Willie E. May, ACS President-Elect Candidate
What's in it for You
Members join for many reasons.
Student members use ACS programs to better understand the profession and identify great job opportunities.
Mid-career chemists look to ACS to stay current with advances in the field and with issues confronting chemists and society more broadly.
Senior chemists and retirees rely on ACS for networking with peers as they take on new leadership and mentoring challenges and look for solutions.
ACS helps meet all of these needs — world-class publications, professional advice, employment services, continuous learning classes, and unmatched mentoring opportunities. But we can always do better. We can be more strategic, refine our programs and messages, and speak more effectively on behalf of our members and our profession.
Why Your Vote for ACS President-Elect is So Important
Many of our global challenges can be addressed through the power of chemistry.
The ACS President-Elect can help broker those solutions. We need an experienced leader who:
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Has a proven track record of working strategically and productively with all sectors of our economy and society.
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Gets the chemistry “big picture” in all its variations from lab to marketplace.
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Knows how to build coalitions with academia, companies in all sectors and of all sizes, and government agencies in the U.S. and globally.
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And is committed to helping undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs and early career professionals reach their full potential.
I have served in all those leadership roles. Starting from the laboratory bench, I rose through the ranks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and capped off my government career as Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director.
I have worked with colleagues from industry, government, and academia in the U.S. and abroad. I have worked with and testified before Congress as well as consulted and worked with Corporate CEOs and directors of dozens of scientific and technical societies from around the world. I have created and/or supported programs aimed at advancing the careers of young scientists and engineers.
Plans to Advance ACS and its Effectiveness
As your President-Elect, I want to continue to make a difference. I want to give back in honor of those who taught and mentored me throughout my improbable journey from the projects in Birmingham, Alabama, to candidacy for President of the world’s largest scientific society.
I would work to:
Inspire and Educate: ACS should play a greater role in shaping policies to expand and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals – ranging from chemical plant technicians to research investigators in government, academic, and industrial laboratories. We should encourage dialogue with the public, particularly during this time when public interest and confidence in science, data, and facts has been challenged.
Diversify: We should be strong advocates for strengthening institutions serving underrepresented populations. Students from these institutions are an underappreciated and underused resource for skilled workers for the chemical industry. Through ACS assistance with internships and other career opportunities, these untapped pools of talent bring us diversity of thought and innovation.
Grow: Science has no national boundaries. Non-U.S. citizens should be a growth area for recruiting new members, including those working for global companies. Biology is increasingly a quantitative molecular science. We should explore ways to bring more biologists under the ACS tent, including adding relevant conference topics and forums for biologists and biochemists.
Continuously improve: Even a preeminent international scientific organization must stay alert to its members’ needs. The skills and education gained in our 20’s and 30’s will not sustain us throughout our careers. We should consider establishing an “ACS university for continuous learning”.