Chemistry students present poster during American Chemistry Society meeting

Three Illinois Valley Community College chemistry students and their professor, Matthew Johll, recently traveled to the American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting in San Diego, Calif., where the students gave a presentation about how to maintain a successful community-wide science festival.

IVCC’s festival, SciFest, returns April 11, just weeks after the Sci-Mix poster session presentation by Emily Tran, Violet Krider and Odin Klotz. The sessions bring together chemistry and STEM clubs from around the nation to share successful activities and projects with thousands of their peers. The IVCC students recapped SciFest preparations, volunteer recruitment, and materials maintenance between festivals.

The ACS convention drew 10,000 students, educators, scientists, and industry professionals from around the world. Johll and his students also attended presentations on history and development of science in the 1800s, current advancements in polymer science, professional development and networking, and – for Johll – enhancing college lab and classroom activities.

In the crowd of attendees hundreds of miles from the Illinois Valley, Johll was delighted to encounter a former student. Eliza Atkinson of Walnut, a 2023 IVCC graduate, is now studying biochemistry at Central Michigan University and was presenting her research paper at ACS.

“Out of those 10,000 people attending, she happened to recognize me. What a small world!” he said.

Sci-Fest is open to the public free of admission starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 11, in the gym on IVCC’s main Oglesby campus.