Women Chemists Committee “Historical Contributions of Chemistry for All” Symposium 

Women Chemists Committee “Historical Contributions of Chemistry for All” Symposium 

ACS President recommended event. 

Sunday, August 23, 2026 • 2:00 – 6:00 PM 

McCormick Place Convention Center • W179b 

Organizers and Presiders: Amy Balija and Christine Hahn 

Sponsors: ACS Divisions on Education and History (CHED and HIST), the ACS Chicago Local Section, and the ACS Women Chemists Committee (WCC) 

2:00 p.m. Introduction 

2:10 p.m. Michael Koehler 

Chicago Section ACS Members who created the foundations for our National Parks 

2:30 p.m. Amy Balija 

Chicagoan scientists’ ingenuity and their impact on the chemical community: Past, present, and future 

2:50 p.m. Mark Zhen 

Bridging science and society: Contributions of Chinese American Chemical Society members to the chemical enterprise 

3:10 p.m. Christopher Nicholas 

Genesis of the figures involved in the UOP Riverside Laboratory, a National Historical Chemical Landmark 

3:30 p.m. Irene Cesa 

National Historic Chemical Landmarks in the Chicago Section: Advancing science and improving human well-being 

3:50 p.m. Break 

4:00 p.m. Anita Mehta 

The Chicago catalyst: Mapping the global impact of the Chicago’s chemical heritage 

4:20 p.m. Margaret Schott 

Chicago’s Winford Lee Lewis and “the dew of death” 

4:40 p.m. Josh Kurutz 

Touring chemical history with a walkthrough of landmarks, monuments, and other physical commemorations at the University of Chicago 

5:00 p.m. Rebecca Haley 

Alice Hamilton and Hull-House: A national historic chemical landmark in Chicago 

5:20 p.m. Lee Marek, Jill Serling, Michael Palazzolo, Karl Craddock, and Paul Brandt 

ChemWest: A teaching resource in Chicagoland 

5:40 p.m. Margaret Schott 

Chemical attractions at the 1933-1934 Chicago World’s Fair 

For more information, please visit www.acswcc.org or send an email to WCC@acs.org. Let’s get ready to celebrate 100 years with WCC in 2027!