Nicholls State University’s Chemistry Department is sending three of its students to the American Chemical Society’s 2019 Midwest Regional Meeting.

The American Chemical Society is the world’s largest scientific society. According to its website, the society publishes scientific information and works to empower its members.

The costs for the students attending the conference have been paid for by the Nicholls Student Government Association, who funded $800, Nicholls Alumni Federation, which donated $1,200 and the remainder of the costs were paid for by Nicholls Chemistry Club dues.

At the conference, the students will be presenting research posters. There will also be sessions going on throughout the conference where speakers will talk about chemical research.

The three Nicholls students attending the conference are Taylor Mabile, Abigail Grabert and Nicholas Mayon, who are all senior chemistry majors.

“The ACS conference provides the opportunity to showcase and receive feedback on my research, as well as view other’s research, which allows us to collaborate and assist each other with ideas on new directions we can pursue in our research,” Mayon said.

Chad Young, the head of the chemistry department on campus, said the conference will benefit the students, who are preparing for graduate school.

“A big part of graduate school is presenting your work. Whenever our students want to go to graduate school, we always like to send them to a conference so they see what it’s going to be like. We want them to be prepared for that,” Young said.

Young also said that sending students to large conferences such as the Midwest Regional Meeting helps expose them to different kinds of scientific research and different kinds of people.

“We find that when our students break out of the norm, they tend to set higher goals,” Young said.

The American Chemical Society’s Midwest Regional Meeting will be held in Wichita, Kansas, Oct. 16, 2019.