Iordanova named American Chemical Society Outreach Volunteer of the Year

AMERICUS, GA (March 14, 2024) – Georgia Southwestern State University Professor of Chemistry Nedialka “Nellie” Iordanova, Ph.D., has been named Outreach Volunteer of the Year for the Southwest Georgia American Chemical Society (ACS) local section.

Iordanova is passionate about chemistry and bringing the sciences to the broader community. She created GSW’s annual Science Day in 2019, which allows local high school students to visit campus and take part in a variety of science experiments to spark interest in the STEM fields. She also regularly organizes outreach demonstrations in local schools and participates in their science fairs.

“Engaging in outreach activities in the field of chemistry is exciting and stimulating for the audience, while also being personally rewarding and fulfilling for me,” said Iordanova. “The drive to ignite curiosity and foster interest in chemistry among students motivates me to devote effort and personal time to conducting fun outreach demonstrations each year as a chemistry professor.”

Iordanova is currently serving as a science mentor through the American Association of Chemistry Teachers. In this role, she works directly with school teachers to showcase the impact of chemistry on the human life and bring its latest discoveries to a broader audience.

Iordanova has been a member of the local ACS section since she began her career at GSW in 2005.

For her work and dedication to GSW, Iordanova also earned GSW’s 2023 Faculty Excellence in Service Award and was voted 2023 Faculty Member of the Year by the Student Government Association.