Dear members,
May is Asian / Pacific American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the profound impact Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have made on our shared history.
In San Diego, Asian Americans have driven incredible advancements in STEM. This includes pioneering scientists like Dr. Shu Chien, Dr. Chi-Huey Wong, and UC San Diego's Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Roger Y. Tsien, who revolutionized imaging chemistry with fluorescent proteins. Today, a new generation of Asian American chemists continues to lead the way in education and research. From medicinal chemistry breakthroughs to nanomaterial innovations, they are shaping the future of science and expanding representation in STEM fields.
Over the past few months, Joan Schellinger has helped organize the local section exam for the 2026 US National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)—a multi-tiered chemistry competition for high school students. After the originally planned exam was canceled due to a national exam leak, Joan, alongside local and national volunteers and proctors, stepped up to organize and arrange an alternative exam on March 28th. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who made this happen!
Looking ahead to our upcoming local events, the University of San Diego (USD) will host a public symposium, Jean Dreyfus Lectureship public seminar and symposium at USD this June featuring Tim Swager as the keynote speaker. Additionally, on June 25th, Dr. Zhongwei Li from USC will host a webinar highlighting his cutting-edge organoid research.
Finally, we are in the final stages of planning for the MedChem Symposium on July 17th, co-organized by UCSD, SABPA, and the ACS San Diego Section on the UCSD campus. It is one of the largest events hosted by ACS Local section. We are actively seeking sponsors for this event. If interested, please reach out to me at jchen@sandiegoacs.org or Mark Tichenor at mtichenor@sandiegoacs.org for details.
As we head into a busy summer of symposiums, webinars, and collaboration, we want to thank you for being an active part of our ACS community. Be sure to RSVP for the upcoming June events, and don't hesitate to reach out if you would like to get involved. See you there!
Best regards,
Jiyue Chen, Ph.D.
San Diego ACS Local Section Chair
