Lehigh Valley American Chemical Society Ned Heindel Organic Chemistry Scholarship Competition

On Saturday, April 25th, 2026, students Weronika Swojak and McKenna Kulick participated in the Lehigh Valley American Chemical Society (LVACS) Ned Heindel Organic Chemistry Scholarship Competition. This year, there were 15 student participants representing Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian University, and Muhlenberg College.

The competition entails taking the ACS Organic Chemistry Examination, submitting a brief one-page letter of recommendation from the student's organic chemistry professor, and writing an essay on a topic in organic chemistry. Weronika's paper, "Misunderstandings of Organic Chemistry During COVID-19," discussed the use of amantadine as a treatment. McKenna's paper, "Epinephrine: The Life-Saving Chemical in My Purse," discussed its synthesis and role in saving lives.