Clubs

FOCUS 2025-2026 Executive Board Application

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Females of Chemistry Uniting Scientists (FOCUS) is a student-run seminar series and community outreach program whose purpose is to promote awareness and understanding of the scientific achievements of prominent females within the field of chemistry. FOCUS promotes awareness of women’s achievements to inspire and encourage members of the scientific community.

FOCUS is now accepting applications for its 2025–2026 Executive Board — the next generation of leaders!

If you are interested in being more involved in the organization, being on the executive board is an excellent option, as it allows you a deeper insight into how an organization runs and what FOCUS does on campus within our scientific community.

If you have never been on an executive board, don’t worry! The current board members will help you transition into your new role!

Applications are due by Friday, August 15 at 5 PM.

Iota Sigma Pi, a National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry

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Iota Sigma Pi, the National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry, invites female and non-binary CBC students to apply for membership. Their group includes professional women chemists, teachers, and professors, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in the field of chemistry or allied fields.

Why join Iota Sigma Pi?

  • Nationwide Presence: Active chapters across the U.S. offer in-person and virtual programs, including professional talks, field trips, and social gatherings.
  • Support & Recognition: Dedicated to advancing women and non-binary individuals in chemistry, with awards for both students and professionals.
  • Networking & Mentorship: Connect with members from industry, government, and academia. The group is large enough to constitute a meaningful network, yet small enough for everyone to get to know one another
  • Prestigious Legacy: Five members have won Nobel Prizes. Future talks may feature recent Nobel laureates like Carolyn Bertozzi, Jennifer Doudna, and Emmanuelle Charpentier.

To qualify, undergraduate students must be women or non-binary individuals who have completed at least 4 semesters (or equivalent) of chemistry courses and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Applications are accepted online through Iota Sigma Pi’s website. Video instructions are available here.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Christine Hermann (Vice President of Iota Sigma Pi) at chermann@radford.edu or at 540-831-5413.

ACS Buckeye Chapter Undergraduate Symposium

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The Fall 2024 ACS Buckeye Chapter Undergraduate Symposium will take place on October 19th, from 9 am to 5 pm, in the CBEC Lobby.

The symposium agenda includes:

  • lightning oral presentations (10 min presentation w/ 5 min Q&A)
  • graduate student panel
  • poster session
  • provided lunch and refreshments
  • awards ceremony with prizes given to the top two presentations and posters

This symposium is open only to undergraduates at The Ohio State University.

All disciplines are welcome! Not chemistry exclusively.

Abstract submissions are due by September 23 at 11:59 pm.

If you have questions regarding the symposium, email ACS Buckeye Chapter president, Alexander Zumock at zumock.2@osu.edu.

Further information regarding the symposium and the abstracts, including how to submit, can be found on the ACS Buckeye Chapter’s website.

Volunteer: STEM Outreach at Local Elementary Schools

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Scientific Thinkers is a student organization and volunteer program at OSU. Through the organization, volunteers have the opportunity to travel to local elementary schools and engage students with fun, interactive science lessons. The schools the organization serves are comprised largely of underrepresented minority students in STEM. Scientific Thinkers gives volunteers the chance to gain leadership skills, communicate science topics to a variety of age groups, and excite young children about STEM!

Scientific Thinkers will visit two schools this semester: Parkmoor and Mansion Day. Visits to Mansion Day will take place on Wednesdays from 3:30pm–5:30pm from January 31–March 6. Visits to Parkmoor will take place once a month on Wednesday from 10:15–12:15. Dates are still being confirmed with Parkmoor. All times include travel times to and from campus.

If you are interested in volunteering, program orientation will take place on Wednesday, January 24th at 7:00pm in the Physics Research Building room 1080. If you cannot attend the orientation but are still interested in the club, you can contact club president Elly Yoder at yoder.459@osu.edu or reach out to scientificthinkers@gmail.com.

Bio-Hack (Pre-Med Opportunity)

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This year, Ohio State student org Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) will be hosting its 5th annual Bio-Hack, a weekend-long hackathon full of engineering, learning, networking, and innovation. The event will be held November 4-5, 2023. Bio-Hack gives students a unique experiential learning opportunity to build and engineer health technologies in a welcoming and supportive environment.

The theme this year is Patient Safety. Each year there are over 125,000 patient deaths each year due to medical errors, so BMES wants participants to develop solutions to mitigate the risk of these errors in areas such as medications, surgery, diagnosis, infection, and patient care. This is a great opportunity for students interested in healthcare to experience both the clinical and technical innovations of the field.

Teams can take inspiration from challenges presented by supporting companies and organizations. After the 24-hour “hacking” session is over, teams present their projects to industry experts and judges to get feedback and compete for prizes.

Compete to win up to $500 in prizes with food and drinks provided!

Deadline to register is October 29.

“Donut Stress” – A Midterm Destress Event by ChemTalks

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To help students destress during this particularly busy time of the semester, OSU student org ChemTALKS has organized “Donut Stress,” a delightful break from your studies and research. CHemTALKS believes that this event will be of particular interest to undergraduates looking for a supportive community within the Chemistry Department. 

Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am
Location: CBEC 267

At “Donut Stress” the members of ChemTALKS have prepared a relaxing experience just for you. Here’s what you can look forward to:

  • Delicious Donuts: Treat yourself to a variety of scrumptious donuts that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth.
  • Coffee: Enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee or water to keep your energy up. (Bring your own mug!)
  • Therapy Dog: Spend quality time with adorable therapy dog Ashby who is guaranteed to bring smiles to your face and relieve stress.

Donuts, coffee, and time with Ashby the therapy dog are free; but the event is BYOM (bring your own mug).

If you have any questions or want to join our organization, feel free to reach out to us at chemtalks@buckeyemail.osu.edu.

FOCUS Recruitment Event

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Females of Chemistry Uniting Scientists (FOCUS) is a student-run seminar series and community outreach program whose purpose is to promote awareness and understanding of the scientific achievements of prominent females within the field of chemistry, an underrepresented group in science. FOCUS promotes awareness of women’s achievements to inspire and encourage females, minorities, and other members of the scientific community.

On Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm in CBEC 267, Females of Chemistry Uniting Scientists (FOCUS) is hosting a Barbie themed recruitment event!

The event will begin with a short presentation about who FOCUS is, what the group stands for, what they have accomplished, and what they hope to accomplish the upcoming year. After that, attendees will split up into teams for Barbie/STEM trivia to promote team bonding.

Snacks, drinks, and pizza will be provided!

You are encouraged to attend the event to learn more about FOCUS and see how you can get involved. All are welcome to join!

Volunteer Opportunity at Columbus Elementary Schools

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Scientific Thinkers is a student organization and volunteer program here at The Ohio State University. Through Scientific Thinkers, OSU students have the opportunity to positively impact the Columbus community by sharing their knowledge with elementary students by way of interactive lessons and experiments. The schools the organization serves are comprised largely of underrepresented minority students in STEM and have limited STEM resources within their school. Scholars students can benefit from joining Scientific Thinkers by gaining experience in teaching a unique age group, increasing their leadership skills, and expanding their ability to communicate their knowledge of STEM topics to a variety of age groups.

The program is highly rewarding and is a great way to complete community service and outreach requirements. More information can be found at https://u.osu.edu/cemscientificthinkers/. Students can view the program calendar and determine if their availability works. If students are interested they should attend a mandatory orientation on Wednesday,  February 1 at 1:00 PM in 1080 Physics Research Building. Interested students may also email scientificthinkers@gmail.com to schedule a make-up orientation.

Stop Apologizing Workshop

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FOCUS (Females of Chemistry Uniting Scientists) invites you to their Stop Apologizing Workshop on Tuesday, November 1st at 6 pm in CBEC 267.

Join FOCUS in learning practical strategies for boosting confidence and to stop apologizing in your professional life. There will be pizza and refreshments provided.

FOCUS is not limited to females, all who support diversity in science are welcome!