Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee Project

The Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC) Project was created in 2005 to facilitate ongoing involvement among graduate students in planning symposia at ACS national meetings. Student groups are chosen from a university to produce quality symposia, co-sponsored by the ACS Division of Chemical Education (CHED), of interest to the chemical community.

According to the program charter, the GSSPC Project provides:

a national forum for graduate students to make their own views known
an outlet for graduate students to develop a professional network and leadership skills
a sustainable source of quality programming for CHED

What’s Involved?

GSSPC groups are given full autonomy in planning an ACS national meeting symposium. This includes, but is not limited to topic selection, fundraising, speaker recruitment, and logistical arrangements.

In addition to planning national meeting symposia, teams must also commit to ensuring the continuation of the program by recruiting future GSSPC groups, mentoring successive groups, and updating the GSSPC handbook.

For more information, see the GSSPC Project Charter or the GSSPC Handbook.

Types of Symposium

Technical (e.g. nanotechnology, sustainable energy)
“Soft” Programming (e.g. careers, work-life balance)
Symposia that address larger ACS national meeting themes (e.g. natural disaster)

Support Resources

GSSPC Participants

University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2010): “Chemistry and the Developing World”
George Washington University (Spring 2009): “Naturally Nano”
University of Connecticut (Fall 2008): “Transitioning into Green Chemistry”
University of California, Los Angeles (Spring 2008): “Nanopower ― Creating Energy for the Future”
Purdue University (Fall 2007): “Finding Your Catalyst: Lower the Barrier from the Graduate School to Industry”
Ohio State University (Spring 2007): “Exploring and Exploiting Nature with Biomimetics”
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign (Spring 2006): “Balancing the Equation: Finding a Personal - Professional Equilibrium”

For more information about GSSPC, please e-mail the ACS Office of Graduate Education or call 800-227-5558 ext. 4588.