NCW’s Silver Anniversary

Abstract

Nanotechnology made a major foray into the public spotlight during this year’s National Chemistry Week (NCW), which took place at venues across the U.S. on Oct. 21–27. The American Chemical Society’s Committee on Community Activities (CCA) coordinates the weeklong celebration with help from the ACS Office of Volunteer Support. This year’s event featured a theme of “Nanotechnology: The Smallest Big Idea in Science!” It marked the 25th anniversary of NCW, which was launched in 1987 as National Chemistry Day by the late George C. Pimentel, past-president of ACS. ACS local sections around the U.S. quickly adopted the celebration, and in 1993 National Chemistry Day became National Chemistry Week. “I think George would have been very pleased at what ACS has done with NCW and how much energy they’ve put into it,” says Pimentel’s widow, Jeanne. NCW is now ACS’s largest annual outreach effort to inform the public about the importance ...