Building A Diverse Profession And Inclusive Community

As ACS core values, diversity and inclusion are the foundation of the society’s strategic plan. These values indicate that as an organization, we are passionate about building a diverse and inclusive community of highly skilled chemistry professionals.

Is our commitment to these values transparent to our membership and the chemistry community? What must ACS do to take a greater leadership role in developing a community of chemistry professionals that reflects the diversity of the U.S.?

These are important questions that have been asked for many years within the society, and they have an even greater urgency today. Both research and business benefit from diverse perspectives within the technical workforce because many of the toughest problems are solved best by teams of individuals with diverse scientific and cultural backgrounds. The landscape of chemistry employment is changing rapidly, and we have an obligation to prepare our members to be successful in this ever-evolving marketplace.

Promoting the development of a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the demographics of the nation will ensure that ACS remains vibrant and relevant, serving the chemical enterprise and promoting innovations and advances in the chemical sciences. Over the past two decades, ACS has led efforts both to increase the participation of minorities and women and to enhance their stature within the society and the profession.

In 2009, we appointed the Task Force on Implementing the ACS Diversity Reports. The reports, from a series of three workshops focused on increasing participation of African American, Hispanic, and Native American undergraduate students in chemistry, included a total of 86 recommendations for units across ACS.

The task force began its work by articulating a vision of what a society like ACS should be, by preparing an inventory of existing activities focused on underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and by determining which workshop recommendations would have the highest potential impact. Task force recommendations—for enhancing the impact of ACS activities on diversity and inclusion and for strengthening ACS’s position as a national leader in diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education—fell into four categories:

The task force began its work by articulating a vision of what a society like ACS should be, by preparing an inventory of existing activities focused on underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and by determining which workshop recommendations would have the highest potential impact. Task force recommendations—for enhancing the impact of ACS activities on diversity and inclusion and for strengthening ACS’s position as a national leader in diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education—fell into four categories:

■ Developing & Sustaining a Long-Term Vision & Coordinating New & Existing Activities. Ensuring that the chemistry profession remains vibrant and relevant requires purposeful, committed, and coordinated efforts by ACS, the primary steward of the profession. To achieve the goal of a diverse, representative, and highly qualified workforce in chemistry, ACS must enhance the impact and visibility, both internally and externally, of its diversity and inclusion efforts. This effort requires the development of a shared vision and strategic leadership at all levels of the organization. Activities must be prioritized and aligned to maximize the potential of the human and capital resources invested in them.

■ Developing & Maintaining Relationships & Partnerships. No organization, including ACS, has the resources or the connections to develop a diverse workforce alone. All parts of the chemistry enterprise have to be involved. Underrepresented communities must be engaged. In addition to partnering with minority advocacy organizations, ACS should strengthen its relations with academic institutions, including but not limited to minority-serving institutions. Industry, which has realized the benefits of and developed strategies for building a diverse workforce, must be part of the equation.

■ Engaging Communities. Every facet of ACS must be positioned to take maximum advantage of the full talent pool in chemistry. By sharing strategies, ACS divisions, local sections, and committees can leverage the successful programs and activities already in place. Strategies for becoming more inclusive will increase the impact of volunteer contributions and foster greater involvement. As core values, diversity and inclusion should be reflected across the society.

■ Measuring Progress & Celebrating Success. Building a diverse community requires sustained efforts. The extensive inventory of activities prepared by the task force indicates that significant progress has been made since 1991, when then-ACS president S. Allen Heininger appointed the Task Force on Minority Affairs. By updating the inventory and collecting more data, the impact of future activities can be demonstrated.

At the 2010 ACS spring national meeting, the task force shared its report with the ACS Board of Directors. In response, the Committee on Professional & Member Relations’ Subcommittee on Professional Advancement, chaired by ACS President-Elect Nancy B. Jackson, was charged with prioritizing the task force’s recommendations and assigning accountability and developing timelines to implement them. Immediate strategic action will position ACS to align the demographics of the chemistry enterprise with those of the nation’s citizens and to assume a national leadership role in broadening participation in the STEM disciplines.

Your insights are needed. Please visit www.acs.org and click on the “Diversity” link, where you can read the workshop reports, review the inventory, and send your suggestions to the Professional & Member Relations Committee at p&mr@acs.org.

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