Distinguished Service

The Distinguished Service Award was established in 2007 by the Pittsburgh Section of ACS to expand and replace the predecessor Chairman’s Award of the section. Both recognize outstanding volunteer service to the section. The Award, consisting of a plaque, is presented annually at a section dinner open to the public.

Members of the Pittsburgh Section, past or present, who have provided outstanding service in advancing the Pittsburgh Section are eligible for consideration. Nominations for the Pittsburgh Award are solicited from the membership of the Pittsburgh Section.

2023 Recipient – Ms. Tabitha Riggio

Ms. Tabitha Riggio is a sincere, dedicated volunteer. Riggio graduated from Duquesne University with a B.S. in Chemistry, a German minor, and an MBA. She is a long-standing member of the American Chemical Society, former Treasurer, and current chair of Project SEED.

Riggio spent her career at Bayer MaterialScience split between Applications/Development and Sales/Marketing. While there, she helped establish a program to bring hands-on science into classrooms (Bayer Association for Science in Community). After a hiatus to raise her children and care for her parents with dignity, she returned to the workforce at LB Foster. During her career break, Riggio worked as a Special Education Aide and volunteered extensively in her school district, for example, on the science curriculum cyclical review committee.

Since 2004, Riggio has been the Chair of Project SEED of the Pittsburgh Section of the ACS. Project SEED was founded by the ACS to provide educational opportunities to high-achieving, economically-disadvantaged high school students. Through this work, Riggio and colleagues created a flourishing program and provided laboratory experiences to 62 students of which 65% were female and 55% were minorities. Students were hosted at laboratories around the Pittsburgh region, including Duquesne University, Washington and Jefferson College, and Covestro. The program received two ChemLuminary Awards for Outstanding Project SEED Program in 2008 and 2010. Riggio has also been involved in the Pittsburgh ACS as the Treasurer in 2003 and as part of the National Chemistry Week coordinating team for many years.

Biography provided by Alysia Mandato

Call for Nominations

Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award are typically accepted through August 15 of the award year. Please submit nominations to the Chair-Elect, Samuel Leung ([email protected]) of the section. View the Distinguished Service Nomination Form here.

Past Recipients

2022    Matthew Price
2021    Evonne Baldauff
2020    No Award Given
2019    No Award Given
2018    Guy Berry
2017    Fu-Tyan Lin
2016    Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP)
2016    Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP)
2015    Paul Johnson
2014    Robert Baudoux
2014    Heather Juzwa
2013    Gerald Carlson
2012    Richard Danchik
2011    V. Michael Mautino
2010    Mordecai Treblow
2009    Mildred B. Perry
2008    W. Richard Howe
2007    Robert Witkowski