Professional and Student Organizations

Professional & Student Organizations

Many students enjoy extracurricular activities while at John Carroll. Several faculty members in the Chemistry Department are advisors for student-led organizations.

All of our faculty members recommend that our students at least become familiar with the professional organization American Chemical Society (ACS). JCU has a student chapter on campus called ACS Student Affiliates. There are additional chemistry-related professional organizations in which you may be interested:

American Chemical Society (ACS) – “To advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.”
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) – A “national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, First Nations and other indigenous peoples of North America in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and careers.”
American Institute of Chemists (AIC) – “advancing the chemical sciences”
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) – “the global home of Chemical Engineers”
Iota Sigma Pi – National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry (Contact Dr. Simmons)
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) – “The mission of the NOBCChE is to build an eminent cadre of successful diverse global leaders in STEM and advance their professional endeavors throughout the life-cycle of their careers.”
Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) – “An inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicano/Hispanic and Native American scientists, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.”
Support for Native American college students: https://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/native-american-scholarships-resources/

There is a multitude of student organizations on JCU’s campus. Our faculty make recommendations for these groups based on individual interests and passions. For a full list of student organizations, please visit this page.

With nearly 157,000 members, the American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemistry enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers, and related professions around the globe. We strive to be a force for good.

Our Mission and Vision

We are dynamic and visionary, committed to “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.”

This vision ─ developed and adopted by the ACS Board of Directors after broad consultation with the membership ─ fully complements the ACS Mission statement, which is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” Together, these two statements represent our ultimate reason for being and provide a strategic framework for our efforts.

What We Do

The Society publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy, and career programs in chemistry. We also give more than $22 million every year in grants for basic research in petroleum and related fields.

We also play a leadership role in educating and communicating with public policy makers and the general public about the importance of chemistry in our lives. This includes identifying new solutions, improving public health, protecting the environment, and contributing to the economy.

We Are Local, National, and Global

Locally

ACS has 185 local sections (chapters) throughout the United States. Local sections allow members to:

Connect with other chemists and chemical engineers in their geographic area.
Participate in programs near their homes that can enhance their professional development.
Contribute to the public’s understanding of chemistry in their communities.
ACS regional meetings are hosted by local sections in various geographic regions across the United States.

Nationally

The Society offers members the opportunity to participate in 33 specialty divisions, ranging from food and agriculture to industrial and engineering chemistry. These divisions help members:

Keep up with the latest developments in their areas of expertise.
Monitor advances in related fields.
Network with colleagues.
Contribute to the advancement and recognition of their scientific discipline.

Twice annually, ACS sponsors national meetings ─ five days of symposia, tutorials, and poster sessions that cover every area of chemistry, chemical engineering and related sciences. Short courses with renowned instructors, workshops, divisional and committee meetings, and other related sessions also occur at national meetings.

Globally

The Society’s international membership exceeds 24,000 and represents more than 140 countries.

More than 60 percent of the articles published in ACS journals and more than half of the material covered in the Society’s Chemical Abstracts Service ─ the world’s most comprehensive source of chemical and scientific information ─ originates outside the United States.

ACS sponsors or promotes a number of international activities such as joint conferences with chemical societies in India and other countries, and the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (PacifiChem), a weeklong scientific meeting, held once every five years in conjunction with ACS counterparts in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and China.

We Support Real-World Initiatives

ACS works to improve the world through other initiatives including:

Project SEED offers bright, economically disadvantaged high school students an opportunity to spend a summer conducting chemical laboratory research with the guidance of a chemical scientist.
ACS Scholars Program provides underrepresented minority undergraduates with scholarship and mentoring support that they need to earn degrees in the chemical sciences.
Advancing Chemistry Teaching supports the professional development of science teachers so that they can better present chemistry in the classroom and foster the scientific curiosity of our nation’s youth.
Green Chemistry Education and Outreach promotes the implementation of green chemistry and engineering principles into all aspects of the chemical enterprise.

What Our Student Chapter Does

Chapter meetings to provide information and professional opportunities to students; contact the current student president for meeting information.
Community Service by providing weekly free tutoring to undergraduate chemistry students at John Carroll University and assisting faculty with educational programs at area libraries during National Chemistry Week.
Fundraising by holding an annual bake sale on Mole Day (October 23).

2020-2021 Officers

President Aysenur Musaogullari (email: amusaogullari21@jcu.edu)
Vice President Melanie Chen (email: mchen22@jcu.edu)
Financial Officer Eric Cohn (email: ecohn21@jcu.edu)
Event Chair Anwaar Eddir (email: aeddir21@jcu.edu)
Social Media Coordinator Christin Jogan (email: cjogan21@jcu.edu)
Faculty Advisor Yuh-Cherng Chai (email: ychai@jcu.edu)

Iota Sigma Pi, Ι∑∏, is a national honor society that promotes professional development and personal growth of women in chemistry and related fields through recognition, public outreach, and the formation of supportive networks.

Objectives:

To encourage and promote interest in chemistry among women students.
To facilitate networking to provide personal and professional support.
To foster professional advancement of women in chemistry and related fields.
To recognize outstanding accomplishments of women students and professionals in chemistry and related fields.

Statistics:

Founded in 1902 and organized nationally in 1916
More than 12,000 members have been initiated
More than 45 local chapters have been established across the country
Member-at-Large status is available for members not living near a local chapter

Major Activities:

Granting recognition to women who have demonstrated scholastic achievement and/or professional competence by election into Iota Sigma Pi.
Presenting annual and triennial professional awards to outstanding women in chemistry and allied fields.
Presenting annual student awards and scholarships to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students.
Publishing THE IOTAN, which contains news of interest to women chemists.
Archiving historic information on women in chemistry.

Qualifications for Membership:

Those eligible for election are as follows:

Are enrolled in any accredited college or university offering a BA or BS in chemistry or closely related science.
Have an overall GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
Have completed at least six semesters of chemistry with a chemistry GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or at least four semesters of chemistry with a chemistry GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale).

Membership in Iota Sigma Pi identifies you as a chemist of high scholastic and professional achievement. Junior and senior female chemistry majors who wish to become a candidate for initiation as a member, contact Reiko Simmons, Ph.D. For additional information visit the Iota Sigma Pi website.