Northern Oklahoma Local Section

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

Greetings from Pittsburg State University, MOKANOK section is hosting 2020 ACS Pentasectional meeting at Pittsburg State University on Saturday, April 18, 2020. Abstracts for the oral presentations will be accepted in the following areas: Analytical Chemical Education Energy and Environmental Inorganic/Organometallic/Catalysis Organic/Biochemistry/Nanotechnology/Polymer Physical/Computational   A general poster session accepting submissions from all fields of chemistry will be held. There will be a special poster session for high school students in all the above-mentioned areas. Please use the attached template for the abstract submission. The deadline for the abstract submission is March 09, 2020. Please use the link given below for more information, registration and abstract submission. https://pittstate.edu/campaign/events/acs-pentasectional-meeting.html  Thank you very much.   Best regards Dr. Ram Gupta ... View more

2020 Section Officers Chair Dr. Varadharjan Kailasam Chair-Elect Dr. Zhou Chen Immediate Past Chair Dr. Chad Ellis Secretary Dr. Ken Lassen Treasurer Ms. Miranda Rine Councilor Dr. Randall Heald 2019-2021 Alternate Councilor Dr. John Hays 2019-2021 Click here to learn more about each of the Northern Oklahoma Section Officers ... View more

During the annual end-of-year gathering at the Heritage Theater in Dewey OK, the Northern Oklahoma ACS Councilor Randy Heald gave an update about the governance and operation of the American Chemical Society. Randy Heald has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Nebraska and retired from Phillips 66 in 2018 after a 28-year career.  Currently, Randy serves as the councilor for our local ACS section.  In addition, Randy spends his time teaching Physical Science at a small community college in Kansas and working with the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance to start a science fair in Tulsa. ... View more