The 2024 Middle Atlantic Regional Awards will be presented at the 52nd Annual MARM of the American Chemical Society, to be held June 05-08 in University Park, PA. There are five major awards, each of which is detailed below. If you wish to nominate yourself or your favorite scientist for an award, please download the appropriate nomination form, complete it, and upload it using the Google Form linked in each award description.
NOMINATIONS ARE CURRENTLY: CLOSED
Thank you for your contributions! We look forward to presenting these awards at MARM 2024!
The Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences recognizes individuals and/or institutions that have advanced diversity in the chemical sciences and significantly stimulated or fostered activities that promote inclusiveness within the region. For more information on this award, refer to this page on the ACS Website.
The winner of the 2024 Stanley C. Israel Regional Award is:
Patricia Redden, St. Peters University, Jersey City, NJ
Patricia was born and lived the first half of her life in Washington Heights in New York City. After graduate school, she joined the faculty of the chemistry department at St. Peter’s University. She has served as department chair for 30 years, as well as serving on many university committees. While on a faculty fellowship, she did research at University College, Cork, Ireland, where she also became fluent in the Irish language, studied Irish traditional music, and learned dressage and jumping. She has two daughters, now adults.
For almost 11 years she has been a volunteer service puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence. She sings in a chorus in New York City, performing at Carnegie Hall twice a year, and is a track and field official certified by USA Track & Field at the national and Paralympic levels.
She is very active in the American Chemical Society, a member of governance on the national level for about 34 years, and an active member of the national Committee on Chemists with Disabilities and Committee on Chemical Safety. This activity has led to being recognized as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and a Fellow of the Division of Chemical Health and Safety.
The E. Emmet Reid Award is administered by the Organizing Committee of the Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM) of the American Chemical Society for outstanding achievements in teaching chemical sciences at small colleges within the Middle Atlantic Region. The purpose of this award is to recognize, encourage and stimulate high quality teaching and research at small colleges. The award consists of a plaque honoring the recipient and monetary award. The awardee is expected to give a short acceptance speech at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting.
The winner of the 2024 E. Emmet Reid Award in Chemistry is:
Dr. Stephen Habay, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Stephen grew up in the greater Pittsburgh area and received his B.S. in chemistry from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, where he was an undergraduate researcher in Professor Shaun Murphree's group. Stephen completed his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked with Professor Chris Schafmeister. He then moved to southern California where he completed postdoctoral research in organic chemistry at UC-Irvine with Professor Richard Chamberlin and taught general chemistry and organic chemistry as a faculty member at Irvine Valley College. In 2008, inspired to teach and conduct research at a small college, Stephen began his career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Salisbury University. Stephen is currently Professor and Chair of Chemistry and enjoys working with undergraduate students in both the classroom and laboratory. His teaching and research interests include specifications grading, flipped learning, and heterocyclic and alkaloid synthesis.
The ACS Division of Chemical Education Award for Excellence in High School Teaching is intended to recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry in the Mid-Atlantic Region. This regional award consists of a cash award and a plaque. The awardee may be asked to give a keynote address and/or participate in a symposium with other teachers, especially at a future meeting.
The winner of the 2024 ACS CHED Middle Atlantic Region Award is:
Xue Qing Liang, New Utrecht High School, Brooklyn, NY
Xue Qing Liang is an eight-year high school chemistry teacher in Brooklyn, New York. She migrated from China in 2009 and attended an immigrant high school. The language barrier, cultural differences, and career planning that she went through made her realize the importance of secondary education and she became a high school teacher, dedicating most of my energy to making chemistry accessible to all students.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the College of Staten Island, a Master of Art in Adolescence Chinese from Hunter College, an Advance Certificate Post Baccalaureate in Bilingual Education, and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Adolescence Science Education at CUNY Brooklyn College. Last year, she was honored to be selected as the 2023 NYS Science Finalist for the Presidential Awards For Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Strategies she uses in class to accommodate students’ learning needs include demonstration, hands- on activities, Universal Design for Learning approaches, and culturally responsive teaching. These student-centered approaches simulate and enhance their understanding. Outside the class, she continues to learn and grow as an educator by participating in the TERRA STEM Fair, Engineering for Tomorrow labs, High School Science Olympiad, Math for America professional developments, Chemistry Olympiad, and ACS activities.
The William "Bill" Suits Undergraduate Middle-Atlantic Regional Award for Outstanding Student Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society is intended to recognize an outstanding undergraduate student who has provided exemplary volunteer service in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the ACS. Academic records, volunteer service in the region, and a student's application statement will be considered.
The winners of the 2024 Bill Suits Undergraduate Award are:
Hector Gonzalez, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ
and
Hannah Priller, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Hector Gonzalez is a senior at New Jersey City University (NJCU) with a strong passion for chemistry. He currently serves as the President of the American Chemical Society Student Chapter at NJCU organizing events that emphasize the significance of chemistry in our daily lives while advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect. Hector recently graduated from the New Jersey Governor STEM Scholars Program, which provided him with exposure to the state's extensive STEM economy. Additionally, he worked as a supplemental instruction leader, offering tutoring services to students in general Chemistry II and employing collaborative learning techniques to enhance student engagement with the course material. Hector aspires to earn his Ph.D. in chemistry and continue sharing his passion for the subject with his community.
Hannah Priller recently finished her senior year as the president of Penn State's student chapter of the ACS, the Nittany Chemical Society. She got her start as the treasurer during her sophomore and junior years and helped to rebuild the student organization after the pandemic. Hannah will graduate this December with a dual honors degree in Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry and will go on to earn her PhD in organic chemistry.
The E. Ann Nalley Award serves to recognize the volunteer efforts of individuals who have served the American Chemical Society, contributing significantly to the goals and objectives of the Society through their Regional Activities.
The winner of the 2024 E. Ann Nalley Award is:
Dr. Danielle Jacobs, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
Danielle (Dee) Jacobs holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill, and is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Rider University, where she has taught and performed research with undergraduates since 2008. In the classroom, Dee is driven to improve the quality and inclusivity of K-16 STEM education, which led her to become active with the Trenton Section, a uniquely diverse section encompassing areas of New Jersey that span the highest median household income to the highest poverty levels. With the aid of IPGs and other ACS funding, she initially co-led a series of student-focused Chemistry Career Cafes, and directed TrACS’ Project SEED program for eight years. In 2014, she became the Section’s treasurer, a role that has allowed her to directly devise and implement budgets that allow the Section to sustainably offer substantial scholarships and stipends, and to completely subsidize development opportunities. Toward this end, in her expanded role of MARM treasurer in 2022, she helped develop and execute an inventive all-inclusive meeting and reimbursement budget model that enabled more faculty and students from under-resourced institutions to attend MARM; she is most proud that the Section was able to donate 100% of their revenue to the chemistry departments at local colleges. For the past ten years, Dee has also coordinated the US National Chemistry Olympiad for the Trenton & Princeton Sections. In pursuit of her mission to promote equitable STEM education, she was recently awarded an IPG to develop and support a USNCO Mentorship Program, which over the past three years has enabled and expanded access to no-cost resources and mentorship to motivated high school students across the nation. She is humbled, honored, and proud that the MARM committee has recognized the impact of her efforts to uphold the highest standards of inclusive scholarly excellence in her community and beyond.