Northern Oklahoma Local Section

What is the Olympiad? It's a nationwide competition to find the best Chemistry students in America.  It is managed by the American Chemical Society and students write two tests. The first is at the end of March where the top students in each local area are found. These winners then take part in a national exam in April to find the best in America.  Sophomores, Junior and Seniors can take part. How does it work? Volunteers from the local branch of ACS give one-hour classes once a week, usually from 7pm to 8pm from early January until the test in late March. They were done in a classroom until 2021 when they moved to virtual.  In 2022 we hope to be back in class as much as we can.  All our tutors are practicing Chemists and Engineers so we can add some examples of things we do to bring the things we teach in the classroom to real life. What are the goals? Find the best students who win cash prizes from the American Chemical Society. Improve Chemistry grades. Learn about careers involving Chemistry.  HAVE FUN Who are we? Mr. Gary Layman - He is our link to Bartlesville High School where we give classes and he stays late, very late, on teaching nights. Dr. Keith Lawson - Program coordinator and tutor. 2022 will be my 11th year of doing the Olympiad and I love it.  Teaching committed young students is a fantastic way to give back to Chemistry for the long and incredible career that it has given me. Laura and Dan Nielsen - Our so-cool tutors. Raj Kailasam - Our webpage guy at the Northern Oklahoma American Chemical Society. 2021 Winners Rachel - Top Sophomore 2021 Suchi Jain - Top Junior 2021 (The ACS Chemistry Olympiad has always been an insightful and eye-opening experience for me. Keith and his team have always demonstrated how Chemistry can be seen and applied anywhere in the world. Through the ACS program, I have developed a deep appreciation for Chemistry and my career choice involves applying Chemistry to everyday life!!). Jarrett Moore - Runner-up Sophomore (Chemistry Olympiad is a great way to learn chemistry while having fun at the same time! It’s really interesting how much you understand after doing it). Morgan King - Chemistry Olympiad is a great way to learn chemistry while having fun at the same time! It’s really interesting how much you understand after doing it.   How to Sign Up? To be eligible to sign up, you have to be a resident of one of the following nine counties - Washington, Osage, Kay, Grant, Noble, Garfield, Nowata, Craig, or Delaware. Make a commitment to attend about 12 classes from January to March 2022. And when we say commitment, we mean it.  We took this picture when the room where we planned to meet was closed and the students did class outside, in February! Go Morgan, Go Suchi! Have access to a device that can work with a Zoom meeting for when we meet virtually. E-mail Keith at khlawson58@gmail.com. ... View more

Zhou Chen, Chair Zhou Chen earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC, CAS), China in 2012 and then worked with Prof. Maurice Brookhart as a Postdoctoral Fellow over five years at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Houston. He currently works for Chevron Phillips as a Research Chemist. His research interests span organometallic chemistry and catalysis. In his spare time, he is enjoying traveling with his family.   Masud Monwar, Chair Masud Monwar earned his Ph.D. from the University of Akron with a focus on the characterization of complex polymer systems utilizing NMR spectroscopy techniques. He also received training at the Central Experimental Station of DuPont as an intern and at UW-Madison as a post-doctoral researcher. After pursuing academic careers at Florida State University and Texas A & M for a few years, Masud joined Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. in 2013. Currently, he is the Team Leader of the Polymer Characterization group. Masud has been a member of ACS for 9 years, and has authored/ co-authored two books, two book chapters and a dozen research article in peer-reviewed journals. He enjoys cooking, gardening and road trips when he takes a break from science.   Vicky Suding, Secretary Vicky joined Phillips 66 in 2017 after earning a BS in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She is currently a Senior Associate Technician in the Organic Photovoltaics group working on small area device fabrication and testing. She has been a member of the ACS for 5 years.   Raj Kailasam, Treasurer Raj Kailasam has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Montana with a focus on contaminant removal from water systems. Prior to joining Phillips 66, Raj worked for Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. (formerly Sylvania); where he worked in the field of powder metallurgy, hydrometallurgy, refractory metal separations, and rare earth metals recovery. He currently works as a Research Scientist for Phillips 66 Research Center in the Water Research Group. He has experience serving in various ACS sections in the past and he hopes to serve well in the NOK-ACS section as well.   Randy Heald, Councilor Randy has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Nebraska and is a thirty-five-year member of ACS. Randy recently retired from Phillips 66 after a twenty-nine-year career. Apart from a two-year stint at the Borger Refinery, Randy spent his career at the Phillips 66 Research Center where, beginning in 2001, he held a series of management positions. Randy has been a member of the organizing committee for the Bartlesville District Science Fair since 2006 and was the director for the last four years. From 2002 to 2006 Randy led the organizing committee for NOKACS National Chemistry Week activities.   John Hays, Alternate Councilor John earned a PhD in Physics from Oklahoma State University in 1994, researching the linear and nonlinear spectroscopy of II-VI and III-V semiconductors. He has taught Physics and Physical Sciences at Oklahoma State University and Bartlesville Wesleyan College (now Oklahoma Wesleyan University). Join joined Phillips Petroleum R&D in 1996, working in physical properties of materials, and was sent to work in the laboratory at Phillips Sweeny Refinery shortly afterwards. He returned to R&D in 2006 and worked in the area of heavy metals for several years before becoming part of Water Research. He is currently in Analytical Sciences, working in the Process Chemistry group, which assists Phillips 66 facilities with operational problems.   Chad Ellis, Awards Chair Chad grew up in central Virginia, ultimately graduating from Carnegie Mellon in 2010 with his PhD in chemistry.  He continued studying at Cornell as a postdoc and moved to Bartlesville in 2013 to develop technologies for Phillips 66 and now Chevron Phillips Chemical.  He has served NOKACS since 2018, and is looking forward to serving as Award Chair in 2021.  In his spare time, he enjoys fishing with his kids.   ... View more

Zhou Chen, Chair Zhou Chen earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC, CAS), China in 2012 and then worked with Prof. Maurice Brookhart as a Postdoctoral Fellow over five years at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Houston. He currently works for Chevron Phillips as a Research Chemist. His research interests span organometallic chemistry and catalysis. In his spare time, he is enjoying traveling with his family.   Masud Monwar, Chair Masud Monwar earned his Ph.D. from the University of Akron with a focus on the characterization of complex polymer systems utilizing NMR spectroscopy techniques. He also received training at the Central Experimental Station of DuPont as an intern and at UW-Madison as a post-doctoral researcher. After pursuing academic careers at Florida State University and Texas A & M for a few years, Masud joined Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. in 2013. Currently, he is the Team Leader of the Polymer Characterization group. Masud has been a member of ACS for 9 years, and has authored/ co-authored two books, two book chapters and a dozen research article in peer-reviewed journals. He enjoys cooking, gardening and road trips when he takes a break from science.   Vicky Suding, Secretary Vicky joined Phillips 66 in 2017 after earning a BS in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She is currently a Senior Associate Technician in the Organic Photovoltaics group working on small area device fabrication and testing. She has been a member of the ACS for 5 years.   Raj Kailasam, Treasurer Raj Kailasam has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Montana with a focus on contaminant removal from water systems. Prior to joining Phillips 66, Raj worked for Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. (formerly Sylvania); where he worked in the field of powder metallurgy, hydrometallurgy, refractory metal separations, and rare earth metals recovery. He currently works as a Research Scientist for Phillips 66 Research Center in the Water Research Group. He has experience serving in various ACS sections in the past and he hopes to serve well in the NOK-ACS section as well.   Randy Heald, Councilor Randy has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Nebraska and is a thirty-five-year member of ACS. Randy recently retired from Phillips 66 after a twenty-nine-year career. Apart from a two-year stint at the Borger Refinery, Randy spent his career at the Phillips 66 Research Center where, beginning in 2001, he held a series of management positions. Randy has been a member of the organizing committee for the Bartlesville District Science Fair since 2006 and was the director for the last four years. From 2002 to 2006 Randy led the organizing committee for NOKACS National Chemistry Week activities.   John Hays, Alternate Councilor John earned a PhD in Physics from Oklahoma State University in 1994, researching the linear and nonlinear spectroscopy of II-VI and III-V semiconductors. He has taught Physics and Physical Sciences at Oklahoma State University and Bartlesville Wesleyan College (now Oklahoma Wesleyan University). Join joined Phillips Petroleum R&D in 1996, working in physical properties of materials, and was sent to work in the laboratory at Phillips Sweeny Refinery shortly afterwards. He returned to R&D in 2006 and worked in the area of heavy metals for several years before becoming part of Water Research. He is currently in Analytical Sciences, working in the Process Chemistry group, which assists Phillips 66 facilities with operational problems.   Chad Ellis, Awards Chair Chad grew up in central Virginia, ultimately graduating from Carnegie Mellon in 2010 with his PhD in chemistry.  He continued studying at Cornell as a postdoc and moved to Bartlesville in 2013 to develop technologies for Phillips 66 and now Chevron Phillips Chemical.  He has served NOKACS since 2018, and is looking forward to serving as Award Chair in 2021.  In his spare time, he enjoys fishing with his kids.   ... View more

More than 25 volunteers from Phillips 66 and CPChem gathered to assemble chemistry kits to help 4 th and 5 th graders participate in National Chemistry Week. Approximately 1900 kits were assembled and are being delivered to 20 different schools in Northeastern Oklahoma (school list below). A video walkthrough of the experiments is also being prepared to walk students through the experiments. School list: Hoover Jane Phillips Ranch Heights Richard Kane Wayside Wilson Dewey Osage Hills Caney Valley Barnsdall St. John Wesleyan Caney, KS Pawhuska Nowata Bowring OK Union Ponca City - Garfield Ponca City - McCord Ponca City - Kildare ... View more