Chemistry Olympiad Mentors

Mentors play a vital role in preparing the nation’s brightest high school students to compete in the International Chemistry Olympiad. Each year, they guide the top 20 students from the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad at a study camp through a series of practice problems to test student skills and ultimately select the U.S. team for the International competition.

Mentor Duties and Responsibilities

Mentors are high school teachers and college faculty who serve a 3-year term and receive an honorarium. They are chosen every June and begin their term in September. ACS will provide mentors with a handbook containing detailed guidelines on duties and responsibilities. Most expenses associated with the study camp and the International Chemistry Olympiad are paid by ACS.

Mentors must attend the annual U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Subcommittee meeting in Washington, D.C., and a pre-camp meeting in Colorado Springs to develop practice tests for the June study camp.

A mentor’s first summer is spent at the study camp. For the second and third summer, mentors accompany competitors of the International Chemistry Olympiad, where they also serve as a member of the International Jury.

Pre-Study Camp

The next study camp will be April 2010 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Mentors attend a pre-study camp to:

• Develop practice problems, study guides and lesson plans in advance of the June study camp
• Determine fair testing material to prepare students for the international competition
• Determine daily schedules, faculty staffing and additional curriculum requirements for the study camp

Mentors use practice problems provided by the host country of the International Chemistry Olympiad to narrow the scope of the testing material. The practice set typically contains as many as 50 theoretical and 10 laboratory problems covering physical, inorganic, organic, analytical, industrial, environmental, and biochemistry.

Olympiad Study Camp

The Olympiad Study Camp will be held June 9-24, 2010, in Colorado Springs, CO.

The two-week Olympiad study camp is held in June at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. If needed, mentors may choose to convene face-to-face or by conference call to determine curriculum, faculty, and daily schedules for the two-week camp.

Mentors arrive two days before the camp begins to test experiments, check procedures, write instructions, determine what solutions need to be made and what glassware must be procured.

During the camp, mentors and students become a family unit. All participants live in the same dorm facility, eat all meals together, and share bathrooms and telephones. Mentors are also expected to monitor and motivate the students to behave maturely and to achieve their potential during the study camp experience.

Become a Mentor

Are you a chemistry educator with a broad background in both theoretical and descriptive chemistry? Do you want to get involved in special projects or activities? If you’re interested in mentoring the country’s brightest chemistry students, we are currently accepting applications for the 2011-2013 College mentor position.

Apply to be a 2011-2013 College Mentor

For more information, email us.

Current and Past Mentors

2010 Mentors

• Kimberly Gardner
  US Air Force Academy, CO, Head mentor
• Kristin Fletcher
  US Air Force Academy, CO, 2^nd year College mentor
• Ara Kahyaoglu
  Bergenfield High School, NJ, 1^st year High School mentor

2009 Mentors

• John C. Kotz
  Professor Emeritus, College of Oneonta, NY, College mentor
• Linda Wood
  Lowndes High School, GA, High School mentor
• Kristin Fletcher
  US Air Force Academy, CO, Mentor
• Andrew Freddo
  California Institute of Technology, CA, Peer mentor

2008 Mentors

• Kara Pezzi
  Appleton East High School, WI, Head mentor
• Will Lynch
  Armstrong Atlantic State University, GA, Second year mentor
• Owen Priest
  Northwestern University, IL, First year mentor
• J.L. Kiappes
  Rice University, TX, Peer mentor

2007 Mentors

• John C. Kotz
  College of Oneonta, NY, Head mentor
• Kara Pezzi
  Appleton East High School, WI, Second year mentor
• Will Lynch
  Armstrong Atlantic State University, GA, First year mentor
• J.L. Kiappes
  Rice University, TX, Peer mentor

2006 Mentors

• Roxanna Allen
  St. John's School, TX, Head mentor
• John C. Kotz
  College of Oneonta, NY, Second year mentor
• Kara Pezzi
  Appleton East High School, WI, First year mentor
• J.L. Kiappes
  Rice University, TX, Peer mentor

2005 Mentors

• Nadine Szczepanski
  MacMurray College, IL, Head mentor
• Roxanna Allen
  St. John's School, TX, Second year mentor
• John C. Kotz
  College of Oneonta, NY, First year mentor
• Wei Ho
  Princeton University, NJ, Peer mentor

2004 Mentors

• Todd Trout
  Lancaster Country Day School, PA, Head mentor
• Nadine Szczepanski
  MacMurray College, IL, Second year mentor
• Roxanna Allen
  St. John's School, TX, First year mentor

2003 Mentors

• Neal Sumerlin
  Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA, Head mentor
• Todd Trout
  Lancaster Country Day School, Lancaster, PA, Second year mentor
• Loretta Dorn
  Fort Hyas State University, KS, First year mentor

2002 Mentors

• Jane Nagurney
  Scranton Preparatory School, PA, Head mentor
• Neal Sumerlin
  Lynchburg College, VA, Second year mentor
• Todd Trout
  Lancaster Country Day School, PA, First year mentor

2001 Mentors

• Nadine Szczepanski
  MacMurray College, IL, Head mentor
• Jane Nagurney
  Scranton Preparatory School, PA, Second year mentor
• Neal Sumerlin
  Lynchburg College, VA, First year mentor