Finalists To Compete For Chemistry Champion Title In Boston

Four finalists have been selected to compete in the American Chemical Society’s Chemistry Champions competition, which will take place on Aug. 15–17 at the ACS national meeting in Boston. The competition, now in its second year, aims to give younger chemists an opportunity to develop and enhance their communication skills.

The finalists are Hadi Fares, a graduate student at Florida State University, in Tallahassee; Dave Farina, a producer of educational Web content who is based in Los Angeles; Erica Lewis, who recently earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Georgia State University, in Atlanta; and Tierra Range, an undergraduate student at Centenary College in Shreveport, La.

This past spring, contestants entered the contest by submitting a two- to three-minute video of themselves describing their research in a way that’s accessible to the general public. Eight semifinalists received science communications training in Washington, D.C., and from that group, the four finalists were selected by ACS staff. Participants ranged from undergraduate students to teaching faculty, from both the U.S. and overseas.

In Boston, Fares will present his research on using polyelectrolyte films for various applications, Farina will speak about natural versus synthetic molecules, Lewis will talk about the use of fluorescent dyes in medical diagnostics, and Range will discuss her research on organic solar cells.

The grand prize winner will be announced on Aug. 17. The champion will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to network with professional science communications staff at ACS and possibly attend a briefing on Capitol Hill; host an ACS “Reactions” video; join the National Academy of Sciences’ Science & Entertainment Exchange; and receive a three-dimensionally printed Chemistry Champions trophy.

For information on the events in Boston and to get free tickets for the Aug. 17 finale, visit www.acs.org/chemchamps, and follow #chemchamps on Twitter.