2021 Great Lakes Regional Meeting to be held virtually

The American Chemical Society Minnesota Local Section will host the 2021 Great Lakes Regional Meeting (GLRM) virtually June 6–9. This meeting will also serve as the 2021 Central Regional Meeting because of cancellations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting theme is “Elevating the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Chemistry.” The general program cochairs are James Wollack and Ramesh Kumar, who can be contacted at jwwollack@stkate.edu and rckumar0051@gmail.com.

Technical program. Plenary speakers include Renã A. S. Robinson of Vanderbilt University, Lee Penn of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Ivan Moreno-Hernandez of the University of California, Berkeley.

ACS president H. N. Cheng of the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service will give a talk titled “Collaboration in the Chemical Enterprise.” Gayle Schueller of 3M will give a talk titled “Sustainability in Industrial Processes.” And Julie Jones, a past president of the Cereals and Grains Association, will give a talk titled “COVID-19: Nutrition, Diet, and Immunity.”

Workshops. Thematic workshops include “Inclusive Postdoc Experiences,” “Tips on Writing a Successful and Inclusive Diversity Statement,” “The Power of Mentoring Underrepresented Students,” and “How to Recognize and Respond to Microaggressions.”

ACS Career Pathways Workshops include “Identifying a Career That Matches Your Strengths and Values,” “Networking: How to Get Started,” “Setting Yourself Up for Success in an Interview,” and “Making the Most of Your Interview: Outshining the Competition.”

Other workshops include “Chemistry and the Law” and “Empowering Academic Researchers to Strengthen Safety Culture.” Former ACS president Bassam Shakhashiri of the University of Wisconsin–Madison will give a workshop on climate science concepts for the classroom.

Awards. Awards being presented include the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, the ACS Division of Chemical Education Award for Excellence in High School Teaching, the E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to ACS, and the Regional Partners for Progress and Prosperity Award.

Social events. Activities include a movie night, a senior chemist’s virtual coffee, bingo with ACS governance, and an Empowering Women in Chemistry Luncheon.

Registration. Register by May 3 to receive the early-bird rate of $25 for the full conference. After May 3, the cost of attendance is $30. For details, visit www.glrm2021.org.