Tarrytown, N.Y., chemist re-elected to board of world’s largest scientific society

Anne T. O’Brien, Ph.D., of Tarrytown, N.Y., a research chemist and a former manager (now retired) with Wyeth – Ayerst Research, has been re-elected to the board of directors as a director of District I for the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society. She will serve her third 3-year term beginning in January 2007. In general, District I covers New England and parts of Canada.

O’Brien earned her B.S. degree from Marymount College in 1957 and her Ph.D. from Fordham University in 1964. In addition to 27 years in chemical information and management, she taught for more than 15 years at the university, college and high school levels. She and her husband, Ronald Tedesco, reside in Tarrytown.

A member of ACS since 1961, O’Brien has been active with the Society at the national and local levels, working on nearly a dozen committees and serving as chair or co-chair for a majority of them. In addition, she was a councilor with the New York Section for 17 years.

Among her honors are the New York Section’s Outstanding Service Award; the Outstanding Scientist award from Westchester County, N.Y.; and the Wyeth – Ayerst Teamwork Award.

O’Brien says one of her main goals is to help “ensure that the chemical sciences and scientists flourish in a rapidly evolving milieu.” She also pledges to work with her colleagues on the Board to “advance chemical science… to encourage its integration with biology, medicine, materials science, physics and the nano world, and to push into new frontiers.”