Section News & Happenings

Get to Know a Member – Mike Mautino

1. What is your work and ACS (if applicable) title?

ACS: Former Pittsburgh Section ACS Councilor (21 years) and Director (3 years), Work: Product Line Manager, Covestro (retired)

2. How many years have you been in the ACS?

Only 26 Years 😊In the fall of 1996 I volunteered to become the Recognition Committee Chair for the newly formed Western Pennsylvania Technician Affiliate Group of the Pittsburgh Section. In 1997 I was granted “National Affiliate” status due membership rules at that time not granting non-degree chemical technicians full membership in the national ACS. It wasn’t until a year later, with the help of former Pittsburgh ACS Councilor Dr. Gordon McCarthy, that I was granted full membership in the society.

3. What is the biggest benefit of ACS Membership?

The ability to develop a local and national network of people working in the chemical enterprise is invaluable. The ability to collaborate and develop professional relationships across the region, and nationally, is so very important in today’s job market.

4. What did you want to be when you were a child?

I thought I wanted to be an architect until I got into college and discovered I couldn’t draw!

5. What made you fall in love with Chemistry?

It was when I first started to work in the bench lab and discovered I had knack for formulating polyurethane rigid insulating foam chemistry.

6. What is your favorite part of your career or job?

My former employer greatly valued and supported my ACS volunteer efforts, allowing me to pursue my interests in promoting the applied chemical technician profession and community outreach at the local and national level.

7. Which chemist, past or present, would you like to meet and why?

My favorite chemist would be Michael Faraday. Faraday started his science career as a chemical technician and went on to have such an impact in multiple science disciplines.

We are pleased to provide the November 2023 Issue of The Crucible. If you have something you would like included in future issues, please email Sarah Scrivener at [email protected].

Join the Pittsburgh WCC for a Happy Hour at 5:30 PM on November 17 at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar. We will provide appetizers and snacks. Please RSVP by Monday, November 10 here.

Download the flyer here.

Are you a junior chemist seeking to kickstart your career? Or a mid-career chemist looking for a fresh direction? Don’t miss this opportunity to meet a Pittsburgh Award recipient over a complimentary lunch and gain priceless insights!

• What to Expect:
  • Enjoy a FREE work lunch.
  • Engage with a Pittsburgh Award recipient and connect with 1-2 peers who share your passion.
  • Receive valuable guidance for success in both industry and academia.

• To Schedule Your Lunch: Contact Dr. Haitao Liu at [email protected] with a brief self-introduction and name(s) of the adviser you’d like to meet.
• Availability: Now – end of 2023. Space is limited – first come, first served.

Download the flyer for more information.

The Pittsburgh Section of the ACS is sponsoring a job fair at the University of Pittsburgh on November 10 starting at 9:00 AM. Download the flyer here. Register as an attendee by October 31 using this link.

October 2023 Issue of The Crucible

We are pleased to provide the October 2023 Issue of The Crucible. If you have something you would like included in future issues, please email Sarah Scrivener at [email protected].

Join the Environmental Group for the monthly lecture on October 18. Download the flyer here.

Unforeseen Impacts To Water Quality During Managed Aquifer Recharge

October 18, 2023, 7:00-8:00pm (EST)

Sarah Fakhreddine, PhD, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

How to join:

Click here to register  (recommended)

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 443 344 332 897
Passcode: Hm5KCs

Download Teams | Join on the web

Or contact [email protected]

The Healing Power of Chemistry

The Pittsburgh Local Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is sponsoring an illustrated poem contest for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Contest Deadline: Sunday, October 29, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET
Prizes: $50 1st Place and $25 2nd Place in each of 4 grade categories: K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th and 9th-12th grades.
Contact: Evonne Baldauff, NCW Coordinator. Mail entries to 51 W. College St., Waynesburg, PA or scan and email to [email protected].

Winners of the Pittsburgh Local Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and to win prizes!

Download the flyer for more details.

Pittsburgh Local Section NCW activities for 2023

Join us for a series of events throughout the entire week. Watch for emails and check our Facebook page and website for updates! For additional information regarding any of these events, contact NCW Coordinator, Evonne Baldauff, at [email protected].

Event 1: “Gene-age Dream” Wet-lab experiments at the Carnegie Science Center.

We are collaborating with the CSC to host a series of wet chemistry labs on October 16, 18, and 19. Teachers from local schools will bring groups of 24 students to participate in a full laboratory experience that they may not get in their schools. Volunteers are needed to serve as lab assistants and will work directly with participants. Multiple daily lab sessions run from 10:15-11:15 AM and 11:30-12:30 PM. Up to 8 volunteers are needed each day. To sign up, contact Evonne Baldauff ([email protected]).

Event 2: SciTech Days: Health and Medicine demonstrations and Career Panel at the Carnegie Science Center.

A traditional exposition-style event, schools from the Pittsburgh region and surrounding communities will bring students to experience hands-on demonstrations and activities on October 20th. Volunteers are needed to host demonstration tables and serve as career panelists. Volunteer through the following form: https://forms.gle/DLFNBsiFcC3pfvvW6

Event 3: ACS Student Chapter Mini-ChemFest Events

Exclusive for undergraduate chapters, host your own ChemFest outreach event for local schools in your geographic area using the NCW 2023 theme. Funding of up to $200 is available. To sign up, contact Evonne Baldauff ([email protected]) or Marsha Grimminger ([email protected]).

Get to Know a Member – Evonne Baldauff, Ph.D.

1. What is your work and ACS (if applicable) title?

ACS Pittsburgh: Director and NCW Outreach Coordinator Pittsburgh section, Work: Professor of Chemistry / Chair, Department of Chemistry & Forensic Science and Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, & Physics / Assistant Provost for Faculty Excellence, Curriculum Development and Online Learning

2. How many years have you been in the ACS?

ACS National since 2001, 22 years / Pittsburgh Section since 2013, 10 years (thanks to Heather Juzwa for asking me to join!)

3. What is the biggest benefit of ACS Membership?

Getting involved in the Pittsburgh Local Section and the Student Communities (Undergraduate) allowed me to meet so many amazing people with whom I respect enormously and enjoy working alongside! ACS gives me the chance to serve the chemical community, promote chemistry in our geographical region, and encourage students that chemistry is a wonderful career path.

4. What did you want to be when you were a child?

For a brief time in elementary school, I thought I’d like to be a teacher. That didn’t last long. I thought about – of all things – becoming a journalist (not at all my skillset). Then in high school, my uncle encouraged me to do something in science because I was good at math. He was right!

5. What made you fall in love with Chemistry?

I really enjoyed doing the calculations in my high school chem classes!

6. What is your favorite part of your career or job?

The phrase that best describes my motivation is “make it work.” Whether that involves developing new teaching strategies in the classroom or finding ways to interest more students in pursuing chemistry, I find the most satisfaction in my work when I can find innovative, creative, or unique strategies to get things done efficiently and effectively.

7. What is your favorite book and why?

This is a hard question; I like a lot of books. The one that first came to mind is Midnight’s Children by Salmon Rushdie. It is one of the most intricate, unique stories and writing styles I’ve encountered.