Photographer: Sara L. Cottle/C&EN/Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)
Additional credits: Digital experience by Shea Murphy/C&EN
First impressions
Day 1: Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026
Setting the stage
On Sunday morning, for American Chemical Society meeting attendees, both first-timers and 10th-timers, something looked different—and it wasn’t just the society’s new brand. Special signage and events in celebration of ACS150, the society’s sesquicentennial year, were everywhere.
The American Chemical Society’s fall meeting programming is known for honoring recently inducted ACS Fellows and recognizing extraordinary volunteer work by local sections, divisions, and international and student chapters through the ChemLuminary Awards. (ACS publishes C&EN but is not involved in editorial decisions.) And even C&EN’s Talented 12 and the CAS’s Future Leaders are no strangers to the meeting.
This year, though, the celebration of chemists, insights, innovation, and the future of chemistry was elevated more than ever with a special ACS150 JACS Symposium Series event, an ACS150 keynote with M. Stanley Whittingham, and ceremonies for the 2026 Heroes of Chemistry Awards and the 2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards.
There were plenty of inspiring (and inspired) chemists off the stage too.
Day 2: Monday, Aug. 24, 2026
Building community
New for this meeting: scientists had a chance to sketch their science using vibrant markers on a clear board. Attendees created a mosaic of structures signaling many disciplines. Brando Marinac of Brooklyn College added gold carbene to the board to represent his current work in cancer cell research.
A familiar face near the Member’s Lounge area was Michael Fricke, member of the ACS Committee on Chemists with Disabilities, who has been setting up braille periodic tables at recent meetings so that fellow scientists (such as the volunteer attendee shown) can help create more. Those who were able to volunteer some time this meeting contributed to tables number 8 and 9. One of the tables will stay in town to be displayed at the University of Illinois Chicago.
New to the Expo
The Pharma Zone
Another new feature at the meeting was the Pharma Zone, located in the exposition hall. This area gave attendees a place to specifically connect with experts, technologies, and research in the pharmaceutical industry.
Day 3: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026
Discovering new science
Naumih Noah of the US International University–Africa, Omowunmi Sadik of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Veronica Achieng Okello of Machakos University showed their support for science at the designated photo opportunity display. All three were having a great time at the conference, with Okello specifically expressing being impressed with some of the tools and technologies in the Expo, while also noting the shipping cost alone to Africa for some of these tools would need its own funding.
Vanessa Santana of Indiana University was able to bring almost triple the previous year’s number of Project SEED students to their very first ACS meeting under her supervision because the event was geographically close. The trip introduced the high schoolers to poster presentations, tools, symposia on various topics, and the science community at large.
Keynotes
The future and chemistry
Artificial intelligence, green chemistry, and solid-state chemistry were this year’s headliners.
Final thoughts
We can build the future we want.
Until spring
Looking ahead
While this year’s ACS Fall 2026 meeting was jam-packed with novel symposia around history and legacy and looking at where science has been, it was equally focused on the future and where science can take us—whether it’s solving global challenges or keeping a community connected to speak up for science in policy corridors, there’s no doubt it’ll take doing it together.
