Societies Team Up To Boost Diversity

The presidents of ACS and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 30 in which they pledged to collaborate “to advance the progress of Chicano and Native American people in the chemical sciences.”

Specifically, the societies agree to “engage in enhanced governance-to-governance communication at all levels; to engage in collaborative public policy outreach efforts including, but not limited to, joint congressional visits, congressional briefings, and policy statements; to leverage their Web presence and flagship electronic and print publications to communicate opportunities for professional development, career management, leadership training, and educational resources; and to highlight the accomplishments of Chicano and Native American chemists.” The societies also agree to “ensure the sustained presence of Chicano and Native American scientists at the national and regional meetings of both parties through special initiatives and programming. And the parties agree to communicate the importance of professional association membership.”

“We take this step,” said ACS President Joseph S. Francisco at the signing, “urged on by our shared belief that increasing the participation of underrepresented populations in the scientific community to a level that reflects their representation in the country’s population is a critical component in addressing the relatively stagnant U.S. scientific talent pool and sustaining U.S. competitiveness in a global economy. It is fortunate that our organizations share this vision.”

“One of the most important initiatives of SACNAS is to develop collaborative partnerships with other organizations and scientific societies working toward a common goal to increase the diversity of scientists in our country,” SACNAS President J. D. Garcia said. “Our partnership with ACS is groundbreaking. When the largest scientific society in the world wants to join the SACNAS movement, we know we are headed in the right direction.”