I hope you all had a happy Halloween. Today’s topic is on the American Chemical Society’s presidential election for 2017 between the two candidates Peter K. Dorhout and Thomas R. Gilbert. If you haven’t been following or if this is your first time hearing about the election, you can read their candidate statements here and here on the ACS website. Though events such as these are pretty rare, it is important to remember to do our part as members of the ACS and vote. A quick introduction of the candidates: Thomas Gilbert is the acting chair of the chemistry department at Northeastern University and Peter Dorhout is the vice president of research at Kansas State University. An additional reminder: the outcome of this election will mean that whoever is successful will be made a member of the ACS Board of Directors until 2019 and will also serve the ACS as president in 2018.
At times such as these, knowing what each candidate brings to the table and what they plan to do is in our best interest as members. We should look to scrutinize the candidates for unrealistic plans and debate the issues they view as important. To all readers, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.
A small excerpt of their candidate statements.
On the topic of eduction:
"The interdisciplinary nature of many of the new jobs in the chemical sciences needs to be reflected in how chemists are educated. This education has to start early—in K–12 classrooms. ACS took a major step in support of precollege teachers in 2013 when we launched the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT). I supported the AACT proposal, and if elected, I look forward to expanding my work with elementary and middle school science teachers and high school chemistry teachers to include teachers from across the country as they create learning activities that are both content-rich and share the sense of investigation and discovery that we chemists find so rewarding." - Gilbert
"Teaching chemistry should be a partnership. We need to build stronger alliances and prepare our workforce to be successful in a global marketplace. The American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) is positioned to engage members in dialogue around K–12 chemistry education; our college and university faculty are key to preparing the next generation of chemists, and so are our industrial members. ACS should continue to lead in promoting the highest standards and safest chemistry education programs and enhance the educational opportunities for all students, including nontraditional and adult learners. Members from industry and the academy should be joined in regular dialogue as part of the IPAB I mentioned, discussing and promoting the critical skill sets necessary for new chemists as well as how we can keep our established chemists engaged in lifelong learning to enhance their skills." - Dorhout
On the topic of jobs:
"I would also work with the Committee on Professional Training, the Society Committee on Education, and federal funding agencies to put into practice the recommendations of our Presidential Commission on Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences. This country can no longer afford to have colleges and universities preparing graduate students for jobs that no longer exist, forcing them to continue their preparation for the job market through years of postdoctoral research. These perpetual postdocs are victims of a system that is inefficient and unfair. I believe ACS should take the lead in developing guidelines for Ph.D. programs in chemistry that align students’ graduate experiences with the knowledge and skills (and not just laboratory skills) they need to succeed in today’s chemical enterprise and, indeed, to serve as future leaders of the American Chemical Society." - Gilbert
"Focusing on the future, I will build on the partnership with Corporation Associates and engage stakeholder groups of key ACS committee representatives in discourse and action. An Industry Partners Advisory Board (IPAB) should be established and tasked with advising ACS about aiding our nation’s industries, promoting the chemical enterprise to Congress, and preparing chemists for the future workforce.Our task force on employment has worked diligently on improving the domestic employment situation for starting and experienced chemical professionals. We investigated, among other things, the imbalance of supply and demand and the training needed for preparation for industrial jobs, entrepreneurship, and career development. My time as president will be spent on realizing the key recommendations being made by the task force." - Dorhout
