Lisa McElwee-White

If you could condense your vision for your presidency into one statement, what would it be?

I will facilitate ways for ACS members to tell the story of chemistry through communication with the public, education of our students and advocacy for our science in the public sphere.

What initiatives would you champion as part of the ACS Presidential succession?

I will champion initiatives in the areas of science communication and science advocacy. This is a critical moment for science. The need for active scientists, a robust academic and industrial enterprise and an educated public is compelling, and the ACS is uniquely positioned to enable us to support chemistry in these areas through communication to our fellow citizens and our elected officials. For science communication, I am committed to supporting creative new public outreach programs to bring chemistry to our communities. For science advocacy, I will lead an effort to expand and publicize the list of volunteer ACS Experts who provide information for the media and government at all levels. I will also play a role in the ACS advocacy program in Washington DC that addresses policy at the federal level. At the same time, I will support local section initiatives to engage with and inform local and regional elected officials on science-related issues.The American Chemical Society is increasingly a global enterprise. How can globalization be harnessed as a positive force in the evolution of the Society?

It is essential that we remain engaged with colleagues all over the world. Everyone benefits when we work together. I have learned through participation in three European Union Cooperation in Science and Technology Actions and an EU Innovative Training Network that discussions with colleagues in other countries and international collaborations are a way of stabilizing the global scientific community during unsettled times. And some really great science has resulted!
The ACS already has initiatives in global outreach. These include increasing the global representation among journal editors and advisory boards, establishing international chapters, and ACS Global Recognition of university chemistry programs. All of these efforts should be supported, and we should look for new ways to welcome international members such as travel grants to attend ACS meetings and seed grants to begin international collaborations.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge for you if elected as ACS President?

The challenge would be triage of all the great ideas of ACS members, so that I can set priorities for distributing resources. As a leader, I have always believed that the best programs are generated bottom-up and not top-down, and so I will ask members for program ideas (that they would be willing to work on). We are creative people. I expect a flood of interesting ideas to sort through, and I suspect distinguishing among them will not be easy.

How would you address the representation of non-PhD chemists in the Society’s membership?

For chemistry students who do not intend to obtain a PhD, we should get them involved in the ACS while they are still in school. This could be done through connection of ACS student sections with BS/MS chemists who are employed in various sectors. As an example, the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry has professional awards for BS/MS chemists (the Technical Achievements in Organic Chemistry Awards). The awardees would make excellent ambassadors to students, perhaps by giving Zoom presentations to student sections or offering one-on-one career advice. For professionals already in the industry, we need to make sure that BS/MS chemists are nominated for ACS leadership positions and that they are encouraged to become involved in ACS activities, either through their local sections or the technical divisions. Personal recruitment can be incredibly effective, and we need to encourage current ACS members to reach out to colleagues.

How do you plan to work with younger chemists during your term if elected?

Setting the direction of any organization should involve those who will be around in the future to see it bear fruit. This means providing routes for early career chemists to get involved in Society leadership. Entry into leadership starts with being in the room where boards and committees make decisions, and taking advantage of the networking opportunities this access enables. As an example, many journals have Early Career Advisory Boards. I would work with Editors-in-Chief to expand these panels to include more chemists who are interested in publications. Similarly, participation in ACS committees in addition to YCC would provide a path to leadership in other areas. Committee membership is governed by bylaws but let us explore other ways to get younger chemists into the room as liaisons, interns, or even observers. Or, for those who have divisional interests, technical divisions are often looking for people to run for division offices. I would work with YCC to maintain a list of early career chemists that would like to become more active in ACS governance, and make connections to the relevant divisions or committees.

How would you answer this question from a member: “Why should I join ACS? What does it do for me?”

What the ACS does for members depends on how those members engage. If you are involved, membership has tremendous value. For early career chemists, the benefits include career resources, networking and gaining a sense of community in the profession. For chemists at all levels, our benefits include access to meetings, publications, research funding, educational resources, recognition, leadership training, etc. For those interested in advocacy, we are members of a large organization where your voice can be joined with many others. And on a personal level, I have 40 years' worth of friendships made through my involvement in the ACS. I have found the experience deeply rewarding and I would strongly encourage others to join and be active.

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