SMACS Archive

SMACS Archive

Visit the official SMACS website at smacs.chemistry.msstate.edu

See our reaction to the ACS ChemLuminary win. Check out our 2019 NCW Tailgate video.

MSU SMACS (Student Members of the American Chemical Society) is a nationally recognized, award winning student group that is part of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific community. MSU SMACS strives to cultivate leadership and promote science through education and demonstration. To achieve these goals, MSU SMACS offers leadership roles in officer and committee head positions.  The organization continues to further these goals by encouraging personal initiative in its members to develop creative ideas for fundraising, science awareness, promotion of chemistry, as well as social and educational events. MSU SMACS supports members in their attendance and participation at chemistry conferences to encourage networking and career development.

2019-2020 Events:

Date Event
07/31/19 Student Lounge Renovation Begins
08/27/19 ACS ChemLuminary Awards Banquet (San Diego, CA)
09/05/19 General Meeting: The State of SMACS
09/14/19 Dept. of Chemistry & SMACS Tailgate (Kansas State at MSU)
09/15/19 Escape Room Planning Session
09/19/19 SMACS/CGSA Joint Meeting
10/17/19 ChemDawg Photo Contest
10/18/19 NCW Group Photo
10/19/19 ChemDawg Rockers Tailgate Extravaganza
10/20/19 Decorate Hand
10/21/19 Bake Sale
10/22/19 Demos on the Drill Field
  Program-in-a-Box: Marvelous Metals
10/23/19 Grill Out and Dunk Tank
10/24/19 Periodic Table of Darts
  Pittman 80th Birthday Symposium
10/25/19 Seminar
10/26/19 Escape Room - Escape the Experiment
10/27/19 Escape Room - Escape the Experiment
11/07/19 Research Panel Meeting
11/21/19 Barn Party
  Gingerbread House Contest

Officers

Position Officer Email
President Zoe Fokakis znf4@msstate.edu
President Elect Olivia Murtagh olm38@msstate.edu
Vice President Sydney Canaday sdc414@msstate.edu
Secretary Nathan Frey ncf74@msstate.edu
Treasurer Ruby Hall rh1558@msstate.edu
Outreach Coordinator Emily Davis emd325@msstate.edu
Social Media Coordinator Emily Chappell ec1159@msstate.edu
Upper Classmen Representative Matthew Figgins mtf159@msstate.edu
Lower Classmen Representative Hayden Davis hmd213@msstate.edu
Faculty Co-Advisor Dr. Whitnee Nettles wnettles@chemistry.msstate.edu
Faculty Co-Advisor Dr. C. Edwin Webster ewebster@chemistry.msstate.edu
Faculty Advisor Dr. Eric Van Dornshuld edornshuld@chemistry.msstate.edu

2018-2019

2019 SMACS Crew

Officers

Position Officer Email
President Zoe Fokakis znf4@msstate.edu
Vice President Olivia Murtagh olm38@msstate.edu
Secretary Ruby Hall rh1558@msstate.edu
Treasurer Sydney Canaday sdc414@msstate.edu
Historian Keely Russell ksr180@msstate.edu
Consultant Allie Hanson aeh572@msstate.edu
Faculty Co-Advisor Dr. Whitnee Nettles wnettles@chemistry.msstate.edu
Faculty Co-Advisor Dr. C. Edwin Webster ewebster@chemistry.msstate.edu
Faculty Advisor Dr. Eric Van Dornshuld edornshuld@chemistry.msstate.edu

Events

Date Event
08/22/18 Shades of Starkville
09/06/18 Joint SMACS/CGSA Meeting
09/10/18 The Chemistry of Baseball
10/17/2018 Speed Networking with Faculty
10/22/18-10/27/18 NCW: Out Of This World (15 events)
10/27/18 NCW Tailgate Extravaganza
11/14/18 Resume Building Workshop
11/08/18 SMACS Ice Cream Party at Henderson-Ward Stewart Elementary
11/29/18 Dept. of Chemistry: Barn Party
01/23/19 What To Do With Your Summer
02/07/19 Valentines Day Bags for Faculty & Staff
02/13/19 Faculty Appreciation Lunch hosted by SMACS
02/21/19 Undergraduate Recruitment at University of Southern Mississippi
02/26/19 ACS Program-in-a-Box: The Evolving Periodic Table
03/22/19 Officer Elections
04/04/19 STEM Fair at Webster County School
04/06/19 Officer Retreat - Escape Rooms in Tupelo, MS
04/07/19 Student Affairs Organization Fair
04/09/19 Annual Crawfish Boil
04/13/19 I Am Girl
04/25/19 DNA Day with Overstreet Elementary School

NCW Events

Date Time Location Event
10/20 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Hand Chemical Lab Decorate Hand
10/21 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Hand Chemical Lab Demo Training Day
10/22 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Drill Field Bake Sale & Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream
10/23 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Front of the Union Dunk Tank and Grill Out
  7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Foster Ballroom - Union Lecture by Inge Auerbacher, chemist and Holocaust survivor
10/24 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Drill Field ChemDawg Demos on the Drill Field
  End of day   ChemDawg All-Stars Photo Contest Submissions Due
10/25 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Hand 1135 CGSA: The Periodic Table of Cupcakes
  3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Hand 1144 Seminar by Nuclear Chemist Dr. Michael Hanson
  5:00 PM - 7:00 PM The Junction Costume Carnival
10/26 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Hand 1144 Seminar by Dr. Dawn Mason from Eastman Chemical
  4:30 PM Outside Hand Department Group Photo for NCW
10/27 Noon - 6:00 PM See map NCW Tailgate Extravaganza (First show starts around 2PM)
10/29 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM The Warehouse Local ACS Awards Banquet
11/29 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM The Poor House Barn Party NCW Achievements Celebration

Dunk Tank Participants

Time Dunkee
11:00AM Dr. Sean Stokes
11:30AM Dr. C. Edwin Webster
12:00PM Dr. Charles Nettles
12:30PM Dr. Dennis Smith
1:00PM Dr. Keith Hollis
1:30PM Dr. Whitnee Nettles

Notable Achievements

  • Recipient of a 2019 ACS Innovative Project Grant (IPG) for NCW 2019
  • Winner of the ACS ChemLuminary award for “Best National Chemistry Week Event Organized By a Student Group”
  • Nominated for ACS ChemLuminary award “Best National Chemistry Week Event Organized By a Student Group”
  • Created the first SMACS-funded scholarship for chemistry majors
  • Devised and implemented the student lounge renovation plan with departmental support
  • First ever SMACS Christmas cards

2017-2018

Officers

Position Officer
President Allie Hanson
Vice President Sydney Taylor
Secretary Jordan Hampton
Treasurer Kathleen Riley
Ambassador President Jeremey Burt
Faculty Advisor Dr. Eric Van Dornshuld

Notable Achievements

ACS Student Chapter Honorable Mention (PDF - p. 34)

2016-2017

Position Officer
President Courtney Hill
Vice President Mary King
Secretary Allie Hanson
Treasurer Elise Carlton
Ambassador President Alex Rogers
Faculty Advisor Dr. Deb Mlsna
Faculty Advisor Dr. Eric Van Dornshuld

Ambassadors

Courtney Hill
Mary King
Flannery Voges-Haupt
Allison Hanson
Jordon Hampton
Rachel Stephens
Sydney Taylor
Amber Jackson