The U.S. has been a global leader in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering due to its commitment to and strength in research and innovation.  However, global economics are driving changes in chemical enterprises in the U.S. with expanded outsourcing of chemical manufacturing to overseas locations.  Increase competition from abroad in core research areas, along with declines in funding and research infrastructure in the U.S., combine to undercut our ability to generate new opportunities that would sustain our global competitive advantage in the chemical sciences.

How we handle these challenges and their effects on employment, education, and research and entrepreneurial innovations will have an impact on our ability to compete. Globalization is not all bad; potentially it brings new rewards, provided we are positioned and prepared to embrace emerging opportunities.

As your President, I would plan to work with you to forge a new direction that would give our members new opportunities and position our chemical institutions for sustained leadership, in a dynamic global market. Here is my vision:

Education in and for a Global Economy:

Fewer international students trained in the U.S. are remaining in this country.  Our challenge now is to maintain a trained talent pool poised to respond to the international competition for innovations in the chemical enterprise. Our educational system has done a great job of preparing students for job opportunities in the U.S., but this raises two key questions that are not addressed by the current system: 

(1) How can we better prepare our students for mobility in the global market place?

(2) How can we educate our students to better enable them to compete in a global economy?

 As your President, 

I would like to embrace and support the international baccalaureate program. Chemistry starts at K-12. Quality, equity and efficiency in education starts with teacher training. We can help our local schools by setting a standard of excellence that we as a profession set. This can be done by the teaching materials that we develop, visual videos, and other ACS tools. This can be done through online or in house training. If we as a community set the standard of excellence in chemistry education for local school systems, we take a great step in minimizing large variations in student preparedness for college chemistry. As a number of our chemical industries have become more global, concerns about providing education for children of families for those that come from other countries as well as the education of American children abroad for a system back in the US has forced a number of industries to embrace and support the option. Because these programs encourage international-mindedness, but there is also an international standard; it also offers our students flexibility and options on the world market. Is this a new direction we should be moving in? I would like to establish a taskforce comprised of industrial and academic leaders charged with developing programs that would enable members of the profession to successfully transition to opportunities abroad in the chemical enterprise. I will encourage collaborations, interdisciplinary approaches, education and a sound international strategy by developing programs of exchange for U.S. talent with companies abroad, starting with U.S. companies that have international offices.

Sustaining innovation in the global market:

Today, more than ever, research is international. A program to encourage international experience by Americans would increase our awareness of advancements being made in other countries.  We need a mechanism to support U.S. talent to go abroad to learn about innovations in the chemical enterprise and transfer that knowledge into the U.S. marketplace.

As your President, I will initiate the creation of an International Center. The objective is to generate an international network of cooperation to promote the generation and sharing of new ideas in the chemical marketplace. The other goal is the sponsor U.S. talent to work abroad and also sponsor top-flight international talent to come to the U.S. This center will also advocate collaboration with other international chemical societies. The center will bring Industry, Government, and Academia to work together to direct our talent pool in major emerging science areas relating to world and national economic challenges. This moves ACS into the leadership role for fostering both national and international collaborations.

Promoting New Chemical Industries and Employment Opportunities:

New chemical technologies will create products and drive economic growth. An American core competency has traditionally been entrepreneurship. We know that small companies provide employment opportunities and they provide a steady stream of new ideas and technologies for the chemical enterprise. The excitement created by the flow of new ideas and job opportunities as stimulated by new chemical companies could help attract more U.S. students into the chemical sciences.

 As your President, I will promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the chemical sciences by the:

Creation and implementation of new workshops for fresh academic graduates on how to start a company. Creation of a network of our experienced and retired chemical industrial leaders as advisors for new entrepreneurs. Addition of new awards that recognize significant and groundbreaking discoveries that lead to important societal and economic impact as well as recognize those who have successfully started new chemical enterprises. These initiatives will help in the economic development of new jobs.

Willing to Serve!

A number of my goals align closely with those set out by the ACS Board of Directors in the new ACS Strategic Plan. It is important to build on these strategic goals and institutionalize those that are successful in benefiting the Society and members.