Outreach Volunteer of the Year (VOTY) awards recognize the immeasurable efforts made by ACS local section and international chapter volunteers who conduct outreach and teach the public about chemistry. ACS presents awardees with a small gift and a certificate during a meeting or event. The awardees are also recognized at the annual ChemLuminary Awards, on social media, and in a special article in C&EN.
Beginning in 2021, CCA will select one VOTY awardee from a local section or international chapter to be named the ACS Global Outreach Volunteer of the Year. Additionally, in 2021, CCA will leverage the VOTY program to recognize volunteers who were dynamic in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020. Since ACS groups were discouraged from planning in-person events and, instead, encouraged to plan virtual chemistry events, CCA will leverage the 2021 ACS Global Outreach Volunteer of the Year award to name the most outstanding volunteer who planned virtual events in 2020.
Dr. Kevin Simpson has gone above and beyond expectations in providing support for the San Gorgonio Section. The section's annual meeting is normally held at UC Riverside, and Kevin has taken responsibility for organizing the logistics (conference facilities, meals/refreshments, student volunteer involvement, parking, signage, etc). He has also coordinated the laboratory portion of the Chemistry Olympiad National Exam Part II, making necessary facilities and supplies available and arranging access for the participants.