2024 CERM Awards
The 2024 Central Regional Awards will be presented at the 2024 CERM in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to regional awards, we will honor multiple members of the Pittsburgh Local Section of the ACS. The awards banquet will be held on Thursday, November 7 at 6 PM in the Duquesne Room at CERM.
50, 60, and 70-Year Members of the ACS
Congratulations to the members of the Pittsburgh ACS Local Section who have officially met the membership milestones of 50, 60, and 70 years! Awardees will be honored with a certificate. 50-Year Members: Dr. Jane Chan, Dr. Jeffrey Dormish, Dr. Mark Farrell, Mr. Harold Faust, Dr. David Hackney, Dr. Mark Johnson, Dr. Roger Jones, Ms. Debra Singer, Dr. Joanne Smith, Mr. John Snodgrass, Mr. Stephen Thomas, Mr. Robert Warzinski, Dr. Ronald Wetzel, Mr. James Whitlinger 60-Year Members: Mr. David Badger, Mr. David Bates, Dr. Anthony Fonseca, Dr. Frederick Guzik, Mr. Frank Miraglia 70-Year Members: Dr. Armand Lewis, Mr. James Petrocelli
Women Chemists Committee Award for Encouraging Women into the Chemical Sciences
This award recognizes significant accomplishments by any individual who has stimulated or fostered the interest of women* in chemistry, promoting their professional developments as chemists or chemical engineers. Nominees for the award may come from any professional setting in the greater Pittsburgh area: academia, industry, government, or other independent facility. Nominees need not be a member of the WCC or the ACS. * This includes both cis and trans women, and persons assigned female at birth The 2024 awardee is Dr. Michelle Ward. Dr. Michelle Ward is a Teaching Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh. She was awarded a B.S. in Chemistry in 1994 and a B.S. in Education with credentials in secondary education in 1996, both from the University of North Dakota. Dr. Ward taught high school chemistry locally for four years prior to enrolling in the graduate program at the University of Pittsburgh. She received a M.S. in 2003 and completed her Ph.D. in 2008. She has received several awards including 2013 Students’ Choice Award from University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies Student Government and an Outstanding Service Award from University of Pittsburgh Department of Chemistry American Chemical Society Student Affiliates.
Women Chemists Committee
Award for Excellence in the Chemical Sciences
This award recognizes the achievements of female* chemists and chemical engineers in the greater Pittsburgh area who have a record of accomplishment in their field. The nominee can be within any stage of their professional career in academia, industry, or government. Nominees need not be a member of the WCC or ACS.
* This includes both cis and trans women, and persons assigned female at birth
The 2024 awardee is Dr. Velvet Journigan.
Dr. Velvet Journigan received her degrees from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (2004) and the University of Mississippi (2010). She completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Nurulain Zaveri in structure-activity relationship studies of nociceptin opioid receptor ligands. She is currently an assistant professor in the Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. Drug discovery efforts in her laboratory are aimed at correcting defects in sensory perception to cold temperature, in the context of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and other neuropathic pain states. Velvet's lab combines synthetic medicinal chemistry and biochemical techniques to study the pharmacology of transient receptor potential channels to enable small molecule drug discovery. She is the recipient of the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Young Investigator Award in 2020, and was named a NIDA Diversity Scholar in 2021.
Pittsburgh Section of the ACSDistinguished Service Award
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. The Distinguished Service Award was established in 2007 to recognize outstanding volunteer service to the Pittsburgh Section. A plaque is awarded. The 2024 awardee is Dr. Kimberly Woznack. Kim earned her B.S. in chemistry from Hartwick College and her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She served as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of New Hampshire, focused on chemical education research, before beginning her tenure-track position at California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U). She has been at Cal U (now Pennsylvania Western University - California) since 2004, served as the chair of the department, earned promotion to full professor, and serves as the Chem Club advisor.Kim has been involved in the ACS for over a decade. She was a member of the WCC from 2011-2020 and served as the Chair of the National WCC. She is currently a member of the National ACS Local Section Activities Committee. Kim was Chair of the Pittsburgh ACS in 2022 and was named as an ACS Fellow in 2022.
Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences
The purpose of this award is to recognize individuals and/or institutions who have advanced diversity in the chemical sciences and significantly stimulated or fostered activities that promote inclusiveness within the region. A medal and a $1000 grant is awarded. The 2024 awardee is Dr. Nicolai Lehnert. Nicolai Lehnert is a Professor of Chemistry and Biophysics at the Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan. He studied Chemistry at the Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany, and obtained his Diploma in Chemistry in 1995. He then moved to the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany, were he received his Ph.D. in 1999 under supervision of Priv.-Doz. Dr. F. Tuczek and Prof. Dr. P. Gütlich. He then joined the group of Prof. Dr. E. I. Solomon at Stanford University, USA for postdoctoral research from 1999 to 2001. In November 2001, he started as a Habilitand (senior research assistant, includes the conduction of independent research) at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany. After completion of his Habilitation (qualification for permanent faculty positions at German Universities) in 2006 he accepted a faculty position at the University of Michigan, where he started in September 2006 as an Assistant Professor. In 2012 he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, and in 2016 to the rank of Professor. His work is focused on the coordination chemistry of nitric oxide and its derivatives as it pertains to biological systems, especially NO sensing and detoxification.
DivCHED High School Teaching Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry in the Central Region. A cash award, travel expenses to the meeting, and a plaque are awarded.
The 2024 awardee is Mrs. Renee Schreyer.
Renee is from the small town of Hastings, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1991 with a BS in Chemistry Education and earned a MEd from St. Francis College in 1996. In 1991, she began her career at Penn Cambria School District where she has been teaching Chemistry I and Chemistry II for 34 years. She is also a dual enrollment instructor with Mt. Aloysius College. While at Penn Cambria, she has been National Honor Society advisor and a prom chaperone. In 2019, she was a recipient of the AACT Science Coach award with Dr. Edward Zovinka from St. Francis University. In the classroom, she brings a quirky enthusiasm for chemistry while building trusting relationships with her students. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys reading, hiking and traveling with her two daughters.
Pittsburgh Section of the ACSPittsburgh Award
The Pittsburgh Award was established in 1932 by the Pittsburgh Section of ACS to recognize outstanding leadership in chemical affairs in the local and larger professional community. This Award symbolizes the honor and appreciation accorded to those who have rendered distinguished service to the field of chemistry. A plaque is awarded. The 2024 awardee is Dr. Evan Granite.Dr. Granite is currently the Program Manager for Carbon Ore Processing and Senior Technical Advisor at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters. He has demonstrated unparalleled expertise and innovation. He initiated and led the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory Research and Innovation Center (NETL R&IC) programs on Rare Earth and Critical Metals Detection and Recovery and Emissions Control. His leadership in these areas has been instrumental in addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Dr. Granite’s prolific contributions to scientific literature and patent development further underscore his impact. He is the principal or co-investigator on numerous projects, has authored or co-authored sixty-nine peer-reviewed journal articles, holds nine patents, and has delivered over three hundred conference papers and presentations. His research has been cited extensively, reflecting its profound influence on the scientific community. He was listed among the 2% of scientists worldwide in 2020 and 2022 published studies assessing scientists for both career-long and most recent year citation impacts, and was recently interviewed by the American Institute of Physics for their Niels Bohr Oral History Series. Dr. Granite has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the DOE/NETL Director’s (Hugh Guthrie) Award for Innovation in 2009, 2008 and 2005; several R&D 100 Awards (The Oscars of Innovation); the rookie of the year gold medal award from the Federal Executive Board on Excellence in Government in June of 2001; three National Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer prizes, and many others. He was inducted into the International Activated Carbon Hall of Fame in October 2011 and was nominated for the 2019 and 2020 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for Outstanding Research. In addition to his technical achievements, Dr. Granite is deeply committed to fostering scientific collaboration and education. He has served on PhD thesis committees at prestigious institutions, organized major conferences, and delivered invited lectures at numerous academic and professional events. His dedication to mentorship and community service, exemplified by his volunteer work with the Pittsburgh Youth Chamber Orchestra, highlights his broader commitment to societal betterment.