ACS-UMN Student Chapter President & VP present at Beyond Benign webinar

MINNEAPOLIS (11/16/2022) – Two undergraduate Chemistry students presented at Beyond Benign’s Grant Program Info Session for MSI Student Chapters late last month. American Chemical Society - University of Minnesota Chapter (ACS-UMN) President Josh Gann and Vice-President Carolyn Dewey were featured speakers at the event.

The information session was designed to illuminate Beyond Benign’s grant program and the program’s free resources and guidance to support Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). Sponsored by 3M, the grant itself offers funding to ACS student chapters and aids in applications for the ACS Green Chemistry Student Chapter Award. Gann and Dewey presented on ACS-UMN's work towards achieving the group’s own 2020-2021 Green Chemistry Award. The presentation highlighted some of the unique green chemistry events the student group has hosted including making edible water capsules, performing supercritical carbon dioxide extractions to make perfumes, and learning about renewable plastics while making Halloween decorations from chitin.

President Josh Gann writes:  “This was a very surreal experience because we got to represent the University of Minnesota on an international level. Our message of how to expand the impact of green chemistry was heard by representatives from around the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, and even Brazil and other South American representatives. There was a lot of excitement towards learning about green chemistry and seeing how it could be incorporated. Overall, it was a great opportunity to share and collaborate and we as a chapter hope that our efforts will continue to expand the reach of green and sustainable chemistry.”

ACS-UMN is a student group for students of chemistry-related fields to collaborate on furthering the understanding of chemistry throughout the community. The chapter works to make chemistry exciting and accessible through facilitating networking between leaders in the broader chemistry community and chapter members, community outreach efforts, and special events.

The 2022-2023 ACS-UMN student chapter is led by President Joshua Gann, Vice President Carolyn Dewey, Secretary Lauren Craig, Treasurer and Outreach Coordinator Parker Jones, Special Events and Outreach Coordinator Paul Ricken, and is advised by Professor Jane Wissinger.

 

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