Dear members,
March is recognized as Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements, leadership, and contributions of women to American history, society, and culture. The American Chemical Society extends its appreciation to the many women, both visible and behind the scenes, who have contributed to the advancement of the chemical sciences.
We hosted several events throughout March, including SuperSTEM Saturday on March 14 in celebration of Pi Day at California State University, San Marcos. Members of ACS San Diego actively participate in public science education, and this year we proudly continued the tradition by hosting a local section booth at the event with the theme “Into the Woods.” At our booth, we showcased molecular models of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Children were invited to use magnifying glasses to observe tree rings and internal structures while exploring questions such as why wood is so strong and how trees grow year by year.
We would like to thank Howard Yu and his son, Samuel, David Wallace, Ellen Wang, Melody Trump and Rose Trump for hosting the booth and helping make the experience enjoyable for around 200 children. We hope this effort sparked curiosity about chemistry in these young participants and inspires their future engagement with ACS as they grow. We also extend our thanks to Jackie Trishman for organizing the event at California State University, San Marcos and for coordinating the ACS booth.
On March 18, we attended the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair, where ACS San Diego members served as 20 judges affiliated with our section. We evaluated student projects in chemistry and biochemistry, as well as in biomedical science, microbiology, and computational biology. The range and sophistication of student projects were impressive, with topics including amyloid toxicity, salt nucleation, machine learning approaches for repurposing FDA-approved drugs, and influenza M1 protein inhibitor discovery. I was especially impressed by the quality and depth of work from both the junior and senior groups, with some projects demonstrating strong potential for industrial relevance. Events and opportunities like this encourage students to develop an interest in science and to set meaningful goals for their future, whether in choosing a major or pursuing long-term career interests. They also strengthen our confidence in the future of the scientific community.
We will be hosting a virtual webinar on Thursday, April 23 at 6:30 PM, led by Dr. Jing Zhao from SDSU, on natural and synthetic food colorants. This event continues our food chemistry series, following the Blue Nalu talk in February. Please register here (insert Eventbrite link). We thank Carolina and Marta for their support in hosting and podcasting the event. We also encourage readers to reach out if you are interested in hosting a webinar or seminar.
If you’ve ever wanted to get more involved in ACS SD’s initiatives, we warmly encourage you to reach out. We will see you in person or online.
Best regards,
Jiyue Chen, Ph.D.
San Diego ACS Local Section Chair
