#ACSBoston In Review

Despite the unusual heat and humidity that turned Boston into a sweaty mess, nearly 14,000 chemists gathered in the historic city last week to provide a refreshing new perspective on how innovation has changed the world.

Hosting the 250th celebration of the ACS national meeting and exposition, Boston—being the birthplace of Benjamin Franklin—was a fitting venue for the theme “Innovation from Discovery to Application.”

During a packed ACS Board of Directors open session, one of chemistry’s star innovators, George Whitesides, challenged the audience to help “reengineer chemistry” so that it doesn’t become irrelevant in these rapidly changing times.

Whitesides, who is a professor at Harvard University, also delivered The Fred Kavli Innovations in Chemistry Lecture. Rising star and nanostructured materials expert William Dichtel of Cornell University delivered The Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecture.

Chemists looked toward the future but also celebrated the past. Special symposia and receptions honored the 50th anniversary of ACS’s leadership development program; the 20th anniversary of the ACS Scholars Program; the 35th anniversary of the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities; the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Henry A. Hill, ACS’s first African American president.

In society news, the ACS Board of Directors voted to reauthorize funding for the ACS Science Coaches program, as well as authorize a new program funding request for the ACS Festival Series outreach events, among other actions.

During the ACS Council meeting, the council approved an amendment to the ACS bylaws to allow for preferential balloting in elections for nominees and candidates to achieve a majority of votes to win an ACS election, such as for president-elect. Preferential balloting is used when there are more than two candidates for office.

The Committee on Budget & Finance reported that ACS’s projected 2015 revenues will reach $512.1 million and net contribution from operations will total $15.5 million.

The council also approved the formation of five new international chemical sciences chapters in the following countries: the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Nigeria, Brazil, and Australia.