ACS honors its 2022 Outreach Volunteers of the Year

The American Chemical Society honors 33 local section and international chapter volunteers with its 2022 Outreach Volunteer of the Year Awards. The program, established by the Committee on Community Activities, recognizes extraordinary outreach volunteers.

Kim Morehouse, a retired chemist from the US Food and Drug Administration, is the global winner. He is honored for his work as the driving force behind the Chemical Society of Washington’s annual Chemists Celebrate Earth Week and National Chemistry Week (NCW) activities. Morehouse’s contributions include running the events’ biannual illustrated poem contests, recruiting volunteers for outreach activities, planning and preparing materials for demonstrations and take-home bags, and partnering with organizations for broader participation.

“The joy you see on kids’ faces, and the enthusiasm that comes out of them when they’re doing these outreach activities—it’s just so much fun for me, as well as them,” Morehouse says. “I’ve always enjoyed that part of being involved with ACS.”

Morehouse says his proudest outreach accomplishment has been expanding the Chemical Society of Washington’s NCW event.

This year’s local section and international chapter Outreach Volunteer of the Year winners are Ana Bahamonde of the San Gorgonio Local Section, Jade Bing of the Indiana Local Section, A. M. Ranjika “Dharshi” Bopegedera of the Puget Sound Local Section, Alexandra Bruefach of the California Local Section, Maggie Bump of the Virginia Blue Ridge Local Section, Ezer Castillo of the Binghamton Local Section, Yen San “Stephanie” Chan of the Malaysia International Chemical Sciences Chapter, Eefei Chen of the Silicon Valley Local Section, Sara Delgado Rivera of the Puerto Rico Local Section, Joel Destino of the Omaha Local Section, Paul Dobrowolski of the Huron Valley Local Section, Yifan Dong of the Brazosport Local Section, Edward Fitzgerald of the Connecticut Valley Local Section, Kathleen Gilbert of the North Jersey Local Section, Isabella Goodenough of the Philadelphia Local Section, Kayla Green of the Dallas-Fort Worth Local Section, Amy Hamlin of the Detroit Local Section, Roger Harrison of the Central Utah Local Section, Titel Jurca of the Orlando Local Section, Carol Kercher of the Akron Local Section, Mathangi Krishnamurthy of the Central Massachusetts Local Section, Jana Markley of the Chicago Local Section, Maira Naz of the Pakistan International Chemical Sciences Chapter, Cristina Padilla Cintron of the Richland Local Section, Stephany Ramos de Dios of the Nebraska Local Section, Dane Scott of the Northeast Tennessee Local Section, Cotton Starr of the Greater Houston Local Section, Robin Tanke of the Central Wisconsin Local Section, Blakely Tresca of the Kalamazoo Local Section, Ashley Tubbs of the Virginia Local Section, Justyna Widera-Kalinowska of the New York Local Section, and Graeme Wyllie of the Red River Valley Local Section.