Message from the ACS President-elect
I must tell you, I was thrilled when Burt Hollandsworth contacted me, via Facebook, to ask if I would be willing to contribute a short article for the Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) Newsletter. How could I refuse? The YCC and our younger members are vital to my presidential agenda and to the long term success of the Society! Thank you Burt, for this opportunity to initiate what I hope will be a productive and continuing dialog with the committee.
The first thing that I would like to do is remind you of my agenda as ACS president. I believe strongly in the ACS vision, “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.” It is a powerful and directing statement which truly underscores what we as chemists do for the broader society – simply put, we help people. Unfortunately, the majority of the people in this world do not understand or believe that chemists do nothing more than simply “mix things” or maybe “blow stuff up.” I am committed to helping put a human face on chemistry by building new relationships within our communities and across the globe. We need to create and provide educational opportunities and experiences to help the general public better understand that anything they can see, touch, taste or smell –anything they can perceive – is a chemical, and therefore a raw material we use to create ‘stuff’ that truly improves people’s lives. Education, relationships, and understanding the outcomes from our collective efforts are the key elements in my ACS agenda.
I ask for your help so that I can achieve my agenda. To be successful, to even make a dent in the misperceptions surrounding chemistry, chemists, and chemicals I need you to help me put that human face on chemistry. I am preparing a “presidential call to arms” in which I will be asking local sections and committees to join me in reaching out to people, service groups and organizations that we might not normally interact with, and to begin a dialog. Together, we can extend our hands in friendship and work to create a better understanding of the transforming power of chemistry. I invite YCC to join me in this challenge and to experiment with new outreach programs or ideas. I challenge YCC to use technology in creative ways so that our message will be received and understood by Generations X, Y, and most importantly, Z. Help our youth understand that the issues facing the planet today are extremely complicated but that they can contribute to the solutions by studying math and science. Give them permission to be anything that they choose and help them understand the tremendous contributions that are made today through chemistry. I want to know what you are doing – your successes and failures. Please send me links to your YouTube creations or media coverage related to your events. Together, we will make a difference!
Finally, I invite you, our younger chemists, to send me your comments, thoughts or suggestions. Please, tell me what you need and expect from the ACS. What could the Society offer that would better meet (or even exceed) your needs and expectations? Why are some of your colleagues choosing not to become members of the ACS and what could we do to bring them into the fold? Are there products or service you need that we are not providing? Are there products or services that we are providing that you do not need or want? What outreach or community activity would be most effective at putting a human face on chemistry and how can we make it happen? Send your comments and feedback to me via Facebook or email maingeek1@gmail.com or tom.lane@charter.net . I really do want to hear from you.
Thomas H. Lane is President-elect of the American Chemical Society.