Moungi Bawendi | Nobel Laureate
Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professor Moungi Bawendi received his A.B. in 1982 from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in 1988 from The University of Chicago. This was followed by two years of postdoctoral research at Bell Laboratories, working with Louis Brus, where he began his studies on nanomaterials. Bawendi joined the faculty at MIT in 1990, becoming Associate Professor in 1995 and Professor in 1996. Professor Bawendi was one of the initial developers of the field of colloidal quantum dots. He has followed an interdisciplinary research program that has probed the science and technology of chemically synthesized nanostructures. His work has advanced both the fundamental studies of nanomaterials as well as their applications. His laboratory has demonstrated applications of nanomaterials for light emission, photodetection, spectral sensing, solar energy harvesting, and bio-imaging. His group has pioneered novel tools for the spectroscopy of single nanostructures as well as for in-vivo imaging. Professor Bawendi is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences. Professor Bawendi is a co-laureate of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Read More...
Makola Abdullah | Keynote Speaker
President, Virginia State University
Makola M. Abdullah, PhD is the 14th President of Virginia State University. Prior to his appointment as president of Virginia State University, Dr. Abdullah served as provost and senior vice president at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL (2013-2016), provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, FL (2011-2013), and dean and director of 1890 land grant programs at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, FL (2008-2011). Dr. Abdullah is a Chicago native who earned his undergraduate degree from Howard University in civil engineering and his doctorate and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Northwestern University. He is the youngest African American to receive a PhD in engineering. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and he and his wife, Ahkinyala Cobb-Abdullah, PhD, are the proud parents of a son, Mikaili, and a daughter, Sefiyetu. Read More...
Daniel G. Nocera | Keynote Speaker
Patterson Rockwood Professor of Energy, Harvard University
Dr. Daniel G. Nocera is the Patterson Rockwood Professor of Energy at Harvard University. He earned his B.S. degree at Rutgers University and his Ph.D. at Caltech. Nocera has mentored 159 Ph.D. graduate and postdoctoral students, 69 of which have assumed faculty positions, published over 450 papers, given over 975 invited talks and 128 named lectureships. Widely recognized in the world as a leading researcher in renewable energy, he is the inventor of the artificial leaf and bionic leaf. Nocera has accomplished the solar fuels process of photosynthesis – the splitting of water to hydrogen and oxygen using light from neutral water, at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Nocera’s research contributions in renewable energy have been recognized by several awards, some of which include the Leigh Ann Conn Prize for Renewable Energy, Eni Prize, IAPS Award, Burghausen Prize, and the United Nation’s Science and Technology Award and from the American Chemical Society the Inorganic Chemistry, Harrison Howe, Kosolapoff and Remsen Awards. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Indian Academy of Sciences. He was named as 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine and was 11th on the New Statesman’s list on the same topic, and he is a frequent guest on TV and radio and is regularly featured in print. More info...
Julian West | Keynote Speaker
Professor, Rice University
Julian G. West received his Ph.D. in 2017 from Princeton University, where he developed new photocatalytic reactions using earth abundant elements as an NSF Fellow with Prof. Erik J. Sorensen. Following graduation, he expanded his training into bioinorganic chemistry and electrocatalysis as an NIH and Resnick postdoctoral fellow at Caltech in the groups of Profs. Harry B. Gray and Brian M. Stoltz. He began his independent career at Rice University in July 2019 where he has been lucky to discover a range of new radical reactions using earth abundant elements with some fantastic student and postdoc coworkers. Julian is a passionate engager with the arts, where he loves listening to (and playing) music, writing, and industrial design.
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Mary Carroll | Speaker
ACS President
Mary K. Carroll is the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry at Union College (Schenectady, New York). She earned a B.S. in chemistry from Union College, a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington, and performed postdoctoral research at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She co-directs the Union College Aerogel Lab, and co-founded SunThru LLC to commercialize aerogel technology developed at Union. She has been a member of the American Chemical Society since 1986.
LaTrease Garrison | Speaker
ACS Chief Operating Officer
LaTrease E. Garrison is the Chief Operating Officer of the American Chemical Society (ACS). She earned her B.S. in chemistry from Howard University and an MBA from Strayer University, where her research focused on succession planning for non-profit organizations. Additionally, she holds a certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. Garrison joined ACS in 1992 as a Program Assistant for Chemical & Engineering News and later moved to the Education Division, where she advanced to Senior Program Manager for Undergraduate Programs. In 2005, she became Special Assistant to the Director of Education, and she has held various leadership roles, including Executive Vice President for Education and for ACS Education, Membership, and Scientific Advancement. Currently, she oversees strategic direction for several key areas, including IT, philanthropy, membership, education, and global engagement. Garrison is also a Co-Principal Investigator for the NSF INCLUDES Alliance: Inclusive Graduate Education Network, which supports the ACS Bridge Project aimed at increasing PhD attainment among underrepresented students in the chemical sciences. Active in her community, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, and volunteers at her church.
Terri Chambers | Speaker
ACS Education Vice President
Dr. Terri Chambers is the Vice President of Education and Career Development at the American Chemical Society. In this role, Dr. Chambers strategically defines and directs educational and professional development programs for STEM students and teachers, and for chemists. Under her leadership are nation-wide programs that advance chemistry education with a special focus on diversity and inclusion at the high-school, college, and postgraduate levels, as well as STEM outreach efforts with national and international scope. A former high-school and college educator, Dr. Chambers has led and contributed to numerous ACS efforts focused on increasing diversity in the chemical sciences, promoting workforce development, and supporting K-12 teacher recruitment and retention. Dr. Chambers received her BS degree in chemistry from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, her master’s degree in cellular and molecular medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and her Ed.D. in educational leadership and management from Drexel University.
Laura Howes | Speaker & Moderator
ACS C&EN Executive Editor
Laura Howes has degrees in both chemistry and art history, which means she’s written dissertations on membrane proteins and the Renaissance. At C&EN, Laura and her team mainly cover the more biological end of chemistry, including the science and business of drug discovery and development. In addition, Laura manages C&EN’s What’s That Stuff? series. Read More...
Luis Echegoyen | Speaker
Robert A. Welch Chair Professor of Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia
Luis Echegoyen was the Robert A. Welch Chair Professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso since August 2010 until his retirement in 2021. He was ACS President in 2020 and was the Director of the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation from 2006-10. He was simultaneously a Professor of Chemistry at Clemson University, where he maintained a very active research program with interests in fullerene electrochemistry, monolayer films, supramolecular chemistry, endohedral fullerene chemistry and electrochemistry; and carbon nanoonions, synthesis, derivatization and fractionation. Luis has published >520 articles, including 49 book chapters. He was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003 and was the recipient of many awards, including the 1996 Florida ACS Award, the 1997 University of Miami Provost Award for Excellence in Research, the 2007 Herty Medal Award from the ACS Georgia Section, the 2007 Clemson University Presidential Award for Excellence in Research, and the 2007 University of Puerto Rico Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was selected as an ACS Fellow in 2011. He was selected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2019. Luis has to his record >450 scientific invited lectures and presentations. He was the editor in chief of the Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry, 2010-8. Since May, 2023, he works at the Instituto Catalan de Investigación Química (ICIQ) where he is the International Chair for Academic Programs. Read More...
Angela Byars-Winston | Speaker
Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Angela Byars-Winston is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). She conducts diversity science research on cultural and organizational influences shaping the career development and effective mentorship of college students and early career faculty in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). She is Principal Investigator in the NIH National Research Mentoring Network leading the Culturally Aware Mentorship (CAM) initiative. She chaired the National Academies of Sciences’ 2019 consensus study report, The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, and is a current appointed member of the NIH National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council. Dr. Byars-Winston is the 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Educator for Innovation in Mentorship Research Award from the Association of Clinical and Translational Science, a 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award honoree from San Diego State University, and the inaugural Chair of the UW Institute for Diversity Science where she hosts the Diversity Science Podcast. She is the immediate past president of the South Central Wisconsin chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the nation’s oldest Black mothers organization. Read More…
Sonia Zárate | Speaker
Scientific Mentorship Initiative Lead, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Sonia Zárate, PhD, is a Program Officer at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Past-President of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and a Master Facilitator for the National Research Mentoring Network and Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). In all of these positions, she leads national efforts to ensure that science is able to benefit from the potential that diversity holds. Prior to her current appointment at HHMI, she was the Director for the Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of San Diego, Adjunct Faculty at Miramar Community College and the Associate Director for the Undergraduate Research Center-Sciences at UCLA. Sonia holds a PhD in Molecular Biology.
Miguel A. García-Garibay | Speaker
Dean & Distinguished Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
Miguel A. García-Garibay earned his B.S. from the University of Michoacan in Mexico and his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University, he joined UCLA's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where he rose to the rank of Distinguished Professor. He served as Vice Chair for Education and Chair of the department before being appointed Dean of Physical Sciences in 2016. García-Garibay has held editorial positions on several prestigious journals, including the Journal of Organic Chemistry and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, where he was an associate editor from 2009 to 2018. He has contributed to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable of the National Academies and currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the NSF Mathematical & Physical Sciences Directorate. His research focuses on reactive intermediates, solid-state organic chemistry, photochemistry, and crystalline molecular machines. With over 250 publications and 450 international lectures, he has received numerous accolades, including fellowships from the AAAS and the American Chemical Society, as well as awards from the National Science Foundation and the Inter-American Photochemical Society. In 2023, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Benny Chan | Speaker & Mentor
Chair and Professor, The College of New Jersey
Dr. Benny Chan received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA and a B.A. in Chemistry from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, USA. He has been an advocate for diversity and inclusive since his start at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2006. He has published in a wide range of areas from electrocatalysis, actinide solid state chemistry, superconductivity, coordination chemistry, and scientific education with over 40 publications in these areas. He has been an advocate for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and has worked with multiple organizations from the American Society of Engineering Educators, American Chemical Society, American Crystallographic Association, and Out to Innovate. He has developed a rich collaborative research program with sociology Dr. Lynn Gazley to study how and why STEM students succeed and, more recently, how to shift the faculty culture towards inclusive pedagogy and enact change in a group of scientists. He was honored 2019 Out to Innovate LGBTQ+ Educator of the Year, a 2020 ACS Fellow, The Chemical and Engineering News 2022 LGBTQ+ Trailblazer, 2023 TCNJ Inaugural Innovation in Teaching Award, and the 2023 Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences. Read more…
Michelle Boucher | Speaker & Moderator
Professor, Utica University
Michelle Boucher was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a B.S. in chemistry and a B.A. in history in 1997 and earned her Ph.D. in chemistry under Dr. Malcolm Kenney in 2003. After teaching as a Visiting Professor at Denison University, she joined the faculty of Utica University, where she earned tenure and is now a Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Boucher’s research interests include organosilicon chemistry and educational research centered around laboratory development. She loves to work with undergraduate students and typically has a group of 2-5 undergraduate researchers working with her. Dr. Boucher has been active in the ACS, serving in SOCED at various levels and as part of inChemistry magazine’s advisory group. She is married and has one son who has inherited her love of cheesy musicals and science fiction/fantasy novels.
Malika Jeffries-El | Speaker, Mentor, & Judge
Senior Associate Dean, Boston University
Malika Jeffries-EL is a Professor of Chemistry and the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences Boston University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Wellesley College, Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the George Washington University. She is a fellow of the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry, an advocate for diversity, and dedicated volunteer that has served in several activities within the American Chemical Society. She has been a member of the American Chemical Society since 1996. Read More...
Debra Luffer-Atlas | Speaker
Senior Vice President Scientific Strategy, Eli Lilly and Company
Dr. Debra Luffer-Atlas is a native of Montreal, Canada and received a BSc (Honours) in Chemistry from McGill University. She received her PhD in Chemistry from Indiana University in 1990 followed by a postdoc at University of Arizona and started her industry career at Merck (NJ) in 1992. She has 32+ continuous years of drug discovery and development experience at 2 major pharma companies with deep expertise in drug discovery, drug development, drug safety, and external innovation. Debra joined Lilly Research Laboratories in 1997 and in 2020 she was promoted to Distinguished Research Fellow, the company’s most senior technical level. As a member of the Lilly nonclinical safety organization for over 26 years, Debra collaborated on numerous regulatory submissions and served on many teams, including those that innovated Lilly products from neuroscience (REYVOW) and oncology (JAYPIRCA). She is author or co-author of >40 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is considered a thought-leader in the areas of drug metabolite safety testing and understanding and predicting drug-induced liver injury. Debra is a frequent study section reviewer for NIH SBIR/STTR applications. Debra is a past recipient of the 2014 Lilly Research Laboratories President’s Award for her dedication to female mentorship and career development as well as the 2007 Lilly Quality Pinnacle Award for her visionary scientific team leadership. Read more...
Chris Murray | Speaker & Mentor
Chief Technical Officer, Blueprint Medicines Corp.
Dr. Christopher Murray, previously Chief Technical Operations and Quality Officer at Blueprint Medicines, recently transitioned to the role of Executive Vice President. Chris joined Blueprint in 2017 leading the process development, manufacturing, supply chain and Quality organizations. Prior to Blueprint, Chris was a member of senior leadership teams at ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Allos Therapeutics and Hauser where he provided strategic input and technical oversight to each company’s operations. Over the past 30+ years, these experiences resulted with the commercialization and market expansion of eight novel medicines and one medical device, including two FDA-approved therapies at Blueprint. Chris’ passions include building and leading expert cross-functional teams focused on bringing new therapies to patients in need, and in supporting educational and experiential opportunities for young people interested in careers as STEM professionals.
Chris earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Hope College and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Chicago. Chris has an extensive publication and patent history. Read More…
Zeus de Los Santos | Speaker, Mentor, & Judge
Chemist, Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Zeus De los Santos holds a PhD from Georgetown University and currently works as a chemist at the Center for Tobacco Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He previously served as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he focused on the stereoselective properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes wrapped in DNA and developed nano-sensing arrays for targeted detection of analytes and biomarkers. In addition to his role at the FDA, Dr. De los Santos is an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. His commitment to education stems from a desire to change the perception of chemistry as an inaccessible subject. During his graduate studies, he created multiple assays for chiral compounds to streamline traditional asymmetric reaction screening processes. His teaching philosophy emphasizes making chemistry approachable and engaging, reflecting his passion for inspiring students to master the subject.
Alan Saghatelian | Speaker & Mentor
Professor, Salk Institute
Dr. Alan Saghatelian is a distinguished biochemist and professor known for his pioneering research in metabolomics and peptide biology. He currently holds the Dr. Frederik Paulsen Chair at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, where he also serves as the Assistant Director of the Redesigning Biology Initiative. Dr. Saghatelian earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997. He pursued his doctoral studies at The Scripps Research Institute, obtaining his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2002 under the mentorship of Professor Benjamin Cravatt. Following his doctoral work, he continued at Scripps as a postdoctoral fellow, focusing on advanced research in chemical biology and metabolomics. In 2006, he joined the faculty of Harvard University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. In 2014, Dr. Saghatelian moved his laboratory to the Salk Institute, integrating it into the Peptide Biology Laboratory. Dr. Saghatelian's contributions to science have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. He is a recipient of the Merck Fellowship from the Life Sciences Research Foundation, the Career Award in Biomedical Sciences from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award. Read more...
Franklin A. Carrero-Martinez | Speaker
Science Diplomat, National Academy of Sciences
Franklin Carrero-Martinez is the Senior Director of the Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine (NASEM). He earned his PhD in Cell and Developmental Neurobiology and a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Over the course of his career, he has served as researcher and educator, science administrator, and science diplomat in government, academia, and NGOs. In academia, Carrero-Martinez established a strong research program aimed at understanding the brain’s self-organization principles and how to use that knowledge to manipulate brain connectivity. At the University of Puerto Rico, he earned tenure, promotion to Associate Professor, visiting scholarship to Duke, sabbatical at MIT’s Brain Institute, community service and outreach, invention disclosures, curricular reform, and awards recognizing his innovative approaches to science education for underserved populations. Read more...
Corrie Kuniyoshi | Facilitator
ACS Education Senior Manager
Dr. Corrie Y. Kuniyoshi, PhD is senior manager and enjoys working with a phenomenal team in ACS Student Experiences Office which houses the Project SEED, ACS Scholars, and ACS LEADS programs. She received her bachelors degree in chemistry from Cal State San Bernadino and her Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angelos. Among her role as senior manager, Dr. Kuniyoshi is the PI for the NSF-Funded grant Impact Indicators and Instruments for the Individual Development Plans which studies IDP efficacy (Grant ID: 1806607). She has over 16 years of experience at American Chemical Society (ACS) in career and professional development. During her tenure at ACS Dr. Kuniyoshi led efforts in the development of ACS’ IDP process theoretical framework, ChemIDP.org, and GPChemist.org, Co-led the organization of the the inaugural LEADS’ Conference (2022) and created a number of career and professional development programming for graduate students through mid-career STEM professionals. Dr. Kuniyoshi is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach.
Joerg Schlatterer | Facilitator
ACS Scientific Advancement Director
Joerg Schlatterer is the Director of the Office of Research Grants at the ACS where he oversees the distribution of approximately $20 million in grants annually. He provides leadership for the ACS Petroleum Research Fund which supports fundamental research in the petroleum field, and as well as grant programs in agricultural chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and chemistry and biochemistry more generally. As a key thought leader at the ACS Scientific Advancement Division, he works to ensure that the ACS strategically utilizes its grantmaking capacity to support scientific research. In previous roles, Dr. Schlatterer led programs designed to support the career and professional development of students and postdoctoral investigators. He is the co-PI on the NSF INCLUDES Alliance grant for the Inclusive Graduate Education Network, and he led the development of the ACS Bridge Project. Prior to joining the ACS in 2017, Dr. Schlatterer served as Program Director in the Division of Graduate Education at the US National Science Foundation. He began his professional career as a faculty member in biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City; and later served as Assistant Dean of Faculty Professional Development at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Schlatterer received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the Free University of Berlin, and his PhD in chemistry from the University of Heidelberg.
Michelle Brooks | Facilitator
ACS Education Assistant Director
Michelle Brooks is Assitant Director in the Education Division at ACS, where she works on global undergraduate chemistry program recognition and support. She received her PhD in physical chemistry from Michigan State University, followed by a National Institutes of Health funded post-doctoral appointment at Columbia University. Prior to coming to ACS, she held academic positions at a small teaching college, a primarily undergraduate institution, and at a research university. She is passionate about undergraduate education and preparing STEM students for a wide variety of careers. In her spare time, she is a Registered Yoga Teacher with over 500 hours of training, including a specialization in teaching Curvy Yoga and she currently teaches in Washington D.C. She also enjoys biking, kayaking, and playing with her two basset hounds, Boo Radley and Scout.
Nicole Di Fabio | Facilitator
ACS Membership Assistant Director
Nicole Di Fabio is the Assistant Director of Component and Global Engagement at ACS. During her time at ACS, she has created international student chapters and graduate student organizations, in addition to planning and producing student programs for the past 11 years. She strategically oversees the directions of ACS community groups involved with Society, such as Local Sections, International Chemical Science Chapters, and Student Chapters, to ensure that they thrive. Nicole earned her M.A. in Anthropology and a graduate certificate in documentary filmmaking from The George Washington University and her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth in Anthropology and Women’s Studies.
