Section News & Happenings

Congratulations to our Latest Travel Grant Recipients

Mar 28, 2022

Congratulations to our Latest Travel Grant Recipients

The Pittsburgh Section is so pleased that face-to-face meetings are starting again. Congratulations to the latest winners of our travel grants!

Undergraduate Alex Timperio – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Undergraduate Kathryn James – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Graduate Mariah Meehan – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Graduate Yifan Qi – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Undergraduate Jesse Reardon – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Undergraduate Seth Fischer – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Undergraduate Tyler Hines – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Graduate Manasseh Osei – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Graduate Saber Mirzaei – Spring 2022 Meeting in San Diego, CA

Pittsburgh Section Mourns the Loss of Dr. Denton Albright

Feb 22, 2022

Pittsburgh Section Mourns the Loss of a Long-Time Member

On January 31, 2022, the ACS lost a long-time member, Dr, Denton Albright.  From the May 2004 issue of The Crucible, Dr. Guy C. Berry from Carnegie Mellon University shared this photo:

Denton was extremely active in the Pittsburgh Local Section.  He would have celebrated 70 years of membership this year, having joined the ACS in 1952.  In 1974, he served as Chair of the section.  

Here is a link to his obituary:  DENTON M. ALBRIGHT, JR., PHD | Obituary | Pittsburgh Post Gazette (post-gazette.com)    

Congratulations to 2021 Distinguished Service Award Winner – Dr. Evonne Baldauff

Dec 9, 2021

Congratulations to 2021 Distinguished Service Award Winner – Dr. Evonne Baldauff

Evonne Baldauff has been active in the ACS Pittsburgh Local Section since 2013, serving on the executive committee as secretary, treasurer (current), and chair (2016).  Coordinating the undergraduate program for the Central Regional Meeting (CERM) held in Pittsburgh in 2014 was an honor; she has since gone on to fulfill this role at the national level during the ACS Spring 2021 virtual meeting.   In 2019 Baldauff assumed the role of National Chemistry Week (NCW) coordinator, earning recognition for the Section with the “Outstanding Ongoing NCW Event” ChemLuminary award that same year. Baldauff has advised the Waynesburg University ACS student chapter since 2007, during which time the group was recognized twelve times as an “Outstanding Student Chapter.”  She looks forward to continuing her service to the Pittsburgh Local Section as it works to fulfill its mission to “advance the broader chemical enterprise and its practitioners” in the Pittsburgh region. Baldauff received her B.S. in chemistry from Grove City College followed by a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Purdue University.  She currently serves as Assistant Provost for Online Learning and Curriculum Development as well as Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Forensic Science at Waynesburg University where she is a Professor of Chemistry.  Outside of working and volunteering, she is an avid cook and baker. 

Congratulations to 2021 Pittsburgh Award Winner – W. Richard Howe

Dec 9, 2021

Congratulations to 2021 Pittsburgh Award Winner – W. Richard Howe

Richard Howe left the faculty at his alma mater, St. Vincent College, in 1970 to join the Chemistry Department at the University of Pittsburgh. He rose through administrative ranks to the position of Assistant Chair in the Department before being selected to serve as an Associate Dean in Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences. He held that position for 30 years before his retirement in 2016.

Over his term as Associate Dean, he coordinated an aggressive capital projects program in excess of $300,000,000 that modernized most of the instructional and research laboratories within the Arts and Sciences. This effort increased the amount of research space available for the school’s expanding research programs and improved work/study facilities for the school’s faculty, staff and students. Before retiring, he served as principal author and project coordinator for a $15 million construction award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This award enabled the University to expand its excellence in nanoscience and experimental physics.

Associate Dean Howe demonstrated dedication to his profession through his service as the Chairman of the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (1986-87), Local Chair for the 1989 International Science and Engineering Fair (held in Pittsburgh), and the Local Chair for the 1992 International Chemistry Olympics which was also held in Pittsburgh.  He has belonged to the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Pittsburgh High School Chemistry Sub-Group of the local ACS, and the organizing committee for the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (PITTCON). In 1994 he served as the president of PITTCON and hosted over 32,000 attendees at their annual meeting in Chicago.

He served as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of College Chemistry Teachers (1981-1984). He also organized the 1978 annual meeting for the Middle Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists and the 1977 Northeast Regional meeting of the Society for Research Administrators. He was a key organizer of the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s (now Science History Institute) permanent museum of historical chemical instruments, served as the inaugural Chair of the CHF Committee on Instrumentation and Artifacts and served as an inaugural member of their Heritage Council.

In recognition of his contributions to science education and science outreach, Howe was awarded the 2008 Distinguished Service Award by the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society.

In his spare time Howe has been active in a variety of arts and science outreach programs in the Pittsburgh area.  He served as Vice President of the North Allegheny Fine Arts Coalition and along with his wife served as President of the North Allegheny District Band Patrons. During their two years as Co-Presidents of the Band Patrons, they coordinated a successful fund-raising effort to support the band’s participation in the 1997 Tournament of Roses Parade and the 1998 Orange Bowl Parade. Among other activities, Howe served on the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project (2000-2006), the Pittsburgh Public School’s Science Institute’s Advisory Board (1986-1993) and Mayor Murphy’s Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (1999-2002).

Since his retirement, Mr. Howe has become a member of the Foundation Board for the Beaver County Community College. Since July 2020, he has served as their Board Chair.

Mr. Howe and his wife of 43 years, Betsy, now live in Beaver County’s Economy Borough which places them within driving distance of their three daughters and seven grandchildren.