Thomas M. Connelly Jr. Named New Executive Director And CEO Of The American Chemical Society

A DuPont vice president, Thomas M. Connelly Jr., has been named to replace Madeleine Jacobs as head of the American Chemical Society, effective Feb. 17, 2015.

Connelly, 62, is retiring as DuPont’s executive vice president and chief innovation officer after 36 years at the firm. And Jacobs, 68, likewise is retiring from her position as ACS executive director and chief executive officer, having worked more than 24 years with the society in a variety of jobs and leadership positions. ACS publishes C&EN.

“Tom Connelly is uniquely qualified for this key ACS leadership post,” says ACS Board Chair William F. Carroll Jr. “His passion for chemistry and vast experience with all segments of the global chemical enterprise, as well as his accomplishments at DuPont in leading global businesses, innovation teams, and R&D operations, will be invaluable in bringing ACS to the next level of excellence,” he adds.

“I am honored to have been selected” for this role, Connelly says. “I look forward to working with the board to advance the agenda of the society in areas of scientific information, education, and research.”

Connelly “is a longtime, engaged member who understands the challenges and opportunities that await ACS,” Jacobs says.

Furthermore, “he has seen how innovation starts and is rooted in basic research and how it is brought to fruition for the betterment of humankind. To me, he is the living embodiment of our vision: improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry,” she adds.

“He is such a genuine human being—a person who is not only brilliant, but cares deeply about people and will connect so well with our members and our staff as well as people across industry, academia, and government,” she notes. “He has contacts on Capitol Hill and within the federal agencies and will be an eloquent spokesman and a great advocate for chemistry.”

Connelly earned a B.S. in chemical engineering and an A.B. in economics, both in 1974, at Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Cambridge in 1977.