On Tuesday, October 20th, local chemists, physicists, and professors, as well as Stockton students, gathered at Gourmet Italian Cuisine in Pomona for a meeting of the South Jersey chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
The meeting began with a social hour, followed by dinner in a private room. The food was incredible: a ravioli appetizer, garlic bread, salad, chicken or salmon with wild rice, and three-layer chocolate mousse for desert. After dinner was over, Stockton’s own Dr. Elizabeth Pollock gave a presentation entitled “Science and Pseudoscience in Nutrition,” which examined the credibility of current nutrition research, as well as the challenges faced by scientists and doctors when organizing nutritional studies.
This was my first South Jersey ACS meeting, and to be honest it was nothing like I’d expected. I had assumed (incorrectly) that the attendees would mainly be students, but less than a quarter of those who attend were in college. Instead, many of the attendees were professionals working in various fields: I met a man who worked at a chemical glass manufacturing center; there were two women who worked at the Hammonton police research facility; there was a physics professor from Rowan. They were all extremely welcoming (when I stumbled into Gourmet by myself, directed by a server in the general direction of the bar), kind, funny, and extremely devoted to their respective careers. That is one thing I truly admire about chemists: they always seem to harbor an incredible sense of excitement regarding their work.
Between the great food, enticing presentation, and welcoming chemists, I can’t wait to attend another South Jersey ACS meeting.