GEOC Newsletter: Fall 2025
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Dear GEOC Members,
I’m honored to write to you as Chair of the ACS Geochemistry Division and to share highlights from our vibrant community. Your enthusiasm and service continue to elevate GEOC and strengthen our collective impact.
I’m pleased to report that the GEOC symposia at the Fall 2025 meeting in Washington, DC were a resounding success. We sponsored eight symposia, featuring more than 100 oral and 20 poster presentations. Sincere thanks to the organizers, presenters, and volunteers for making this possible. We look forward to expanding this momentum to future meetings, including the Spring 2026 meeting in Atlanta, GA, and the Fall 2026 meeting in Chicago, IL.
We also celebrate the induction of Dr. Anastasia G. Ilgen, a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories, as a 2025 ACS Fellow. Dr. Ilgen has led major DOE-funded efforts as lead PI and in leadership roles at multiple research centers and initiatives. She has served our division for 11 years, including her current service on the ACS Geochemistry Division Medal Committee.
Finally, our annual election for Executive Committee roles is approaching. We will be selecting a Program Chair-Elect, Treasurer, and Alternate Councilor to help guide the Division’s programs and community service. Please see the “Call for Nomination: GEOC Fall 2025 Election” Section for details on the positions, nomination process, and timeline, and consider nominating colleagues or yourself!
Thank you again for your continued commitment to GEOC. Together, we will foster a welcoming, collaborative community that supports students and early-career scientists and promotes innovation and excellence in geochemistry at ACS meetings and beyond.
Best regards,
Sang Soo Lee
Chair of the ACS Geochemistry Division
WRAP-UP OF FALL 2025 MEETING
The GEOC Division hosted a successful Fall meeting program in Washington DC, August 17-21, 2025. The vibrancy of the Fall meeting program continues to rebound post-Covid. The Division sponsored eight symposia with 130 submitted abstracts. Our program was distributed over three days, with parallel sessions at most times divided roughly between more fundamental geochemistry (crystal growth, mineral-water interfaces, phosphorus) and the geochemistry of natural resources (critical materials, methane, tight rocks).
Starting in 2025, ACS is experimenting with a smaller Fall meeting—about 2/3 of the size of the Spring meeting, with one less day of programming and a higher ratio of posters to oral presentations. This had minimal impact on the Division program. Most GEOC sessions were located in the Westin hotel. The setting was intimate, and presentations were well attended with lively discussion. The Division held a social event at Prost, attended by about 40 people, with good cheer, tasty food, and authentic German beer.
The Division celebrated three winners of our Student Travel Award and two winners of our Early-Career Travel Awards. Thanks to all who submitted an extended abstract! We had many strong contributions. For the Student Travel Award, the winners are John Michael Aguilar (U Buffalo SUNY), Felipe Santos (U of Sao Paulo), and Seneca Velling (CalTech). For the Early-Career Travel Award, the winners are Bupmo Kim (Argonne National Lab) and Xiaojin Zheng (Princeton). Award winners each received a $200 prize and a waiver of their conference registration fee.
Left to right: Fall 2025 travel award winners John Michael Aguilar, Felipe Santos, Seneca Velling, Bupmo Kim, and Xiaojin Zheng.
One lesson learned from the conference is the need to further elevate the visibility of the GEOC posters. The Division is considering potential ways to achieve this at an upcoming conference.
Warm thanks to everyone who attended, and hoping to see even more of you at the next meeting!
Best wishes,
Ian C. Bourg
2025 Program Chair
ACS FELLOW 2025:
DR. ANASTASIA G. ILGEN
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Anastasia G. Ilgen, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories, was elected as an ACS 2025 Fellow. Dr. Ilgen was one of 36 new fellows who are honored for their contributions to science.
https://cen.acs.org/people/awards/ACS-names-2025-fellows/103/web/2025/07
Dr. Anastasia G. Ilgen has demonstrated exceptional leadership and scientific innovation throughout her career. She serves as the lead principal investigator for the Basic Energy Sciences Geochemistry Core Program at Sandia National Laboratories and has held key roles such as Deputy Director for the Center for Chemo-mechanics of Cementitious Composites for Enhanced Geothermal Systems. Her innovative research includes discovering lanthanide coordination in metal-organic frameworks for critical material separations, identifying chemical pathways in porous materials for environmental applications, and elucidating mineral surface reactions relevant to subsurface engineering.
In addition to her scientific achievements, Dr. Ilgen has made significant contributions to the ACS Geochemistry Division. She has held service and leadership roles, including Membership Chair, Program Chair, Division Chair, and two-time Division Councilor, organized record-breaking programs at ACS meetings, and created initiatives to grow membership. Her commitment extends to sustainability efforts, serving on the ACS Committee on Environment and Sustainability and contributing to policy statements on climate and water. Dr. Ilgen’s interdisciplinary approach and dedication to advancing science and sustainability make her a standout leader in the field.
Congratulations, Anastasia!
*Nominations for the 2026 class of ACS fellows will open in early 2026. Information about the program, including a list of previously named fellows, is available at www.acs.org/fellows. Contact the Division Chair, Sang Soo Lee (sslee@anl.gov), or the Program Chair, Ian C. Bourg (bourg@princeton.edu) for further details.
ACS SPRING 2026: CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
The Geochemistry Division will host an exciting program of 14 symposia at the ACS Spring 2026 meeting in Atlanta, GA, from March 22 to 26, 2026. Abstract submissions are open until September 29, 2025. Late submissions may be possible until December 1, 2025. Please contact the Program Chairs, Ian C. Bourg and Vitalii Starchenko, by email (bourg@princeton.edu and starchenkov@ornl.gov) for inquiry.
Molecular Frontiers and Interdisciplinary Pathways in Geochemistry: Honoring the Scientific Legacy of James D. Kubicki
Conveners: Nadine Kabengi (Georgia State), Yuanzhi Tang (Georgia Tech).
Geosciences from the Molecular to Pore Scale: A Tribute to David Cole
Conveners: Larry Anovitz (Oak Ridge National Lab), Alberto Striolo (U Oklahoma).
X-ray and Neutron Scattering, Spectroscopy, and Imaging Applications in Geochemical and Environmental Research
Conveners: Peng Yang (Brookhaven National Lab), Si Athena Chen (Oak Ridge National Lab), Anna Wanhala (Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource).
Advancing Resource Recovery for Critical Minerals
Conveners: Ching-Hua Huang (Georgia Tech), Yuanzhi Tang (Georgia Tech), Amisha Shah (Purdue), Young-Shin Jun (WUStL).
Methane: Chemistry of a Greenhouse Gas
Conveners: Joe Sabol (Chem Consult), Kristen Sinclair Rosselot (Process Profiles), Paul Robinson.
Broadening Participation in Geochemistry
Conveners: Ian Bourg (Princeton), Sang Soo Lee (Argonne National Lab).
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Impacts on Environmental Systems: Integrating Soil, Water, Air, and Public Health Perspectives
Conveners: Srinidhi Lokesh (U Nevada Reno), Ali Namayandeh (Stanford), David Hanigan (U Nevada Reno), Thomas Borch (Colorado State), Haroula Baliaka (CalTech).
Transport Phenomena in Porous Media: Interplay Between Flow, Chemistry, and Mechanics at the Pore-Scale
Conveners: Anna Herring (U Tennessee), Charlotte Garing (U Georgia), Yashar Mehmani (Penn State), Amir Pahlavan (Yale).
Reinventing Undergraduate Research in Geochemistry
Conveners: Ian Bourg (Princeton), Jacquelyn Bracco (Queens College CUNY), Lauren Beckingham (Auburn), Alysia Cox (Montana Tech).
Advanced Analytical Approaches for Probing Natural Organic Matter Characteristics, Transformations, and Cycling
Conveners: Felix Agblemanyo (U Delaware), Christian Dewey (U Delaware), Andrew Wozniak (U Delaware), Amanda Frossard (U Georgia), Lydia Babcock-Adams (Florida State).
Fundamental Properties, Chemical Reactions, and Processes at Mineral-Water Interfaces
Conveners: Ayumi Koishi (RIKEN), Xiaojin Zheng (Princeton), Sebastian Mergelsberg (Pacific Northwest National Lab).
Physicochemical Processes in Cementitious Materials
Conveners: Thomas Petersen (USC), Claire White (Princeton), MJ Qomi (UC Irvine), Konrad Krakowiak (U Houston).
Geochemical Perspectives on Energy Production, Development, and Transition
Conveners: Benn Legg (Pacific Northwest National Lab), Sang Soo Lee (Argonne National Lab), Slawo Lomnicki (Louisiana State).
General Geochemistry
Conveners: Ian Bourg (Princeton), Vitaliy Starchenko (Oak Ridge National Lab).
The call for abstracts can be found at https://callforabstracts.acs.org/acsspring2026/GEOC.
CALL FOR TRAVEL AWARD APPLICATIONS
Left to right: Spring 2025 travel award winners Meng Wang (UT Austin), Eshani Hettiarachchi (UCSD), Yinghao Wen (Georgia Tech), Yarong Qi (UC Berkeley), Brenna Knight (Virginia Tech), Caridad Estrada (Princeton), Conghao Yi (Princeton), and Elmira Ramazanova (WUStL)
The Division invites application for the Student Travel Award and Early Career Scientist Travel Award for the ACS Spring 2026 meeting in Atlanta, GA, from March 22 to 26, 2026. Applications should be sent by October 20, 2025 to the Program Chairs of the meeting, Ian C. Bourg and Vitalii Starchenko, by email (bourg@princeton.edu and starchenkov@ornl.gov).
Student Travel Award
Number of awards: Up to 4 awards based on the quality of the applications.
Award: (1) The Geochemistry Division will pay for the awardees’ registration for the ACS National Meeting plus a $200 stipend. (2) Awardees will be given an extended time allocation (typically 25-30 minutes) for their oral presentations.
Eligibility: (1) The applicant must be an undergraduate or graduate student. (2) The applicant must have already submitted a regular abstract to MAPS for the meeting (see Application Procedure for details). (3) The applicant must be the presenting author. (4) Only one application per presenting author will be considered. (5) The awardee must be a member of ACS Geochemistry Division at the time of the conference.
Early Career Scientist Travel Award
Number of awards: Up to 2 awards based on the quality of the applications.
Award: (1) The Geochemistry Division will pay for the awardees’ registration for the ACS National Meeting plus a $200 stipend. (2) Awardees will be given an extended time allocation (typically 25-30 minutes) for the oral presentation.
Eligibility: (1) The applicant must have received their PhD degree within 7 years of the submission deadline (October 20, 2025). If there are extenuating circumstances (such as time spent raising children), please contact: bourg@princeton.edu. (2) The applicant must have already submitted a regular abstract to MAPS for the meeting (see Application Procedure for details). (3) The applicant must be the presenting author. (4) Only one application per presenting author. (4) Only one application per presenting author will be considered. (5) The awardee must be a member of ACS Geochemistry Division at the time of the conference.
Application Procedures
Submit your regular abstract to the ACS Meeting Abstract Programming System (MAPS, http://maps.acs.org) before the abstract due date (September 29, 2025).
Submit your extended abstract to the GEOC Program Chairs, Ian C. Bourg and Vitaliy Starchenko, at bourg@princeton.edu and starchenkov@ornl.gov, before the application deadline (October 20, 2025).
Extended abstracts should not exceed one page (use at least 11-pt font, single-line spacing, and 1-inch margins) and may contain tables and figures (counted toward the page limit). Make sure to (1) include your name, affiliation, abstract title, and abstract number, and (2) indicate whether you are an undergraduate/graduate student (for the Student Travel Award) or your PhD degree date/year (for the Early Career Scientist Travel Award).
Evaluation
Abstracts will be judged based on the impact on the field of geochemistry, technical approach, quality and clarity of writing, relevance of the abstract to the symposia and national meeting themes, and balance among different symposia.
Award winners will be announced by the end of November 2025.
Questions?
General information about the conference: https://www.acs.org/events/spring.html
GEOC Call for Abstracts: https://callforabstracts.acs.org/acsspring2026/GEOC.
Questions about the awards should be directed to bourg@princeton.edu.
CALL FOR NOMINATION: GEOC FALL 2025 ELECTION
Geochemistry Division Fall 2025 Election Call for Nomination (Due by October 15)
ACS Geochemistry Division is currently seeking nominations for three officer positions, Program-Chair Elect, Treasurer, and Alternate Councilor, who will assume their roles on January 1, 2026. A brief description of each role is provided below.
Program-Chair Elect (4-year term, 2026 – 2029): This officer will serve as Program-Chair Elect in the first year, shadow the Program Chair, and assist the Division Chair with the direction and management of the Division. In the second year, the candidate will serve as Program Chair and organize the symposium at the fall and spring national meetings. In the third year, the candidate will serve as Division Chair, and finally as Immediate Past Division Chair in the fourth year.
Treasurer (3-year term, 2026 – 2028): The Treasurer is responsible for managing the Division’s funds, maintaining accurate records of receipts and disbursements, and receiving dues. This officer makes disbursements approved by the Executive Committee, provides financial reports at times set by the Committee, and submits reports as required by the Standing Rules of the SOCIETY.
Alternate Councilor (3-year term, 2026 – 2028): The Alternate Councilor serves as a backup representative for the Division at ACS Council meetings, stepping in when the elected Councilor is unable to attend. The Councilor and Alternate Councilor attend and represent the Geochemistry Division at the Council meetings of the ACS and serve as members on the Executive Committee.
Notes:
Self-nominations and consensual nominations of colleagues are encouraged.
Per GEOC Bylaws, all nominations must be accompanied by at least 10 signatures of support from current ACS GEOC Members (including current Division Committee members). The Division Committee can help with obtaining the signatures of support.
Statement of support template: “I, __, support __ nomination for (position) in the American Chemical Society Geochemistry Division. I confirm that I am a member of the ACS Geochemistry Division.”
Nomination and signatures of support must be submitted by October 15, 2025. Ballots are expected to be distributed between November 1–15, 2025. Election results are expected by December 1, 2025.
Please submit the nomination/self-nomination or any questions to:
Qingyun Li
ACS Geochemistry Division Secretary
qingyun.li@stonybrook.edu
GEOC OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
The Division of Geochemistry Outstanding Service Award is conferred in recognition of outstanding service to the Division and its members. Nominations for the Outstanding Service Award are sent to the Division Chair at any time. The award recipients are selected by vote of the Executive Committee.
We are happy to announce that Dr. Yinghao Wen, a postdoc fellow in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology, is elected as the recipient of the Geochemistry Outstanding service award.
Dr. Wen earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from University of Wisconsin-Madison, master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Texas A&M University. His current research focuses on investigating the occurrence of critical minerals using synchrotron X-ray techniques and developing green approaches to recycle them from non-conventional feedstocks. He is also exploring the geochemical mechanisms of hydrogen production to advance energy sustainability. Serving as the GEOC newsletter editor since 2023, he actively contributes to executive committee meetings, coordinates with executive members to prepare newsletter, presents at ACS meetings to promote geochemical science, and helps the division organize social events to increase membership.
Congratulations and thank you for your service, Dr. Wen.
Interested in the Geochemistry Division’s business and volunteer opportunities? Visit https://www.acsgeoc.org/. For more details, email the Geochemistry Division Secretary, Prof. Qingyun Li (qingyun.li@stonybrook.edu).