Deadline: April 1, 2026
Recognizing community college science teachers who go above and beyond to inspire and support their students to pursue a career in science.
The Silicon Valley ACS Teacher-Scholar Award honors community college faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, mentoring and scholarship or who make impactful contributions to their communities through outstanding leadership and service.
The annual SVACS Teacher-Scholar Award spotlights the impactful contribution that California community colleges make to furthering the future of chemistry by supporting our next generation of scientists. Almost 51 percent of graduates of the California State University (CSU) system and 29 percent of the University of California (UC) system transferred from a California community college. The majority of these students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, for whom effective instruction is essential.
Initiated in 2008, the SVACS Teacher- Scholar Award was the first award of its kind to recognize specifically community college science educators. The rarity of an award in this category and the abundance of qualified candidates catalyzed our expanding eligibility beyond our immediate region to include chemistry faculty from any of the 116 California community colleges. The monetary award includes funds for travel to a chemistry-related event.
SVACS encourages all readers to identify and nominate qualified community college faculty. Nominations are being accepted through April 1, 2026.
