The mission of the American Chemical Society is “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” To accomplish this mission, a balance is required between science, education,and public policies. Science and education are the hallmarks of professional chemists. However, when it comes to defining or advocating for public policies, scientists tend to be less active. Yet, without the input of technical experts and scientists, public policies for funding and regulations become misaligned with scientific advances and education. The results can have serious consequences. The current pandemic and climate crisis are clear example of the need to align science, education, and public policies. This pre-meeting talk will focus on best practices when advocating for science with our legislators and government agencies. We will discuss the role of the ACS in steering legislation at the Federal and State levels, as well as the resources and tools available from the ACS to assist you in working with your legislators.

 

PROGRAM

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BIOGRAPHY - Main Speaker Dr. Nancy Tuchman

Nancy C. Tuchman is a Professor and Founding Dean of the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago. She served as President of the Society for Freshwater Science in 2009, Associate Provost for Research 2004-08 where she developed the University’s Office of Sustainability, and Vice Provost 2010-13 where she launched the Institute of Environmental Sustainability (IES) with its new $58M building and was appointed its Founding Dean. The IES was promoted to the School status in 2020. Leading sustainability at Loyola earned her the Chicago Magazine Green Award in 2013, and Chicago Eco Champion in 2018. Loyola has consistently ranked in the top 5% of greenest colleges in the nation and will be carbon neutral by 2025.

BIOGRAPHY - Pre-Dinner Speaker Dr. Michael Koehler

Michael G. Koehler, PhD, ACSF, is the Chair of the Chicago Section Public Affairs Committee and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. He is a member of the ACS national Committee on Chemical Safety, and the Divisions of Chemical Health & Safety, and Chemistry & the Law. From 1986 until 2008, he worked in the R&D laboratories of Honeywell International. Currently, he works at the intersection of chemistry and the law, investigating the legal implications of product failures and misuse, industrial and academic accidents, and product reliability.