Local Section Public Relations Awards

These awards are given to local sections by the Committee on Public Relations and Communications in an effort to recognize outstanding efforts by local sections to promote chemistry to the public.

Two awards are given each year, one recognizing small to medium sized local sections and one recognizing medium large to very large local sections. These awards are presented at the fall national meeting each year at the ChemLuminary Awards Ceremony.

2002 Awards

Local Section Public Relations (Small to Medium) Award

Nashville Local Section – Under the direction of new public relations chair Preston MacDougall, the Nashville section received media coverage for meetings and activities from several area daily and weekly newspapers and multiple magazines including the August 2001 edition of “Nature Magazine.” In addition, the section received local radio, web site, and television coverage and distributed 4,000 flyers to schools.

Local Section Public Relations (Medium Large to Very Large) Award

Cincinnati Local Section – In 2001, Cincinnati worked with two local newspapers -- the Post and the Enquirer -- to share information about National Chemistry week with students at more than 800 area schools. The newspapers included lessons and activities related to chemistry each day, and students received daily copies of the newspapers -- 95,000 copies in all -- along with information from ACS. Additional coverage appeared in a local newspaper column for children, on a variety of area web sites, and on cable television, and the section publicized events at area libraries, on cable television, and at museums and schools.

2001 Awards

Local Section Public Relations (Small to Medium) Award

Idaho Local Section – in 2000, Idaho received newspaper coverage for meetings and activities from daily and weekly newspapers and the trade press. Additionally, the section received television coverage from NBC, ABC, and CBS local affiliates. Coverage included TV community calendars, press conferences, interviews with International Chemistry Olympiad winners, and the Chemical Magic Show kickoff for a three-week National Chemistry celebration.

Local Section Public Relations (Medium Large to Very Large) Award

Columbus Local Section – In 2000, Columbus received media coverage from the CBS local affiliate on ChemDemos for the “Good Chemistry is Everywhere” project devoted to increasing public awareness of cancer, chemotherapy, drug interactions, and exposure risks of chemicals. This is a joint project of the Columbus Local Section and the American Cancer Society. In addition, many newspaper articles were generated about section events and meetings.