YCC Is 30: Time to Get Involved

The ACS Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) is turning 30 this year, so it's a perfect time for sharing our accomplishments and goals and letting ACS members know how they can get involved. As the new chair of the committee, one of my goals is for all of us to renew our level of commitment to YCC and to ACS.

We can be so proud of the accomplishments YCC has had over the years, beginning as a task force of a few people and developing into a joint board-council committee of 30 members. We have expanded our programming from "road shows" at regional meetings to several programs at each national meeting, workshops at regional meetings, and local section programming by our constituents. Just this year, YCC is hosting two presidential events at the Philadelphia national meeting and two leadership development workshops at regional meetings. The culmination of our anniversary will be the YCC Anniversary Bash Dinner and YCC Anniversary Reception in Philadelphia.

Having an anniversary is also the perfect time to remember our alumni and discover the roles in ACS that they have moved on to after they are no longer "younger" chemists. YCC has produced ACS presidents, council members, division chairs, and board members, just to name a few!

Celebrating YCC's 30th anniversary gives us all a chance to reflect as well as look forward to the future with excitement.

Here are some ways that you can get involved with YCC:

Attend a Leadership Development Workshop. YCC offers a half-day workshop at two regional meetings each year. For 2004, the workshops will be at the Southwestern and Northeastern Regional meetings. In each workshop, there is space for 15 ACS members who are supported by their employer as well as space for 15 YCC travel award winners. Travel awards cover the costs of travel, lodging, meals, and meeting registration. These awards are available for any full ACS member who would benefit from the leadership training. Applications are available online at http://chemistry.org/ycc. I encourage you all to promote this great opportunity to your colleagues and fellow ACS members.

Start a Local Section YCC (LSYCC). YCC has funding for groups that are interested in starting a new LSYCC chapter. A short grant proposal is available online at http://chemistry.org, and the application may be submitted at any time during the year. The money is a great way to pay for advertising expenses and purchase supplies needed for an interest meeting. Many local sections already have active YCC groups that host programming, such as "Grad School Reality Check," "I've Got My B.S., What's Next," and "ACS 101." These LSYCCs also participate in the governance of the local section and offer younger chemists a channel to get involved at the local level. The social events sponsored by LSYCCs offer a great networking opportunity for members of a local section. To ask questions about LSYCCs or to find out if a group exists in your local section, contact YCC member Maureen A. Kane (makane@uclink.berkeley.edu).

Sign Up To Volunteer. YCC has its own volunteer network called the "Younger Chemists Network" or YCN. YCN is a database of names of people available to volunteer for various activities. If you are interested in getting involved in ACS, YCN has opportunities available at all levels of the organization. We can put you in touch with groups that need help with programming, organizing meetings, or even running local section events. Contact YCC for more information on the best places for you to volunteer.

Give Blood or Go for a Run/Walk! If you plan to attend a national meeting, keep your eyes open for the newest YCC outreach efforts. At each spring meeting, YCC hosts the 5K Fun Run/1.5-Mile Walk. This annual event is now in its third year, and the feedback has been wonderful. Chemists are a health-conscious group, and the Fun Run provides a way to meet colleagues, socialize, and get your daily workout all in one shot! At each fall meeting, YCC and the Red Cross host a blood drive and marrow registration. This event is our way of giving to the communities who host our meetings. It also provides an opportunity for science and chemistry to be visible to the public. At the Philadelphia meeting, YCC will collaborate with the Office of Community Activities for the National Chemistry Week theme "Health and Wellness."

Whether you're a younger chemist or a YCC alumnus, get involved. ACS depends on active volunteers to increase membership, provide support networks, and promote chemistry to the public. Volunteerism offers us, as ACS members, benefits as well. We can interact with colleagues, build contacts at all levels of ACS, and promote the causes we feel strongly about. Being active at 30 years sounds like a vitamin advertisement, but really it's just a statement of our commitment to chemistry and to ACS.

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

MORE ONLINE

ACS Comments, which are written by society officers and committee chairs, are available on C&EN Online at http://www.cen-online.org/html/acscomments.html. Comments are archived back to 2000.