Thomas H. Lane

Our Discipline Is In Good Hands

FOR THE PAST three years, I’ve had the privilege to serve in the presidential succession of what I consider the world’s greatest professional association. It has been, without doubt, the opportunity of a lifetime. It has been educational, inspiring, gratifying, rewarding, and probably a dozen other adjectives I could list. I walk away from this remarkable experience with many satisfying thoughts and feelings; first and foremost among those is that our discipline is in good hands! Education was and continues to be my passion. It was a major area of focus during my time serving the society. Over the past three years, I have chatted with nearly 10,000 teachers from K through postgrad and have talked with an even greater number of students. From these meetings and discussions, it is crystal clear to me that our education system is producing an incredible group of young, enthusiastic scientists who I am certain will lead this ...

A Challenge To ACS Members: Reach Out To American Indian Scientists

WE IN ACS often talk about the value of diversity and the importance of accepting all those who seek us out. However, when you are the 800-pound gorilla in the room, your sheer size can be a deterrent to initiating and building a relationship. For this very reason, we as ACS members should make personal connections. We must be the first to extend a hand in friendship, with an open mind and a sincere willingness to learn. This past October, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the 30th National Meeting of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES). This event, which took place in Anaheim, Calif., had more than 1,800 conference attendees. ACS was there to extend its hand in friendship and professional respect at this special anniversary event. ACS acknowledged the tremendous value that AISES has provided for American Indians and Alaskan Natives for the past three decades. I spoke with ...

The N&E Process: What Happens Before You See The Ballot To Elect The President-Elect

THERE HAS BEEN a lot of interest in how the Committee on Nominations & Elections (N&E) generates the slate of nominees for the office of president-elect of ACS. This renewed interest has been stimulated by the fact that N&E has been working to refine the process at the behest of participants, councilors, and members of the society. Understanding the current process is a good foundation for all of us, one that should help us better comprehend the potential impact of the proposed changes that will be on the spring council agenda in 2010. The current process is formally described in the society’s Constitution and Bylaws, and its implementation is the responsibility of the 15 councilors of N&E who are elected by their peers. N&E is a very diverse and hard-working group of councilors. When I was asked to be a nominee for president-elect, I certainly did not fully appreciate the months of effort that N&E ...

Give Till It Hurts

PROUD TO BE A CHEMIST! This is more than just a phrase that has resonated with me throughout my presidential year; it is a core belief that reflects the indispensable role of chemistry in helping people. Chemistry connects us in many ways, and each connection can make a difference. I have connected through the ACS Network and Facebook with students who have contacted me to ask about next steps in their careers or which courses they should take to prepare for their entry into the field. In this month’s “Rxn’s and Sln’s” feature in the ACS magazine inChemistry , recent graduates were asked to write about the career paths they chose after earning bachelor’s degrees in the chemical sciences. ACS member and Project SEED alumna Alexandra Severino highlighted her journey from research scientist to high school chemistry teacher: “After graduating with a B.A. in chemistry I was unsure about my next step and decided to work ...

Putting A Human Face On Chemistry: Presidential Call To Arms

WE BELIEVE STRONGLY in the ACS vision, “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.” It is a powerful and direct statement that truly underscores what we as chemists do for society: help people. Unfortunately, not everyone understands or believes that this is what chemists do. A more common perception is that chemists “mix things” or “blow stuff up.” To be successful, to make a dent in the misperceptions surrounding chemistry, chemists, and chemicals, ACS needs your help. Will you commit to helping put a human face on chemistry by building new relationships within your communities and across the globe? If so, the society needs you 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 composed of chemicals, the raw materials we use to create substances which improve people’s lives. In an effort to help ACS ...