Saint Francis University's Edward Zovinka Named 2026 Fellow of the American Chemical Society

LORETTO, Pa. - Saint Francis University is proud to announce that Dr. Edward Zovinka, professor of inorganic chemistry in the University's Department of Chemistry, has been named a 2026 Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) - one of the highest honors the Society bestows on its members.

Established by the ACS Board of Directors in 2009, the ACS Fellows Program recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the science or profession and have provided excellent volunteer service to the ACS community. Fellows are nominated by their peers and selected through a rigorous review process, joining an elite group of chemists and chemical engineers honored for their impact within and beyond the laboratory.

Dr. Zovinka's award citation recognizes two distinct areas of impact:

Contribution to the Science/Profession: Recognized for excellence in teaching undergraduate chemistry and for encouraging the use of Green Chemistry within inorganic and other upper-level undergraduate courses.

Contribution to the ACS Community: Recognized for over 20 years of outstanding chemistry outreach through the Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids Program. His chemistry outreach efforts bring exciting, safe, hands-on events to over 80,000 K-12 students.

"Dr. Zovinka embodies the mission of Saint Francis University, combining meaningful scholarship with a deep commitment to chemistry outreach," said Dr. Michael McGinnis, Vice President for Academic Affairs. "For more than two decades, he has opened the door to science for tens of thousands of young people across our region through the establishment of the ROCK, Rural Outreach Chemistry for Kids, program, while also shaping generations of Saint Francis chemistry graduates in the classroom and laboratory. This recognition from the ACS honors Ed's outstanding leadership and exceptional volunteer service."

Dr. Zovinka has been a member of the Saint Francis University faculty since 1994. He earned his B.S. from Roanoke College and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at North Carolina State University. His research interests include Green Chemistry synthetic methods, aluminum surface chemistry related to acid mine drainage, and the chemistry of art. Dr. Zovinka's work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society, and he has co-authored two books introducing chemistry to young audiences.