Terrific Science leader receives award for lifelong science outreach efforts

Philadelphia, August 20 — Mickey Sarquis, a Miami University professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was honored August 19 by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, for helping people understand how chemistry affects their lives.  She received the 2008 Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach at the ChemLuminary ceremony, one of the highlights of the ACS national meeting in Philadelphia.

By bringing to life mottos such as “When you capture a teacher, you capture a generation,” and “Chemistry is for everyone,” Mickey Sarquis has created award-winning Terrific Science programming within the Center for Chemistry Education. Over the past 25 years, more than 21,500 kindergarten through college educators within the U.S. have participated in Terrific Science courses. Her pioneering efforts in teacher professional development and teacher resource publication have become national and international models. A strong proponent of active learning, Mickey has forged enduring partnerships between academia and industry to build fun, engaging, and relevant experiences for children and teachers of all ages. She has published more than 60 books (including the popular Teaching Science with TOYS series) and is a widely traveled guest lecturer and tour speaker.

For her efforts, Mickey has been awarded the national Chemical Manufacturers Association Catalyst Award and The Ohio Academy of Science Outstanding University Educator Award. She has also been awarded more than $15 million in grant funds from federal, state, and numerous industrial sources. Within ACS, she has held positions as Chair of the Division of Chemical Education and consultant to the ACS Committee of Education, and she was the first high school editor of the Journal of Chemical Education (1979‑96).

The Helen M. Free Award was established in 1995 to recognize outstanding achievements in public outreach. A former president of the ACS, Dr. Free initiated many programs and activities designed to improve the public’s awareness of chemistry’s contributions to the quality of daily life.