Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

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Members of the Wayland Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society include (from left): Dr. Gary Gray, Sarah Kelly, Hailey Budnick, Jessica Kenneson, Anna Kite, Libby Saultz, Trevor Burrow, Taylor Eaves and Dr. Robert Moore. Chem students recognized for achievements Story by Richard Porter For the second consecutive year, the Wayland Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society has been recognized for outstanding accomplishments. According to Professor of Chemistry Dr. Gary Gray, the chapter received the ACS Certificate of Achievement for its chapter activities for the 2011-12 school year. The recognition is based on an annual report outlining each chapter’s activities for the year. 20 footprints “It’s definitely not an automatic. Most schools don’t get one. It’s a reflection of [our students’] effort. Last year they were really busy,” Gray said. The Wayland chapter, which has a core group of 8-10 students, meets every two weeks throughout the school year and has a number of departmental and community activities in which it is involved, Gray said. In 2011-12 those included selling Christmas cookies as a fundraiser, chemical demonstrations at Plainview public schools and spending an afternoon in Lubbock with students at Trinity Christian High School. “The benefit for them (of receiving the certificate) is it shows they are working their tails off, but it also makes them eligible for various grants the American Chemical Society gives out,” Gray said, explaining that the group received a $500 travel grant they were able to use for a trip to the ACS National Meeting in San Diego. The report is compiled by the chapter secretary which last year
was Jessica Kenneson, a sophomore molecular biology/chemistry student from Wiggins, Colo. — she recently was elected to be the chapter president for the coming year. Kenneson said that one of her colleagues, past president Stephanie Whitaker, helped her compile the report but it still was a pretty big undertaking. “It took forever,” she said with a laugh. Kenneson said the recognition is affirmation for the close-knit nature of the group. “We spend every day together,” she said. “I’ve told a lot of people it’s like a family down here,” she said, adding that one common characteristic of the group is its willingness to serve others. “I’ve noticed the people in this group have a heart for service,” she said. That willingness is manifesting itself in one of the chapter’s big projects, a weekly program where members assist area homeschool students with chemistry labs. Dr. Gray said the program meets two needs. It provides an excellent service opportunity for the chapter while also giving them a legitimate fundraiser (since they do charge a minimal fee for participation in the program). “I think this group is finally starting to realize the potential for good they have for the university. I think they are realizing they can be clever enough in designing programs that both benefit the community and provide them with travel money,” Gray said. While the group has demonstrated over the past couple of years that it is a consistently high-performing chapter, Kenneson said the time has come for the chapter to step up to another level because of the activities they want to do, and that means getting more participation. “We’re going to need more people involved,” she said. “Somehow we’re going to have to make ourselves known (to other students).” That means having more social activities and coming up with better ways to integrate the organization into the regular functions of the university, she said. Kenneson pointed out that students don’t have to be chemistry majors to be a part of the Wayland chapter. One of the things the chapter is looking at in the future is establishing an endowed scholarship to help future students. Gray said that will give students yet another opportunity to help the community. Outgoing president Trevor Burrow, a junior math/chemistry/molecular biology student from Lubbock, pointed out that the organization gives students a chance to use their passion to benefit the university, as well as individual students. Through the ACS chapter, they can help incoming students get a good start in the sciences at the collegiate level while also helping current students move onto graduate school. “It’s kind of reaching in both directions,” he said. “If you have a passion for something, you want to share it with people and maybe they’ll become interested in it as well,” he said. For Kenneson, the notion of the chapter being able to endow a scholarship made an already big smile grow and her reaction was an indication of the enthusiasm she and her fellow students have for helping others. “We’re really interested in starting an endowed scholarship. There’s nothing better than being able to help somebody get through school,” she concluded. footprints 21
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Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

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