On a crisp Indiana evening, Brian Mathes once stood in Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, handing out T-shirts and spreading the word about chemistry to anyone who walked by. It was one of his earliest volunteer projects, and it earned him his first ChemLuminary Award from the American Chemical Society. Decades later, Mathes is still at it — and now he's being honored with the 2027 ACS Award for Volunteer Service.
The award recognizes Mathes for his decades of work making the ACS a better place for everyone, from brand-new chemistry students to members who have been around for 50 years or more. Colleagues describe him as a listener who brings warmth and humanity to every committee he joins.
"If not me, then who?" Mathes often asks himself when he sees an opportunity to help out. That attitude has driven him since he was a sophomore at Ball State University, where he joined the ACS student chapter and got his start in volunteer work. Over the past 10 years, he has served as a counselor at the national ACS level for the Indiana Local Section, working on both the Committee on Membership Affairs and the Committee on Committees during periods of big change in the organization.
One of his proudest contributions was helping to create the newest ACS committee: the Committee on the Advancement of LGBTQ+ Chemists, known as CALC. Colleagues say Mathes's clear communication and genuine advocacy helped the proposal win approval from the ACS Council smoothly.
But Mathes says his real passion has always been mentoring young people and getting everyday folks excited about science. He has run a "Chemistry of..." series for more than 22 years, starting with "Chemistry of Beer" and expanding to cover topics like art, wine, fireworks, and coffee. "It is a great way to use these relatable topics to get chemistry knowledge and the ACS out to the public," he says.
Mathes traces his own love of chemistry back to a high school teacher who loved sharing the wonders of science. "I want to be that same bit of inspiration for someone else," he said. That commitment to paying it forward shapes everything he does — from organizing events at national conferences to helping out at his kids' school.
At the ACS Spring 2023 meeting in Indianapolis, Mathes helped plan a "Front Porch" event designed to let chemists connect as people, not just professionals. Looking ahead, he shows no signs of slowing down. "Being a volunteer is where the action is, and I love being in the action to make things happen," he said.