ACESS Awards Banquet Bestows Recognition

Posted on 11/07/2018

The Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies (ACESS) presented its 71st annual Honors and Awards Banquet — part of its mission to promote education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) last night at Guy’s Party Center.

ACESS recognized the best science/math students in 30 area high schools, as well as area science fair winners and handed out $500 grants to 18 kindergarten to grade 12 science teachers. 

Superintendent David W. James was given the Distinguished Award of Council.   This award has been presented annually since 1959 to an outstanding Akron area resident or organization for involvement in civic activities, as well as technical and managerial abilities that increases the prestige and enhances the image of the engineering and scientific profession.

ACESS also recognized many APS students for science and math excellence:

Heather Jandecka and Desmond Vang, Akron Early College High School;

Imani Jackson and Ronald Raines, Buchtel CLC

Michelle Reitz and Jacob Murray, Firestone CLC;

Gwendolyn Jenkins and Aaron Brown Jr., National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM High School;

Best of Show Akron Science & Technology Expo (Jan. 27) winners: 10th-graders George Hernandez and Dylan West, from Buchtel CLC, for the project “Oobleck,” with adviser Rebecca Butler;

ACESS also awarded grants to several APS teachers, including:

ACESS/IEEE grant, Penny Porter, Firestone CLC, for “Electronics”;

ACESS/Dominion Energy grant, Zach Griffith, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM High School, for “What a Waterful Life: A Hydraulics PBL with Akron Water Supply Bureau.”