For District VI director: Paul W. Jagodzinski

Central Arizona Section. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Academic record: Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, B.S., 1973; Texas A&M University, Ph.D., 1979.

Honors: Northern Arizona University Gold Axe Educator of Influence, 2014; ACS Fellow, 2011; Colorado School of Mines: Outstanding Faculty Award and Professional Asian Students Engineering Society, 2008, Alumni Association Graduate Faculty Award and Asian Student Association Outstanding Faculty Award, 2007, Minority Engineering Program Faculty Commitment Award, 2004; West Virginia University: Department of Chemistry Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award, 2004, University Safety Award, 2000, Department of Chemistry, Outstanding Faculty Award, 1998; Phi Lambda Upsilon.

Professional positions (for past 10 years): Northern Arizona University, dean of the College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences and professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, 2009–; Colorado School of Mines, professor, 2001–09.

Service in ACS national offices: Committee on Budget & Finance, Program Review Subcommittee, 2017– , Board Task Force on Financial Goals for Meetings & Expositions, 2013, Program Review Advisory Group, chair, 2010–13, Advisory Subcommittee, 2007–13, Subcommittee on Financial Impacts of Constitutional Amendments, chair, 2007–10, Subcommittee on Program Funding Requests, 2002–06, Task Force on National Meeting Finances, and committee associate, 2002–03; Board/Council Policy Committee Task Force on Governance Design, cochair, 2016–; ACS Presidential Task Force on U.S. Employment for Chemists, 2015–; Board of Directors, District VI director, Council , councilor ex officio, and Committee on Professional & Member Relations, 2015–17; Board Task Force on Board Committee Review, 2016; Board Governance Agility Framing Group, chair, and Committee on Grants & Awards, 2015–16; Board Program Portfolio Management Oversight Group, program review team chair, 2013–14; Committee on Meetings & Expositions, consultant, 2001–06, committee associate, 1998; ACS Presidential Task Force on Support to Divisions & Local Sections, 2000; Council for Chemical Research Communication & Public Relations Committee, chair, 1999–2000; Women Chemists Committee, committee associate, 1988.

Service in ACS offices:Physical Chemistry Division: councilor, 2008–13. Colorado Section: alternate councilor, 2005–07; chair, 2003; chair-elect, 2002. Northern West ­Virginia Section: councilor, 1986–2001; Nominating Committee, chair, 1985–86; chair, 1984–85; chair-elect, 1983–84.

Member: Member of ACS since 1977; American Society for Engineering Education; Council of Colleges of Arts & Sciences; ACS divisions: Physical Chemistry, Geochemistry.

Related activities: West Virginia University, assistant professor and professor, 1982–2001, department chair, 1990–2001, associate chair, 1988–90; University of Texas, Austin, research associate, 1982; Eastern Michigan University, assistant professor, 1981–82; University of Oregon, postdoctoral fellow, 1979–81.

Jagodzinski’s statement

Stable employment. Three years ago when you honored me by electing me to be your representative on the board of directors, I stated that employment was the major issue for a large number of our members. Regardless of where our members work—academia, government, or industry, our goal must be that those who select chemistry as their profession have the opportunity to practice it. This is valid not just in our district, but for our entire country. I pledged to work toward finding solutions to the employment problems that our members face.

Supply and demand. Three years ago, Donna Nelson successfully ran for the ACS presidency at the same time on the same platform. She created a task force to identify the problems and to recommend solutions. She appointed me to this task force, and I worked with other concerned and knowledgeable members to make recommendations to address the issues. We found the problem has existed for years: The supply and demand balance in our profession is tilted heavily toward the supply side. While the available jobs continue to decrease due to mergers, downsizing, and outsourcing, we keep producing the same number of chemists. At the recent ACS national meeting in San Francisco, 459 members signed up looking for employment, while 33 employers offered only 145 jobs. Most of our fellow members looking for employment were our younger colleagues. This has been the situation for a very long time. The days of graduating chemists receiving multiple offers before graduation are long past. Today 16% of them still have no jobs six months after graduation.

Progress of chemistry. Progress in the chemistry enterprise depends on stable employment, not the other way around. When younger chemists have difficulties finding jobs, it deters bright students from selecting chemistry as their profession. I worked on the presidential task force making various recommendations, such as the preparation of our graduates for the types of jobs available and possible licensing of chemists, just to name a few possible solutions. A full report of the task force will be published. The solutions are not easy, but we must follow up; we cannot ignore the problem facing our fellow members. We must act now regardless of how difficult the solutions.

Members want their society to serve them better. Our members are our most important asset, and we must serve them well. As your district director, I am only one member of the board of directors and obviously cannot solve the problems alone. During my term, I kept in constant contact with members to get their input on what we are doing well as a society and what we can improve on. I have connected with members of our district by attending and speaking at local section meetings and by participating in our regional meetings. We can make ACS stronger by working collectively and collaboratively.

What can I do? I have the experience and a thorough knowledge of ACS activities. I chaired a local section, and I was both a local section and division councilor. I worked on a presidential task force for the support of both local sections and divisions. I have served on the Meetings & Expositions Committee. I currently serve on the Board Committee on Professional & Member Relations and previously served on the Board Committee on Grants & Awards before the board streamlined its committee structure and redistributed the duties of that committee. I am also thoroughly familiar with ACS finances because I have previously served, and once again serve, on the Budget & Finance Committee. And importantly, I have three years’ experience representing you on the board of directors.

This is my promise. I will continue to focus my time as your district director on solving the problems that our members face and on implementing solutions. I will continue to work on direction, tone, commitment, and vision that members embrace and view as the future of our society. We must be member focused, we must be effective in delivering our message, we must be efficient in our operations, and we must continually innovate and improve. We must build our community of members and what our society provides for its members. To accomplish these goals we must ensure employment stability of our members and the overall stability of our society. ACS must be well positioned for the future. I ask you for your vote and for your confidence in me to continue this work for you as your district director. You can find out more about me and my activities at www.pwjag.com.