A Message from the Chair
Amy R. Howell
2025 Chair, ACS Division of Organic Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry
University of Connecticut
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome! We hope you are reading this because you are part of the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry (DOC) or are interested in joining us. If you have accidentally stumbled into our world, we hope you will explore the DOC. I am honored and excited to serve as the Chair of the Division for 2025. In the following paragraphs (and pictures) I hope you will see the basis for and share my enthusiasm!
The ACS DOC is one of the premier international societies for organic chemists. Our mission is to foster and promote the advancement of the field of organic chemistry. We can do this because of our diverse membership and the ways they contribute.
The DOC is enriched by our many student members, both undergraduate and graduate, and in turn provides them with opportunities to increase their scientific breadth, skills, and networks. For example, at the Spring 2024 National Meeting in New Orleans there were 730 talks and posters delivered by the DOC with >150 coming from undergraduates and >260 from graduate students (that’s more than 50% from students!)! The corresponding numbers in the Denver Fall meeting were >50 for undergraduates and >260 for graduate students. Students are key players for the DOC!
The national meetings are also rich with informal opportunities for students to interact with peers and form new networks. The ice-cream socials (which are for everyone!) are growing in popularity, as are the DEIR coffee hours. In July, the 2024 Graduate Research Symposium (GRS) brought 67 4th year organic graduate students to the University of Virginia to present their research and interact with leaders from academia, industry, various funding agencies, and publishers at a single venue. The 2025 GRS will be held at San Diego State University, July 17–20.
Some readers may not realize that there is financial support for students for many of these opportunities. Approximately 15 DOC Travel Awards are available each National ACS meeting to enable students (and faculty from PUI’s) to present their research. The GRS provides registration, housing and food (and sometimes travel) to the students selected. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program provides support for undergraduates in organic chemistry to carry out research at their respective colleges/universities in the summer between their junior and senior year. In addition, the SURF program provides financial support to enable recipients to visit an industrial campus in the fall for a dinner, award session, scientific talks, a tour of the campus and a poster session.
New awards to the Division are allowing us to offer even more opportunities to students and highlight the collaborative nature of divisions and committees within ACS:
- “ACS Pharma Scholars Program”. This cross-divisional collaborative mentorship initiative with ACS Divisions of Analytical Chemistry and Professional Relations, brings together industry professionals, students, post-docs, and key constituents to help younger chemists grow through cross-disciplinary synergies.
- “Increasing Student Engagement through a Collaborative Event of DOC, MEDI, and YCC”. This symposium, panel and networking event provides undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-docs, an opportunity to learn first-hand how members of the ACS Divisions of Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, and the Younger Chemists Committee have transitioned from being a student to thriving in industry.
If you are a student, we hope you will notice and take advantage of these opportunities the DOC offers. If you are not a student member, join here!
The majority of our division members are no longer students but are still tied in one way or another to organic chemistry. The scientific accomplishments, discoveries, and innovations of our members are amazing. At the 2024 ACS national meetings in New Orleans and Denver, we had a total of 21 ACS National award winners presenting their research. In addition, we had 21 symposia organized within the division, and 3 global virtual symposia. On top of that, we had contributed papers and posters in 16 different topical areas…and there’s more to come in 2025!
While it is impossible to recognize all the important discoveries and achievements of our members, the DOC has a broad swath of award programs recognizing members at all stages of their careers. In 2024 we gave out 19 Technical Achievement in Organic Chemistry (TAOC) Awards, 14 Young Academic Investigator (YAS) Awards, 18 Early-Career Investigator Awards (ECI), and 16 Mid-Career Investigator Awards (MCI). Lisa McElwee-White received the prestigious DOC Gassman Award and many organic division members won prominent National ACS awards. All these awardees are amazing, but we also celebrate the unsung heroes who submit the nominations, agonize over the difficult selections or organize the symposia! We hope you continue to support the Division by applying for or nominating someone for these awards or Division of Organic Chemistry co-sponsored ACS Publications Awards (OL, JOC, OM, OPRD and ACS Catalysis ).
One of the Division’s premier, biannual events is the National Organic Chemistry Symposium (NOS), and 2025 is a banner year for the NOS! The first NOS was held in was held in Rochester, NY, December 29– 31, 1925. For its 100 year anniversary we are pleased to have the conference return to its New York roots. The NOS will be run from Sunday, June 22 to Thursday June 26, 2025 at RPI in Troy, NY. There is an outstanding line-up of plenary speakers, and Eric Jacobsen, the 2025 Roger Adams Awardee, will also be featured. In addition, NOS is widely known for its stimulating evening poster sessions and its engagement of attendees, from undergraduates to established researchers, both academic and industrial.
The Organic Division (DOC) strives to effectively communicate pertinent information regarding our diverse programs (nearly 20 in number) and other relevant news to the organic chemistry community. This is achieved by maintaining an up-to-date website that also houses an amazing amount of practical information and useful links. Division members have access to additional content. The division’s secretary compiles all timely information into a monthly email newsletter, which is distributed to DOC members and archived on the DOC website (requires login/DOC membership). Furthermore, we strive to inform the broader organic chemistry community by simultaneously posting relevant information on our extensive social media network, which includes:
We truly enjoy interacting with members of the organic chemistry community on social media and we especially appreciate the people who support us and our mission to foster and promote the advancement of the field of organic chemistry with their membership in the division. Our division is rich in diversity, and we remain fully committed to celebrating, promoting and protecting this. If you are not a DOC member, please consider joining. In the upcoming year, we hope to see many of you personally at the 2025 ACS Spring (San Diego, CA) and Fall (Washington DC) National Meetings and at the 100 year anniversary NOS (Troy, NY).
Sincerely,
Dr. Amy R. Howell
Chair, ACS Division of Organic Chemistry 2025