Welcome to the Northern WV Local Section's Website!

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Welcome to the Northern WV Local Section's Website!

The Northern West Virginia section was chartered in 1922 and is the oldest of the three ACS local sections in West Virginia.  Our section's territory includes Barbour, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Upshur counties - covering almost 4800 square miles.  Six universities/colleges are situated in our territory.  These educational institutions, along with two US government institutions and a half-dozen corporations employ the majority of our membership.  We currently have 219 local members. Our membership is 78% male, 22% female.  Nine percent of our members are in their twenties and roughtly the same percentage of our members are over 75 years in age.

Our local section has had many dedicated volunteers over the years who have participated in outreach activities to our schools and community, met together for professional meetings, social networking, and the exchange of ideas, and made themselves available to answer chemistry questions for the community at large.

Each year the Northern West Virginia Section of the American Chemical Society awards a junior chemistry major from each participating college or university. This has been an ongoing effort since 1967. Students are chosen by a committee from each participating institution and selection is based on grades, lab successes, and personal accomplishment.

Awards and recognition from NWVACS are presented annually to high school students (and their teachers) from counties in our Section, based on student performance on written tests for first- and second-year chemistry, administered in March at college and university locations throughout the Section.  The tests are also used to help select ten nominees from the NWVACS to compete further in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO).  

The NWV Section also offers students grants that encourage professional development activities, including grant writing. Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Chemistry Education majors get priority funding. Grants range from $50.00 to $200.00, with larger amounts considered. These grants are issued by the student grants committee.

The NWV Section has also administered a K-12 Teacher Grants program since 2015. Our goal is to fund small equipment and supplies purchases and/or professional development activities (up to $400) for K-12 teachers at any school in WV, with preference to schools in the geographical region covered by our NWVACS Section.   All chemistry-oriented professional activities are supported, but proposals that clearly involve students or outreach to the public receive preference. 

Each year a Spring Banquet is held to honor recipients of the grants and awards.