The Spring Meeting of the ACS Council was held in hybrid format on March 26, 2025. As of March 26, there were 15,332 registrations (14,251 in-person and 1,081 online). The ACS Fall 2025 meeting will be held in Washington, DC, from August 17 – 21, 2025.
Actions of the Council
Election Results: Elected Committees of Council
• The Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E) presented to the Council the following nominees for selection as President-Elect, 2026: Christina Bodurow, Dawn Mason, Sheila Murphy, and John Warner. By electronic ballot, the Council selected Christina Bodurow and Dawn Mason as candidates for 2026 President-Elect. These two candidates will join any additional candidates selected via petitions to stand for election in the fall 2025 national election.
Candidates for Directors for Districts II and IV
• The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the results of the election held prior to the Council meeting to select candidates from the list of nominees for Directors from District II, and District IV to serve on the Board of Directors for the term 2026-2028. By electronic ballot, the Councilors from these Districts selected Kimberly Agnew-Heard and Mary Engelman as District II candidates and Lisa Houston and Milagros (Milly) Delgado as District IV candidates. Ballots will be distributed to members residing in District II and District IV in the fall for election of a Director from each District. The Orlando Section is in District IV. If you wish to express a candidate for Director, please contact one of your Councilors.
Candidates for Directors-at-Large
• The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the selection of the following candidates for Director-at-Large for the 2026-2028 term: Anna Cavinato, Donna Friedman, Malika Jeffries- EL, and Will Lynch. The election of two Directors-at-Large from among these four candidates and any selected via petition will be conducted in the fall. Ballots will be distributed to the Council in the fall.
Highlights from Committee Reports and Key Actions
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC), Council voted [Yes 359 (95.48%) / No 17 (4.52%)] to approve the 2026 Schedule of Dues and Benefits, subject to the concurrence of the ACS Board of Directors. The approved Schedule of Dues and Benefits hold the base dues for 2026 at $160. Additionally, the joint American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT and National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE) with ACS was made permanent.
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees (ConC), Council voted [Yes 405 (99.26%) / No 3 (0.74%)] to continue the Committee on Chemical Technical Professionals and, subject to the concurrence of the ACS Board of Directors, the Committees on Budget & Finance, Education, International Activities, and Patents and Related Matters.
- On the recommendation of ConC, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee (CPC), Council voted [Yes 403 (99.26%) / No 3 (0.74%)] to amend the duties of the Committee on Patents and Related Matters (CPRM) and change its name to the Committee on Intellectual Property (CIP), subject to the concurrence of the ACS Board of Directors. This change reflects the committee’s mission and vision statements, which refer to “intellectual property” generally rather than elevating patents above other forms of intellectual property.
- ConC announced the opening of the committee preference form to all ACS members began on March 3 and will run through July 3. Members interested in serving on an ACS Committee in 2026 should go to CMTE.acs.org to complete their preferences.
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E), and with the concurrence of the CPC, Council voted [Yes 374 (95.90%) / No 16 (4.10%)] in favor of increasing the number of Councilors on N&E to 19, subject to the concurrence of the ACS Board of Directors. These additional committee members will support the increased workload from the addition of six Zone Councilor slates to N&E’s duties.
- On the recommendation of the Committee on International Activities (IAC), Council voted to approve the creation of new International Chemical Sciences Chapters in Ghana [Yes 383 (96.96%) / No 12 (3.04%)], Ecuador [Yes 389 (97.98%) / No 8 (2.02%)], and Northeast China [Yes 357 (89.70%) / No 41 (10.30%)], subject to the concurrence of the ACS Board of Directors.
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC), Council voted [Yes 372 (97.13%) / No 11 (2.87%)] to dissolve the Penn/Ohio Border Local Section. This takes effect on January 1, 2026, and members are being contacted about joining neighboring sections.
- The Committee on Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) reported the certification of 21 unit bylaws since the fall 2024 meeting. They include 14 Local Sections: Akron, California, Connecticut Valley, East Alabama/West Georgia, Joliet, Kalamazoo, Lehigh Valley, Mississippi, Ole Miss, Orlando, San Gorgonio, San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada and South Carolina; three Divisions: Cellulose and Renewable Materials (CELL), Chemistry and the Law (CHAL), and Medicinal Chemistry (MEDI); and four International Chemical Sciences Chapters: Australia, Bangladesh, East and Northeast India, and West India.
- The Committee on Economic and Professional Affairs (CEPA) reported on the state of the evolving employment landscape for the chemistry enterprise. ACS Careers programs have seen continued growth and remain a valuable resource for members experiencing career transitions. The updated Professional Employment Guidelines will be up for action at the fall Council meeting.
- The Committee on Education (SOCED) reported on their continued efforts to advance chemistry education for all. The ACS Policy Statement on Science Education is currently under revision and the revised ACS Guidelines and Recommendations for Teaching Middle and High School Chemistry will be available soon for the upcoming academic year.
From the Board of Directors
The CEO, Albert Horvath, and his staff, reported on organizational updates, financials and audit result, the 150th anniversary of ACS, rebranding efforts, talent management and other ACS activities. He shared the strong performance of ACS in 2024 and growth across many areas. He highlighted:
- Strengthening and deepening engagement with our global community
- Holding virtual annual member gathering, allowing our global members from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America to connect and learn about ACS activities, member benefits, region specific programs, and career-related sessions
- Increasing the global reach of our ACS journals across all key regions by 24 percent as compared the prior year
- Publishing through our more than 90 journals, over 74,000 peer reviewed articles, a 15 percent increase from 2023
- Delivering346millionarticledownloads,up13percentover2023.
o Releasing the CAS BioFinder platform, marking an expansion of CAS products into the life sciences sector
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please feel free to contact one of your councilors:
Dr. Laura Sessions
lsessions@valenciacollege.edu
Dr. Darlene Slattery
dslattery1@cfl.rr.com