Chemistry Students Earn National Recognition, Present Research at ACS Conference
JACKSON, Miss. (May 1, 2026) - Belhaven University’s American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Chapter has earned national distinction through multiple honors and presentations at the ACS Spring National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
The chapter was one of only four student groups invited to present at the prestigious Magic of Chemistry Outreach Symposium. Notably, Belhaven was the only undergraduate chapter from the United States selected among hundreds of chapters nationwide.
Student leaders Natasja Bechtold, president of the ACS Student Chapter, and Ashley Davidson, secretary, represented Belhaven at the conference. Their presentation, “Chemistry Outreach Through Service and Science at Belhaven University,” highlighted the chapter’s commitment to inclusive, service-oriented programming and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Bechtold and Davidson shared examples of the chapter’s outreach efforts, including participation in Science Fest at the Mississippi Children’s Museum and a collaborative initiative with the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Their work emphasizes making science accessible and engaging for diverse audiences across Mississippi.
In addition to presenting at the symposium, Belhaven’s ACS Student Chapter received the Outstanding Award for the 2024–2025 academic year, marking the sixth consecutive year the chapter has earned the organization’s highest honor. Only 90 chapters worldwide received this distinction, including just two in Mississippi.
While attending the conference, both students also presented original research. Bechtold presented a poster titled “Real-Time Detection of Xylazine Using Organic Electrochemical Transistors,” based on work completed during a summer research program at the University of Southern Mississippi. Davidson presented “Computational Studies of the Relative Thermodynamic Energetics of Warfarin Tautomers,” research conducted at Belhaven under the mentorship of Dr. Brandon Magers.