The Benzene Chapter at West Virginia Wesleyan College recently received a national award from the American Chemical Society.  Wesleyan was one of 50 schools in the nation to be honored with this distinction.

The Benzene Ring is an honorary society for students who intend to pursue advance coursework in the natural sciences.  The Ring had its origin at Wesleyan in 1921, when several students interested in chemistry, saw the need for a chemistry organization on campus.

Each year, colleges and universities across the country submit reports detailing chapter activities for the year.  A panel of judges reviews the report and awards Honorable Mention, Commendable, and Outstanding.  The competition is extremely intense and includes many Research One institutions across the country.  The Outstanding classification is particularly noteworthy as this is the first time Wesleyan has reached this pinnacle in school history.

Wesleyan’s Chemistry Department offers majors in chemistry, biochemistry, materials chemistry, and pharmaceutical science as well as a minor in chemistry.  The department’s curriculum is designed according to the American Chemical Society (ACS) guidelines for approved programs.  The department is widely-known for its outstanding placement rates in graduate and medical and pharmacy schools across the country as well employment in a variety of professional fields.