Meet Carissa Hunter, Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry at George Mason University and avid world traveler. Carissa is helping to reactivate the Chemical Society of Washington’s local section YCC (LSYCC). Washington, D.C., is the location of the ACS Fall 2025 Meeting. Carissa’s profile is part of “Meet the YCC”, a series of blog posts highlighting YCC members and associates and what they do both in and outside of ACS.
Carissa Hunter (she/her/hers)
CSW Member, formerly of the Virginia Local Section YCC
LSYCC: Manager-at-Large and Chair of Committee on Minority Affairs, Chemical Society of Washington (CSW)
Other ACS Involvement: Virginia Local Section YCC (previous)
Education
B.S., Biology, Howard University
M.S., Chemistry, George Mason University
Ph.D. candidate, Biochemistry, George Mason University
Connect: CSW website, X, Instagram (Carissa, CSW), LinkedIn
What motivated you to join an LSYCC?
I first got involved with my LSYCC after attending a virtual event in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was part of the “A Day in the Life” webinar series, which features scientists sharing what their everyday work looks like, many of whom had nontraditional career paths. I enjoyed it so much because it was real, inspiring, and gave me a new perspective on what a career in science could look like. At the end of the event, Dr. Julian Bobb mentioned an opportunity to get involved, and I immediately thought, “Yes, I’d love to help with events like this!” From there, I joined, and the rest is history.
Initially, I thought my local section was Virginia because I live in Virginia, so I began volunteering heavily with the Virginia YCC. It wasn’t until later that I realized I actually fell under the Chemical Society of Washington (CSW) based on section boundaries. After that, I transitioned my efforts to CSW, where I’ve continued to stay involved.
Editor’s note: Recordings of some “Day in the Life” webinars can be found on the YCC’s YouTube channel.
What is your favorite LSYCC project you have been a part of?
One of my favorite projects was organizing a joint panel event with NOBCChE (the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers). It was a two-day virtual event that brought together 14 incredible panelists, including board members from both ACS and NOBCChE. The attendance and engagement were remarkable. The panelists covered a wide range of topics from career development to navigating the field as a young chemist but also as a minority chemist. Their insights sparked meaningful conversations, and it was truly impactful and a great example of what collaboration between organizations can achieve when the goal is to uplift and support young chemists.
What is your favorite part about being involved in your LSYCC?
What excites me most is the opportunity to help build something meaningful, which would be an exciting and supportive YCC community within CSW since it hasn’t been active for a while. YCC has always been a space where early-career scientists can connect with peers who are on similar journeys or maybe just a few steps ahead; that kind of connection and perspective can be incredibly reassuring. I am especially excited to see the CSW YCC grow into a hub for engagement, support, and community.
One of the biggest challenges with (re)initiating a YCC is capturing and sustaining interest from younger chemists. Many potential members may not fully understand the benefits of joining a community like YCC, or they might already feel overextended, tired or disengaged from extracurricular activities. Sometimes the events themselves probably do not spark excitement or feel directly relevant to their personal or professional goals, which can make it harder to draw them in. I also think, in some cases people simply do not feel a connection with the group, so there is no emotional pull to participate. It takes intentional planning to create events that are both valuable and appealing and to figure out the right format, whether in-person or virtual. I learned a lot about that balance while volunteering with the Virginia YCC, where I served as Vice Chair. That experience showed me how important it is to understand your audience and meet them where they are and listen to their needs, so that they want to show up because it is enjoyable and meaningful
I am also proud to have helped identify and support new leadership for CSW’s YCC, specifically encouraging Eva-Maria Rudler to step into the co-Chair role. As the current Minority Affairs Chair for CSW and someone who was still actively supporting Virginia YCC, I wanted to help ensure CSW’s YCC had a strong foundation to build on, and I’m excited to continue contributing however I can.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing younger chemists today?
One of the biggest challenges is imposter syndrome and feeling like you’re not good enough or questioning whether you belong, even when you’re doing great work. Along with that, there’s this pressure to figure everything out alone, when in reality, there are so many resources and mentors out there who genuinely want to help. Learning to ask for support, lean into community, and recognize your own value can make a huge difference, but it’s something I think many young chemists struggle with, including myself.
What are your favorite things to do for fun?
Leadership and supporting others are truly close to my heart and it is something I genuinely enjoy doing, even outside of my formal roles; however, I also love spending quality time with my family and friends. Traveling is also a big passion of mine and I have been fortunate to visit Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central America. I am always looking forward to the next adventure! In my downtime, I enjoy dancing, as it is a fun way to recharge and express myself.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I encourage everyone to get involved with their local YCC because you never know what you’ll gain from the experience. It could be new friendships, opportunities to serve your community, or simply a chance to do something fun and meaningful outside the lab.
