Comment: When is a retreat not a step backward?

The answer: When it’s the Committee on Public Relations and Communications (CPRC) 2024 strategic planning retreat.

At the retreat, CPRC representatives, American Chemical Society staff, and relevant parties within ACS studied the committee’s past initiatives. Retreat attendees probed deeply to identify strategies to make all CPRC initiatives effective, and we supplemented the analysis with a vibrant discussion of CPRC’s vision for the future.

Not a retreat, but instead, a road map for the path forward.

Our vision is “An inclusive community that understands and appreciates the life-improving impact of chemistry.”

After serious discussion, we arrived at a clear mission: “Catalyze the communication of chemistry’s value to the public.”

Let’s work together to communicate the value of the transforming power of chemistry.

Building collaborations with the communications arms of all parts of ACS is a CPRC goal. For example, CPRC recently joined the Committee on Chemistry and Public Affairs (CCPA) and the Division of Professional Relations (PROF) to solicit and evaluate grant applications for the Trust in Science and Scientists initiative, an effort started by Immediate Past President Judy Giordan. We awarded a grant to the ACS international student chapter at Federal University Wukari in Nigeria to increase public trust and understanding of the role and safety of agrochemicals in modern agriculture. Its program includes ecofriendly agricultural practices and chemicals and will affect an estimated 300 farmers and their families. Another grant will go to the University of Arkansas Local Section, which plans to prepare graduate students to interact with local K–12 students using chemical demonstrations. Both projects aim to build trust in science and scientists.

The entire ACS community of local sections, divisions, international chapters, committees, and members—as well as other scientists, educators, and communicators outside ACS—gladly step up to communicate the value of chemistry to the public. And CPRC stands ready to assist.

CPRC activities

CPRC enhances publicity efforts of local sections and divisions by reviewing current efforts and providing a detailed blueprint for suggested improvements. The Enhancement program—previously the PR Makeover program—is available to all local sections and divisions upon request and addresses analog and digital facets of communication.

We are working on new ways to better partner with the ACS groups we serve: We will archive clients’ old and new public faces for comparison. We’re reaching out to sections and divisions that have had a makeover to understand the value of the makeover in their communication efforts with their constituents. And we’re considering more preplan options for the Enhancement program.

CPRC organizes and sponsors symposia at meetings to help members and attendees learn vital communication tips to publicize chemistry and their own work more effectively.

We organized two regional meeting communications symposia this year and have plans to extend beyond symposia. We will present two webinars this fall: “Science for All: The Power of Impactful STEM Communication and Journalistic Writing” on Oct. 30, and one in Spanish, “Comunicación de la Ciencia: Perspectivas y Retos” on Nov. 6. CPRC and the Division of Chemical Information are coorganizing a webinar tentatively titled “Navigating Tough Conversations and Situations” at ACS Fall 2025. Stay tuned for communications-themed content from CPRC at the ACS expo theater in 2025.

CPRC honors and publicizes chemical communicators with two ChemLuminary Awards: the Best New Public Relations or Communications Program of a Local Section and the Outstanding Continuing Public Relations or Communications Program of a Local Section, Division, or International Chapter. We manage and evaluate the submissions for the Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach, and we nominate candidates for the James T. Grady–James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public, which is an ACS National Award.

We increased the diversity of the ChemLuminary Awards by extending the eligibility to include divisions and international chapters. CPRC asked groups within and outside ACS that advocate on behalf of underrepresented groups to nominate candidates for the Helen M. Free and Grady-Stack awards.

CPRC seeks to increase the visibility and effectiveness of science communication efforts and resources. We are cataloging resources to communicate the value of chemistry to the public and hope to create a library of successful communication programs featuring all parts of ACS. CPRC Spotlight is a new pilot program that we debuted within CPRC to provide committee members a conduit for bringing important resources and endeavors in the science communication space to the attention of ACS members through ACS social media channels. Reach out to us if you know of a program or resource to highlight. And look for quarterly spotlights on ACS social media.

We need your feedback

Collaborations are not unidirectional and require dialog with input, output, and feedback. We encourage you to nominate good communicators for awards—self-nominations accepted—and submit abstracts to communications symposia. Ask us for suggestions to enhance your digital presence, and invite us to visit division and ACS committee meetings to explain what we can do to amplify communication.

Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.