Guest editorial: Get to know and engage with the American Chemical Society through ACS News

This is a guest editorial by Sara Cottle, C&EN’s senior editor for ACS News.

C&EN has been published by the American Chemical Society for 100 years. No matter what has changed in that time, one constant has been the magazine’s commitment to delivering chemistry news that matters. Our vision, if you’ve never read it or it’s been a while, is “to be the world’s go-to source of news about chemistry.” Achieving this vision requires sharing diverse perspectives and putting readers first.

For all those 100 years, C&EN has reported on chemistry at large and on ACS itself. As the new senior editor for ACS News, I want to make the ACS News section a bigger part of C&EN’s commitment to putting readers first. While C&EN is editorially independent from ACS, most of our readers have a vested interest in news of the society they belong to. My vision for this section is to make it a place to engage in open dialogue, celebrate successes, and share news of ACS and our members.

Among the things I have been doing to help bring my vision for ACS News to life is revisiting how the section covers certain topics and evaluating how to improve that coverage. I also want to build stronger relationships with all divisions and departments across ACS and directly with members.

This work will be evident in a few changes that readers will notice in 2024. They include a new “In Memoriam” section on the C&EN website and an updated process for publishing obituaries, a more digital-first approach to news, and coverage that not only reflects the activities and milestones of ACS but highlights the people who make up the society. I want readers of the ACS News section to feel they have learned something deeper about the people who share and contribute to this community of chemistry professionals.

ACS News will always be a place to learn about board meeting actions, committee updates, candidate statements, calls for nominations, and awards—all important topics to cover and keep you updated on. But I’d also like you to think of the section as a place to connect and share.

As C&EN enriches your understanding of everything chemistry, ACS News should enrich your understanding of the community you’re a part of. You may have questions like Who makes up ACS? How are others engaging with ACS’s programs or offerings? What are other chapters doing? How are they doing it? And who should I be reaching out to? ACS News will be the place where you can find those answers.

Similarly, when you see a call for applications for a specific grant or fund from ACS in our ACS News section, I want you to be able to learn about notable people who received the grant in the past, what they did with it, and how they contributed to the chemistry world at large.

ACS consists of people from academic, industry, and government backgrounds and range from undergraduate students to retired professionals. The society has local chapters across the US and international chapters to boot. I want the diversity of stories published under the ACS News heading to reflect the diversity of our membership, and I’ll need your help to do that.

I invite you—as members of ACS—to pitch your story ideas by emailing s_cottle@acs.org. Send me feedback too. One of the best ways for me to know what you want to see more of is to hear from you directly. I am eager to work with all of you as I begin my journey as ACS News’s senior editor, and I look forward to helping foster community and dialogue between members.

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.