April 25, 2025
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IVCC chemistry students present poster during American Chemistry Society meeting

Sessions bring together chemistry, STEM clubs

By Derek Barichello
IVCC students (from left) Emily Tran, Violet Krider and Odin Klotz introduced the popular SciFest community science festival to an audience of chemistry and STEM students from across the country at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Diego, California.

IVCC students (from left) Emily Tran, Violet Krider and Odin Klotz introduced the popular SciFest community science festival to an audience of chemistry and STEM students from across the country at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Diego, California. (Photo provided by Peggy Schneider)

Three Illinois Valley Community College chemistry students and their professor, Matthew Johll, recently traveled to the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Diego, where the students gave a presentation about how to maintain a successful communitywide science festival.

IVCC’s festival, SciFest, returned Friday, just weeks after the Sci-Mix poster session presentation by Emily Tran, Violet Krider and Odin Klotz. The sessions bring together chemistry and STEM clubs from around the nation to share successful activities and projects with thousands of peers. The IVCC students recapped SciFest preparations, volunteer recruitment and materials maintenance between festivals.

The ACS convention drew 10,000 students, educators, scientists and industry professionals from around the world. Johll and his students also attended presentations on the history and development of science in the 1800s, current advancements in polymer science, professional development and networking, and – for Johll – enhancing college lab and classroom activities.

In the crowd of attendees hundreds of miles from the Illinois Valley, Johll was delighted to encounter a former student. Eliza Atkinson of Walnut, a 2023 IVCC graduate, is now studying biochemistry at Central Michigan University and was presenting her research paper at the ACS meeting.

Sci-Fest is open to the public for free starting at 7 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the gym on IVCC’s main campus in Oglesby.

Present and past fused together briefly during the American Chemical Society national meeting, which reunited IVCC graduate Eliza Atkinson (second from left) with Professor Matthew Johll. Atkinson, who now attends Central Michigan University, presented a research paper and three of Johll’s current students -- Odin Klotz, Emily Tran and Violet Krider -- presented a project poster.

Present and past fused together briefly during the American Chemical Society national meeting, which reunited Illinois Valley Community College graduate Eliza Atkinson (second from left) with professor Matthew Johll. Atkinson, who now attends Central Michigan University, presented a research paper, and three of Johll’s current students – Odin Klotz, Emily Tran and Violet Krider – presented a project poster. (Photo provided by Peggy Schneider)

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