The American Chemical Society (ACS) student chapter at Illinois Tech has been awarded an honorable mention for the group’s activity during the 2016–17 academic year. They performed science demonstrations such as one depicting chemiluminescence (light emitted as a byproduct of a simple chemical reaction) for the Illinois Tech community. The group also made off-campus visits with faculty members to a variety of sites including Argonne National Lab.

As part of the honorable mention award, Jean-Luc Ayitou, assistant professor of chemistry and faculty advisor of the chapter, received special recognition for his commitment and effort in making the Illinois Tech chapter a success. “Professor Ayitou’s efforts certainly represent the best in the undergraduate science education and mentoring around the country,” said Allison Campbell, ACS president.

Nicholas Politis (CHEM 5th year/M.S. Candidate BHP) led the group during the 2016–17 academic year as ACS student chapter president, a title he held since 2015. This year, Abdallah Hasan (CHEM 3rd year) is taking over as president and hopes to help drive the club’s continued success. “I am excited for this upcoming semester. Hopefully, I will be able to have more activities for the American Chemical Society and push the club to be more active on campus and engage the student community even more,” he said.

Illinois Tech and the other 2017 winning chapters from will be honored at the 225th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans. To learn more about ACS student chapters, visit the website.