Making history with the Women Chemists Committee

For Women’s History Month this March, the American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee (WCC) will celebrate ACS president Dorothy Phillips and her impressive career in chemistry and leadership. Many women engaged in chemistry have not been recognized for their achievements in the past, depriving us of a rich history of deserving figures. But history is not just the distant past. History is stepping across boundaries like Phillips did in the segregated South as a child; it is pursuing an education even in an unwelcoming environment; and it is coming face-to-face with adversity in the workplace and setting it aside to prioritize growth and progress. An indefatigable supporter of WCC’s mission, Phillips recently presented “My Journey: The Resilience of an Industrial Chemist” for the Women Chemists of Color Fall Webinar, inspiring more than 150 attendees from around the world. WCC honors Phillips as a trailblazer in our work to pave a smoother path for generations of women to substantiate their full potential of equal representation and influence in the chemistry enterprise.

WCC’s ongoing awards program brings attention to the successes of professionals by recognizing women for their accomplishments at different stages of their careers. The WCC Rising Star Award recognizes individuals approaching midlevel careers who have demonstrated outstanding promise for contributions in their respective fields. The WCC Merck Research Award recognizes exceptional individuals in their third or fourth year of graduate school. Winners present their research at a WCC Merck awards symposium held during an ACS Fall meeting. The Pfizer Emergent Leader Award is presented to outstanding individuals in their second year and above in their graduate studies and postdoctoral researchers. These award winners present their research during an award symposium at an ACS Spring meeting. The WCC Eli Lilly Travel Award winners present their work at poster sessions that immediately precede the WCC Luncheons at the ACS national meetings where they are recognized. The Priscilla Carney Jones Scholarship and the Overcoming Challenges Award focus exclusively on undergraduates.

At the ACS Spring and Fall meetings, where WCC convenes, we organize events that are excellent opportunities for women to network with colleagues and informative symposia that serve as the nucleation point for transformative discussions. A stellar group of women leaders will speak at ACS Spring 2025 in San Diego at the Women in the Chemical Enterprise Networking Breakfast, the WCC Luncheon, and the Women Chemists of Color “Sweet Treats” networking event. WCC is coorganizing a symposium in honor of Rachel Mamlok-Naaman, winner of the 2025 ACS Award for Encouraging Women into Careers of the Chemical Sciences, and the Symposium Honoring the Contributions of Ann Nalley: Amazing ACS Past President, Champion, Ambassador, Mentor, Teacher and Role Model. For ACS Fall 2025 in Washington, DC, WCC programming will focus on the strategic goal of advocating and promoting awareness through two cosponsored symposia: “Advancing Science Policy: Supporting and Growing Science Advocacy for Women” and “Aspects of Navigating Reproductive Health in a Laboratory Environment.”

Apart from our activities at the ACS national meetings, WCC partners with local sections, student chapters, international chapters, and regional meetings. We cosponsored events to engage and empower women in chemistry at seven ACS regional meetings in 2024, including formal luncheons, coffee hours, and ice cream socials where participants highlighted the great work being done by women in science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as the challenges they face. WCC is committed to nurturing and maintaining these partnerships to foster an extended network of professionals across the country, bearing in mind that members cannot always travel to national meetings. On Feb. 11, we also participated in the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Global Women’s Breakfast, held in conjunction with the United Nations Day of Women and Girls in Science. We will be hosting the WCC spring webinar on March 13 in partnership with ACS Webinars and participating in the Encouraging Women in Organic Chemistry Conference this summer.

At every event this past year, we’ve received heartwarming outpourings of support and requests to interact with WCC. Informal conversations developed around climate change, women in clean energy, women in renewable resources, periods and pregnancies at work, clean water, microplastics, vaccines, and parenting, to name a few. A growing number of women in the chemistry enterprise are voicing concerns about our environmental legacy to future generations. WCC continues to welcome your suggestions, requests, and offers to volunteer—especially as we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this committee in 2027. We look forward to working together as we develop a program to recognize outstanding professionals throughout the last century who, like Dorothy Phillips, have led the way for women in chemistry. Let us also be aware of our role for future generations: our choices today will be the history of tomorrow.

For more information on WCC events, visit our website at acswcc.org or email WCC@acs.org.