Category Chair Notes Archive

Dear Members of the American Chemical Society,

January was a very busy month, especially with the ACS Leadership Conference happening in Houston, Texas. Jiyue and I traveled there to deepen our knowledge of the ACS and make connections with other ACS leaders. It was a great experience, which I recommend to anyone else who is interested in taking on a higher role within the ACS. It was also a great chance to meet some of the chairs from other nearby areas, such as Riverside and Orange County. Everyone left excited to return to our respective sections and put our new knowledge to use. There is also a lot of excitement looking towards next year and the celebration of the ACS 150th anniversary.

Dear San Diego ACS Community,

It is with an abundance of both gratitude and humility that Jackie and I take over the position of Chair for our local community. Filling in Christina’s shoes is a tall order, but at least there are two of us! As Christina Vialva steps down, I want to extend immense appreciation for everything she has built up over the past year, and I am excited to continue working with her in a different capacity for 2025.

In this newsletter, I am beyond honored to have served as your San Diego ACS chair for the 2024 year. As my term comes to a close, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve in this Local Section. When I first stepped into the position as an undergraduate, I never imagined how much I could learn and grow, both personally and professionally, over a retrospectively short period of time. Over the past year, I have had the privilege of overseeing a full slate of events and initiatives aimed at strengthening our chapter, promoting professional development, and engaging with the broader scientific community. 

Pleasant greetings, San Diego!

If you celebrated it, how was your Halloween? I know mine involved a lot of candy (maybe a little too much candy…).

As we step into November, I’d like to express my gratitude to all who take a moment to read these notes. Truthfully, you are what has continuously inspired and educated me throughout my experience as your chair. November is election month; but not just for the president. Our Local Section ACS elections are coming your way! If you are a voting member, please keep an eye out for our Local Section election ballot emails! The voting period for this year’s election will be from November 7 to November 21st, 2024, and will be accounted for electronically. Your voice matters, and we want to make sure it’s accounted for as we elect our new 2025 San Diego ACS elected officials! Also, plan to stay tuned for our last meeting of the year, combo’d as our End-of-Year Holiday Party, held on Thursday, December 5th, at The Butcher Shop Steakhouse, to hear our election results!

Dear valued members,

The month of October is a busy time for the chemistry community! This month, we look forward to celebrating National Chemistry Week (NCW), from October 20–26, 2024, with the theme "Picture Perfect Chemistry". This theme focuses on the exciting topics of photography and imaging in chemistry. If you haven’t checked out the official ACS website, I encourage you to do so! ACS National has loads of fun activities and resources to celebrate this year.

Dear valued members,

I’d like to begin this newsletter with a genuine thank you to those who attended our August seminar! I personally feel like Dr. Corson’s talk was beautifully explained, and is a refreshing take on using scientific knowledge to take what you have and make what you want out of it. As scientists, we so often practice this motto in the workplace, in school, and across many aspects of our personal lives. Wherever you, the reader, are, as you enjoy this newsletter, I hope you remember that our community is a resilient one that unifies to accomplish great things.

Dear valued members,

Greetings! As we embrace the summer weather and a time for many of us to take a break away from our usual schedules, I'm thrilled to share some highlights and updates from our vibrant community.

Our most recent event, "Catalyzing Careers: Showcasing STEM Portfolios for Success," was a resounding success! Held on May 23rd, it brought together bright minds from across disciplines to explore methods that help our portfolios, full of hard work, stand out against the crowd. I would especially like to praise the insightful discussions, inspiring keynote addresses, and invaluable networking opportunities that our Local Section was able to deliver to over forty attendees! Thank you, once again, for all who helped make this event possible.

Dear esteemed members,

As we step into the blooming month of April, I would like to extend warm greetings to each of you. It's an exciting time for our community as we embrace the changing seasons and look forward to Earth Week. I welcome you to consider joining our Local Section in giving back to our community by participating in the annual Creek to Bay Cleanup hosted by I Love a Clean San Diego, on April 20. Many times, planned events can result in the generation of much waste, so I am eager to promote an activity where we can give back to our beautiful surroundings. You can register to participate in any of our two events: Chula Vista-Otay Valley Regional Park or Mission Valley-San Diego River.

Pleasant greetings, San Diego!

If you celebrated it, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and the chance to spend time with loved ones. I’d also like to extend an invitation to our next social event on Thursday, April 4th. “Tap Into Beer Chemistry with White Labs” is a delight to look forward to, as we will tour the brilliant brewing facilities at White Labs, taste some of their original brews, and connect with each other through a social hour with food provided. If you’ve been wanting an opportunity to meet others with a passion for beer, chemistry, or both, chatting over a glass at White Labs is what I’d call a perfect way to achieve that.