What’s next?

“To be successful in the future the chemistry enterprise needs to re-invent itself. The ACS can take a leading role in this change. In my view the key word is opportunity. Whatever we do, if we can enhance the future opportunities for research, for jobs, and for industrial growth, we would be doing well.”
H.N. Cheng, Senior Research Fellow/team leader, Hercules Inc., Wilmington, Del. He is a 27-year ACS member.

“It is very important to try to look into the future and alert chemists about looming challenges. Importantly, lessons from the history can help many to avoid mistakes of the past and find solutions to the challenges of the society of today.”
Andrei N. Vedernikov, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park. He is a 10-year ACS member.

“We have to think in terms of the great promise of chemistry in the future. We must continue building on the success of all scientists to cure disease and do other things that will help all of us as human beings, not just in the United States, but throughout the world.”
Tom LeBon, Associate Dean, City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, Calif. He is a 31-year ACS member.

“It is paramount in this century that we finally find a cure for HIV/AIDS and get this cure out, not only to people in our country, but to third world populations as well. We are losing a lot of people and I feel that we can do so much better. By working with other disciplines, i.e. biologists and medical doctors, we can eradicate this disease once and for all.”
Sylvester Mosley, former ACS Scholar; Postdoctoral Research Associate, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Bethesda, Md. He is a 4-year ACS member.

“Policy makers often base their decisions on limited understanding or unfounded fears and suspicions. It is important to increase the public’s trust of chemists as a group, and facilitating people’s understanding of our language is a step in that direction.”
Lynda J. Jones, author of "HOLY MOL-EE! Chemistry," Pico Rivera, Calif. She is a 4-year ACS member.

“Working with the Department of Education, the ACS and other scientific societies can suggest changes to primary and secondary science education to ensure that the next generation not only becomes science-literate but is excited and engaged by science.”
Judith N. Currano, Chemistry Librarian, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. She is 10-year ACS member.

“(ACS can help) by continuing to take a leadership role in advocating for science education, science policy, and funding of scientific research; by providing forums, such as ACS journals and meetings, for discussion of research advances in research; by continuing to offer career services to students, new graduates, mid-career and late-career members; and by reaching out to all segments of the general population, and welcoming participation in ACS by members of the broader scientific community, whether they label themselves ‘chemists’ or not.”
Mary Carroll, Director of Undergraduate Research, Professor of Chemistry, Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. She is a 23-year ACS member.