Dear Local Section Leader,
Come and get your ACS Local Section Volunteer pin when you attend the ACS Local Section Showcase at Sci-Mix, located in Hall F, South Building of the Moscone Center, on Monday, August 14, from 8:00 to 10:00 pm PT. This event is the perfect opportunity for Local Sections from District VI to present their unique programming and demonstrate the value of being involved with ACS through local sections. In addition to District VI local sections, the Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC) will participate in this event to promote our mission of providing opportunities, resources, and networks to partner with and serve our diverse member communities.
I would also like to encourage you to attend the Committee on Community Activities (CCA) and the Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC) Open Meeting. This hybrid meeting will take place at the Hilton Union Square, Continental Ballroom 7-9 and via Zoom, on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm PT. Don't miss this opportunity to hear updates from our committees and to contribute to the discussion.
See you in San Fran!
Beth Lorsbach,
Chair, Local Section Activities Committee
Celebrate ACS Volunteers on August 15!
The 25th Annual ChemLuminary Awards celebration will be held on Tuesday, August 15, at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, Salon 8-9. The ceremony gives members the opportunity to recognize local sections, technical divisions, regional meetings, and international chemical sciences chapters for their tireless efforts and work in promoting chemistry and the chemical sciences. The evening will commence with a poster session and reception at 8:00 pm, an awards presentation at 9:00 pm, followed by a dance social. Let's honor and recognize our volunteers together!
The ACS Speaker Directory is available to all our component group leaders to access a wide range of speakers for their in-person, hybrid, and asynchronous events. The directory provides users with access to over 500 speakers who are available to present technical science talks, lead career development & professional advancement presentations, explore general interest, popular science topics, and more. LSAC is actively recruiting interested speakers to join the directory. This member benefit is open to all ACS members who want to share their passion for chemistry, gain visibility and grow their professional networks. Users may access the directory at www.acs.org/speakerdirectory. (ACS ID and login required)
NCW 2023 Coordinator Request
Become a 2023 NCW coordinator! To be designated as the official coordinator for your section, please take this brief Pre-NCW Coordinator Survey. As always, local section chairs can designate one official NCW Coordinator who will serve as the point person for the rest of the local section. Please confirm with your local section leader prior to competing the survey.
NCW Coordinators can perform the following responsibilities:
- Plan, promote, and report the impact of hands-on science outreach via events held at libraries, malls, parks, or other public venues.
- Utilize Celebrating Chemistry magazine during your outreach events.
Updated ACS Governing Documents and Petition Deadline
New petitions to amend the Constitution or Bylaws must be received by the Chief Executive Officer (bylaws@acs.org) by November 29 to be included in the Council agenda for the spring 2024 meeting in New Orleans. Questions or comments may be sent to C&B at bylaws@acs.org.
Events At The ACS Fall 2023 National Meeting
Join the ACS Board of Directors and Carolyn Bertozzi at the Board Regular Session for an update from the Board and “Learnings from the insider/outsider experience”
Sunday, August 13
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PST
Room 24/25 South Building, Moscone Center
Boxed lunches are available for first 200 attendees. Open to All Registered Attendees. Questions? Learn more here or contact secretary@acs.org.
The Women Chemists Committee (WCC) Fall 2023 Events in San Francisco
During the ACS Fall Meeting, WCC will recognize the winners of the Overcoming Challenges Award, the Priscilla Carney Jones Scholarship, the WCC Merck Research Award, and the Eli Lily Travel Award. On August 14, WCC will host its Women in the Chemistry Enterprise Breakfast with speaker Atefeh Taheri. On August 15, the WCC Luncheon will feature speaker, Ingrid Montes; its ‘Just Cocktails’ open meeting will take place later in the day. All events will be held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel. Tickets are available via ACS registration. For more information, send an email to WCC@acs.org.
ACS Leadership Workshops in San Francisco
The ACS Leadership Development program is your opportunity to learn essential skills to strengthen your competitive edge in today's global economy and become a more effective leader in your local section. Seven different courses will be offered at the 2023 Fall Meeting in San Francisco. You can sign up for workshops when you register for the Fall Meeting.
Quick Guide: Creating Relationships with Underrepresented Communities
Are you interested in expanding your audience or collaborators to include historically underrepresented groups? The ACS Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect has published a new quick guide to help! Read the Quick Guide to Creating Relationships with Underrepresented Communities in STEM for tips and guidance.
Live Offerings of Transforming Microaggressions into Microinclusions
If you will be in San Francisco for ACS Fall 2023, it isn’t too late to reserve a seat for Transforming Microaggressions into Microinclusions. This course is designed to help leaders identify microaggressions and equip you with the skills to intervene without confrontation. Sessions will be held on Monday, August 14th at 2:30pm PDT and Tuesday, August 15th at 9:30am PDT. Both options are two hours in length. Sign up today!
ACS Signs MOU with FACS
ACS President-Elect Mary Carroll attended the 21st General Assembly of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS) in Istanbul, Türkiye where she presented a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between to two societies to cement our collaborative relationship. The ACS has maintained an MOU with FACS since 2011 and we are proud to further the relationship to foster connections, communicate the value of chemistry globally, and offer technical programming and professional development to Members of both societies.
New Guidance Added to ACS Inclusivity Style Guide
New sections on data visualization and framing narratives are now available in the ACS Inclusivity Style Guide. This guide aims to help ACS staff and members communicate in ways that recognize and respect diversity in all its forms. Spread the word!
2023 DEIR Educational Resources Guide Available Now
Be sure to check out the new 2023 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect Educational Resources Guide! The guide is full of resources, links, videos, and book recommendations on allyship, intersectionality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, cultural competence and much more. Check it out and please share it widely.
ACS-Hach Programs Benefactor Bryce Hach visits ACS Headquarters
Bryce Hach (left) visited ACS in June, meeting with CEO Al Horvath and ACS-Hach Programs staff members, Kenetia Thompson (center) and Terri Chambers (right), in ACS’ Clifford and Kathryn Hach Building. He stays up to date on the progress achieved by the ACS-Hach Programs that were established through a transformational gift from the former Hach Scientific Foundation. ACS-Hach Programs serve chemistry educators throughout their careers, helping them prepare the next generation. ACS is grateful to the Hach family as well as many other donors who support ACS education programs aimed at helping teachers and students discover the power of chemistry.
LinkedIn Learning: CEUs, Certification Prep & More
The ACS LinkedIn Learning (LIL) benefit promotes constant learning to help build the tools and skills needed for career success. In addition to thousands of courses on a variety of professional topics, LIL offers Certification Preparation/Assessment and Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) developed in partnership with trusted providers, like Project Management Institute, CompTIA, Microsoft, Six Sigma, AWS, and more. LIL also offers fully developed learning paths, taught by experts in their fields, to help build in-demand skills valued in the workplace, including Python, public speaking, Microsoft Excel, and project management. Learn More and Activate Your LinkedIn Learning License. Questions? Contact linkedinlearning@acs.org.
The Committee on Chemists with Disabilities has dedicated matching grant funds for regional and local events to encourage event coordinators to implement accommodations for participants. This can be initiated by sending an email to CWD@ACS.org and we encourage coordinators of regional and local ACS events and programs to contact us!
Connect With Your Local Chemistry Community at ACS Regional Meetings!
ACS Regional Meetings feature technical programming to help you stay current on the latest research and connect you with your region's chemists. Abstracts are now being accepted for the Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting (RMRM), September 15 – 17, the Joint Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Meeting (MWGLRM), October 18 - 21, and the Southeastern Regional Meeting (SERMACS), October 25 – 28.
The ACS Office of Research Grants will accept proposals for Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) grants approximately one month earlier in the fall compared to previous years. Proposals supporting fundamental research in the petroleum field will be accepted from noon on August 14 to 5:00 pm EST on September 8, 2023. These proposals must focus on fundamental petroleum research, including research related to petroleum-derived materials in one of ten specified subject matter areas. It is important to note that while the PRF Trust imposes restrictions, PRF currently funds various topics of interest in sustainability and green chemistry. These topics include new catalysts and the upgrading/utilization of methane and carbon dioxide. For more information on supported research areas, interested individuals are encouraged to contact a PRF program officer or prfinfo@acs.org.
Grant programs are available for new professors starting their first tenure track position, as well as established tenured or tenure-track professors exploring a new research direction. Separate grant programs exist for qualified professors in non-doctoral departments. Additionally, the eligibility period for Undergraduate New Investigator Grants in non-doctoral institutions has recently been extended to 5 years from the start date of the first tenure track appointment. Furthermore, starting with proposals submitted in the Spring 2023 submission window, the value of the ND (New Direction) grant has been raised from $110,000 to $125,000. Applications are made through a web-based portal, and additional information can be found at www.acsprf.org.
ACS Bridge Career Kick-Starter Workshop
In collaboration with the Genentech Foundation, the ACS Bridge Project is pleased to offer a FREE in-person Career Kick-Starter Workshop on November 3rd – 5th, 2023 at the Genentech headquarters in San Francisco, CA. This 2-day workshop will consist of five interactive learning modules, stimulating discussions with a diverse panel of professionals, and one-on-one career consultations with a career adviser. We encourage ACS Bridge Fellows, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars from underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences to apply. Learn more here.
Sharpen your Leadership Skills
As a Local Section or Division Officer, your leadership leaves lasting impressions on new and potential ACS members. As the newest generations of chemists become increasingly diverse, it is up to us as leaders to create and maintain a welcoming culture. To help with that, you have exclusive access to the course Transforming Microaggressions into Microinclusions. You will learn how to identify microaggressions, how they impact others, and how you can intervene as a bystander. Over 90% of ACS volunteers that have taken the course would recommend to a colleague! Sign up using your ACS ID. Email diversity@acs.org for questions.
Career Resources for Industrial Scientists
Help spread the word about a valuable resource for ACS industry members! The ACS Industry Matters newsletter offers exclusive interviews with industry professionals, as well as an insider's guide to working in the chemical industry. Each issue is filled with insightful answers to your questions as a chemical professional and is designed to help you grow and succeed. Explore more and subscribe here.
The ACS Governing Documents require that require that every four years, the Council Policy Committee (CPC) establish a divisor to determine representation at Council by Local Sections and Divisions. The divisor will be set by CPC at its meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 27, 2023, and will determine the number of Councilors each Local Section and Division will be entitled to for 2024-2027.
At the most recent meeting of the Council Policy Committee, its Working Group on Future Council Representation recommended that CPC select a divisor for 2024-2027 that is aimed at reducing the size of Council while staying compliant with the Governing Documents. This, combined with fluctuations that can and do occur in annual member counts, will result in some Local Sections and Divisions experiencing a loss or gain of Councilors from the current period (2020-2023, which was based on membership counts as of December 31, 2018).
Official notification of the Councilor Divisor and the number of Councilors permitted for your Local Section or Division for 2024-2027 will be sent to you no later than May 1, 2023, as required by the Governing Documents. This decision could affect elections conducted in 2023. Please do not finalize any Councilor slates for 2024 until after you receive CPC’s determination. For more information, read the memo or email secretary@acs.org.
Consider making advocacy part of your local section’s sustainability efforts! To encourage ACS members to get involved in sustainability policy issues, the ACS Committees on Environmental Improvement (CEI) and Chemistry & Public Affairs (CCPA) have created a jointly-administered ACS ChemLuminary Award.
The new CCPA-CEI ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Promotion of the Society’s Sustainability Position S... recognizes local sections for outstanding activities to advocate for, promote, or develop awareness of the Society’s policy statements related to environmental and sustainability issues. Has your local section done government affairs advocacy in 2022 that fits the bill? Self-nominate for the new award! Visit our webpage for more information.
It's that time of year again when most local section elect new officers. Please take a moment to review your local section bylaws to ensure that you conduct elections in accordance with established procedures. An election-only list must be requested from ACS to ensure that only eligible ACS members are participating in your election. Request your election-only list at least 10 days prior to ballot distribution. Questions?