Editorial: C&EN is proud to announce the 2022 class of the Talented 12

The year 2022 marks the eighth celebration of C&EN’s Talented 12. Since this recognition program started in 2015, we have searched high and low for the best early-career scientists and, in our quest, have highlighted the lives and work of 96 rising stars that are making the world a better place.

The superpowers these trailblazing scientists have are their knowledge of and passion for chemistry. heir tenacity, resilience, and a global mindset keep these scientists committed to solving the world’s greatest challenges

The 2022 class of C&EN’s Talented 12 highlights the diversity of chemical scientists: members hail from Brazil, China, Egypt, Nigeria, Romania, Singapore, and the US.

Excitingly, their science is diverse too. Within this year’s class we have scientists who model the behavior of aerosol particles at the atomic level and study their role in spreading viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, train computers to develop an intuition for chemistry so they can design new reactions and catalysts, sculpt graphene with light to solve energy storage problems, develop electronics that are more environmentally friendly, create biocompatible and biodegradable materials for sensors, and more.

Turn to page 20 to be wowed by the scientific prowess of C&EN’s Talented 12 class of 2022.

C&EN will honor the 2022 class during a virtual symposium Sept. 19–21. Over these 3 days, the Talented 12 will share more of their research and the path they followed to get where they are. Besides learning a bit more about these rising stars, attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from two stellar keynote speakers: Stanford University’s Zhenan Bao and the University of Groningen’s Ben Feringa. Register for free at cenm.ag/t12symposium.

In addition, we have invited our colleagues from ACS Central Science to join us for this celebration of cutting-edge science and scientists. They’ll be participating by hosting a session honoring the winner of their 2022 Disruptors and Innovators Prize. This part of the event will take place Sept. 20—day 2 of the symposium.

One of the constants for the Talented 12 program over the years has been the support of our sponsor, Thermo Fisher Scientific, which deserves our thanks for its continued partnership. This company has believed in C&EN’s vision for the Talented 12 program since the very beginning, and it has been behind us every step of the way.

Nominations are now open for the Talented 12’s 2023 edition at cenm.ag/2023t12. You have until Jan. 17, 2023, to tell us about any deserving candidates you may have come across. For inspiration, you can learn more about previous classes at cenm.ag/cent12.

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