active member of ACS-Puerto Rico for over two decades, excelling in developing dynamic and interactive outreach activities that promote an appreciation for chemistry in the community, especially amongst the youth. Edmy adapts her outreach efforts to various age groups and levels of knowledge, making scientific concepts accessible and engaging. Her passion for chemistry, proactive support in local activities, and engagement with our youth has earned her the title of 2023 ACS Outreach Volunteer of the Year.

Edmy J Ferrer-Torres

Puget Sound Local Section

Despina Strong

Dr. Despina Strong is an active member of the Puget Sound of the ACS. She has held several leadership positions, including serving twice as Chair of the ACS Puget Sound, and as Education Committee Chair for three years. Dr. Strong has also initiated the SCC and the WCC. She has organized numerous symposia and events, including virtual events, and actively reports important matters to the executive committee (EC) of the local section. In addition, she has been a mentor to new EC members and students who want to get more involved with ACS or need assistance while looking for employment.

Despina Strong

Richland Local Section

Deepika Malhotra

Dr. Deepika Malhotra has served the ACS Richland Local Section as treasurer, chair-elect and chair. She is a champion in promoting the local section to the community by coordinating and participating in efforts that engage both members and non-members to learn more about the impact and importance of chemistry in our daily lives.

Deepika Malhotra

South Jersey Local Section

Pamela Cohn

Pam has contributed wide-ranging service to the South Jersey local section of the ACS. She has held three elected positions during her tenure (chair 2019-present). Pam’s leadership is unwavering and has helped our section grow in several different areas despite the challenges presented during the pandemic. Notably, Pam has been enthusiastic about students' engagement in chemistry through the various programs she’s spearheaded. She’s led the section in securing an IPG award to establish an “Art in Science” program, targeted at K-12 students (developed by Stockton University students). These programs highlight her commitment to STEM outreach and engaging the broader community.

Pamela Cohn

Southern Arizona Local Section

Grazyna Zreda

Dr. Grazyna Zreda’s outreach efforts have touched the lives of thousands of individuals over the past few years. Her ACS Illustrated poem contests help build collaborations with several local schools. These events invite the integration of chemistry and language arts while enhancing the understanding of simple everyday chemistry concepts. Students are able to express their knowledge of chemistry and communicate the value of science in a fun way. The annual Earth Day festival is an opportunity for Dr. Zreda to bring ACS-themed activities to the public through hands-on activities. This event gives our local volunteers an opportunity to collaborate.

Grazyna Zreda

Southwest Georgia Local Section

Nedialka Iordanova

Dr. Iordanova has been a member of the SOWEGA local section since 2005. She is the founder of the Science Day for high school students, held annually at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW). In addition, she has organized numerous outreach demonstrations at various schools to promote chemistry and other STEM programs. Dr. Iordanova is an AACT Science mentor for the 2023/2024 school year, in an effort to expand her outreach activities and to work directly with school teachers to showcase the impact of chemistry on the human life, and highlight its latest discoveries to a broader audience.

Nedialka Iordanova

Virginia Local Section

Brandi Ford

Brandi has proven to be a key leader in the Virginia Local Section. In 2023 alone she participated in the planning and execution of several notable events, including the VCU Woman's History Month Career Panel (panelist). She has volunteered at two local section events at the Science Museum of Virginia, working to show local children that chemistry can be fun and exciting. Brandi was also an active voice in the 2023 ACS VA Local Section Strategic Planning Retreat. Her outstanding leadership has been essential to the recent successes of our local section.

Brandi Ford


Contact icon

Contact the ACS Office of Science Outreach
outreach@acs.org