Helen Free Award To William Deese

William C. Deese, the T. W. Ray Johnson Professor of Chemistry at Louisiana Tech University, is the recipient of the Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of public outreach by a member of the American Chemical Society. Deese was honored during the ChemLuminary Awards gala at the fall ACS national meeting in Boston this past August.

Deese has been involved in public outreach since 1985, when he performed his first scientific demonstration for a group of schoolchildren. Today, he is known for his creative presentations, incorporating the history of science, performance art, music, and multimedia. In addition to his demonstrations for schools around the country, Deese also makes televised appearances, presenting a regular science segment that reaches audiences across northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and western Mississippi.