The Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society (KACS) was pleased to receive the Science Café Mini Grant 2008. With those funds we hosted two three-part series of local events. The first series focused on topics within Forensic Science, and the second series examined the Fermentation process. For most of both series, our venue was a local brewpub, Bell's Eccentric Café, which offered food, drinks, and a casual yet inviting atmosphere that encouraged our monthly Science Café discussions. The last session of our Fermentation series was held at Tempo Vino Winery, a local custom vintner.
| Go to www.acs.org/grants and then click on ACS Community Recognition for more information about Science Café Mini-Grants as well as other grant opportunities. |
The Forensic Science series kicked off in March 2008 with an event titled "CSI: An overview of Current Practices" at a local brewpub, led by forensic scientist Lt. Marty Johnson of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department, with about 25 people participating in the presentation and discussion. Our second event in April 2008 attracted about 20 people with the topic "Forensic Science at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration". This presentation was led by Western Michigan University Professor Emeritus Dr. James Howell of the WMU Chemistry Department. Our third event t was "The Nature of Materials Revealed through Ultramicroanalysis," led by microscopist Dr. Scott Aldrich in May 2008, and featured a lively discussion of particle analysis in pharmaceuticals with the 30 people in attendance.
The Fermentation series started in September 2008 with a fascinating discussion of “Flavor Compounds in Beer Fermentation,” led by Mr. Mike Babb of Kalsec Corporation with about 35 attendees. The second event in October, focusing on Pharmaceutical Fermentation, was led by Dr. Steve Dunyak of Pfizer. The final session in the fermentation Science Café series targeted "Wine Fermentation." It was led in November 2008 by Irene Kokkinos of Tempo Vino Winery.
We consider our two three-part series to have been very successful, not only in engaging the community in timely, scientific discussions, but also in encouraging our members to attend the events. With practice, we have also identified recommendations for speakers, venues, and our section crew that make the process mutually enjoyable.
John Miller
Treasurer, Kalamazoo Local Section |
