Penn State chemistry major receives 2024 ACS Student Leadership Award
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Leadership Institute was held last month in Atlanta, Georgia. Leaders with various roles in ACS attended the Institute, including undergraduate students. All participants take a leadership course during the weekend on top of the track programming. The weekend is an opportunity to meet other chemists from across the globe and learn more about ACS.
Penn State undergraduate student Mark Puthenpurayil, a third-year double-majoring in chemistry and math, attended the Leadership Institute along with faculty members of the Penn State Chemistry Undergraduate Program. At the institute, Puthenpurayil was presented with the Student Leadership Award which acknowledged his heavy engagement in ACS, his commitment to leading members of the local student chapter Nittany Chemical Society (NCS) and bringing interest in chemistry to local communities through various fundraising and outreach events.
Over the course of the weekend, Puthenpurayil heard advice from ACS leaders including the presidential succession and several members of the board of directors. He was able to network with other student leaders, early-career chemists, local section leaders, and attend a workshop for fostering innovation.
"I am honored and humbled to have received this award. The opportunity to meet with leadership in ACS from across the world was invaluable and one I will never forget,” said Puthenpurayil.
Since his first year, Puthenpurayil has been engaging in the undergraduate program in many ways such as doing computational chemical research of active matter systems in the Mallory Group, attending chemistry learning community events, and being a teaching and learning assistant for organic chemistry courses with associate teaching professor Joe Houck. As vice president of NCS, Puthenpurayil has been assisting with travel plans for 30 chemistry students to attend the ACS National Meeting in New Orleans in March.
“It has been great to work with Mark on my instructional team over the last two years,” said Houck. “He has thoughtful, constructive feedback and is always willing to go the extra mile. We are so proud of him. This is the third year in a row that one of our students received a leadership award!”
As a member of the Younger Chemists Committee (YCC), Houck was invited to the Leadership Institute where he co-facilitated for the Young Leaders Track, consisting of young chemist leaders and student leaders from around the world. Zack Rhoden, assistant teaching professor and assistant laboratory director of analytical chemistry at Penn State, also attended as a representative of the Central Pennsylvania Local Section of ACS and participated in the Local Section Leaders Track.
For more information on ACS and leadership development visit their website.