This September, the ACS Committee on Minority Affairs (CMA) underwent a strategic planning retreat at the ACS headquarters in Washington D.C. As a result, we are happy to introduce the strategic plan that will guide our committee from 2020-2023:
- Vision Statement: Diversifying chemistry through the transforming power of inclusion and equity.
- Mission Statement: Advancing a broader, inclusive and equitable chemistry enterprise by empowering underrepresented groups, stakeholders, and marginalized peoples for the benefit of the world.
We have three goals designed to help us achieve this mission:
- Increase diversity awareness by providing professional development and recognition opportunities to underrepresented groups within the chemical sciences;
- Strengthen ACS programming to reflect a broader, inclusive and equitable chemistry enterprise; and
- Enhance shared expertise in effective diversity, equity, and inclusion content and act as a resource to stakeholders.
CMA is grateful to the members of the Committees on Chemists with Disabilities (CWD), Women Chemists (WCC), Professional Training (CPT), and Membership Affairs (MAC) as well as the Division of Professional Relations (PROF) that actively participated in this process to help us create a concrete, collaborative and transformative plan. We will be actively posting information about our strides towards these goals on Facebook (ACS.CMA), twitter (@chemdiversity), or our webpage blog (www.chemdiversity.org).
To that end, we direct your attention to our upcoming spring programming efforts, namely our Presidential Symposium entitled “Reimagining Diversity & Equity in honor of Robert Lichter” (co-sponsored by PROF). Monday, March 30th, 2020 will include morning talks discussing Robert Lichter’s work and his impact on ACS, chemistry, education, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as afternoon talks showcasing successful programs that continue this vision. We have also incorporated our luncheon into the symposium, where our current President-Elect, Luis Echegoyen will give the keynote address. Furthermore, we are excited to be offering our first set of publicly available workshops on Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 which have been sponsored by PROF, CPT, and the Society Committee on Education (SOCED). We invite your graduate students and postdoctoral trainees to register for the workshop entitled “Career Launch and Acceleration for Minority Graduate Students & Postdocs” facilitated by COACh; and for junior faculty, faculty mentors and training directors to register for the “Incorporating Expectations and Communication into Mentoring Relationships to Promote Equity & Inclusion” facilitated by the National Mentoring Research Network (NRMN). We are also sponsoring other conference programming that aligns with our symposium theme, including the Young Chemists Committee (YCC) symposium “Psychologically Navigating Graduate School” and the Division of Chemical Education (CHED) Graduate Student Symposium “Smart Materials”.
As we prepare for the National Meeting in Philadelphia, we continue to encourage everyone to include conversations with persons with unequal experiences to preemptively find equitable solutions that best fit their needs during your programming.
See you in Philly!
Ann Kimble-Hill, Ph.D.
Chair, Committee on Minority Affairs