The Younger Chemists Committee

Hi! My name is Natalia Melcer. I am a program officer with the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies in Washington, DC. Before joining the Board on Physics and Astronomy, I was a science policy fellow with the Office of Legislative and Government Affairs of the American Chemical Society (ACS). This fellowship was a great way to get my feet wet in Washington and learn about job opportunities in the DC area. I have been involved with the Younger Chemists Committee since 2007 and currently serve on the Communication, Local and Regional Activities, and Strategic Planning subcommittees. I am also the liaison to the Committee on Science. I joined ACS in 2002 as a graduate student when I gave a poster presentation on my research at the spring national meeting. I am also actively involved with the DC Chapter of the Association for Women in Science, where I currently serve as chapter President. I received my B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry with Honours from the University of Calgary, Canada, and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan. In my spare time, I enjoy yoga, dance, and travel. The picture shown here is from a recent trip to Istanbul, Turkey, with the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and Hagia Sophia in the background.