Division of Organic Chemistry (Florida Section). University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Professional positions: University of Florida, Distinguished Professor, 2026; Colonel Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Professor of Chemistry and Affiliate Professor of Chemical Engineering, 2015-present; Department of Chemistry, Chair, 2017-2024.
ACS local section and division offices: Division of Organic Chemistry: Councilor, 2025-present; Chair, 2009; Chair-Elect, 2008; Program Chair, 2000-03.
McElwee-White’s statement
It is an honor to be nominated for president-elect of the American Chemical Society in such interesting times. The need for active scientists, a robust academic and industrial enterprise, and an educated public is compelling. The ACS is uniquely positioned to enable us to advance chemistry in these areas…but only if we step up. We as a society need to tell our story—to communicate, educate, and advocate. I have done this throughout my career as I led academic and ACS units through challenging times. I was a chemistry department chair in a large research-intensive university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did our teaching and research missions thrive but while other institutions were retrenching and doing more with less, I hired 22 new chemistry faculty (mostly tenure-track) during my chair term. During my leadership roles—as an associate dean, a department chair, director of a National Science Foundation-Centers for Chemical Innovation Center, and technical division leadership in the ACS—I have stayed in the trenches as a research-active chemist, mentoring 75 graduate students, 26 postdoctoral fellows, and more than 100 undergraduate researchers; publishing 200 papers (mostly in ACS journals) and giving more than 220 invited research talks on six continents. I have also maintained an international research presence as a member of three EU Cooperation in Science and Technology Actions and an EU Innovative Training Network. Now, I want to use my skills and the resources of the ACS to join with you to tell our story about the value of chemistry as the central science.
Communicate. We are outstanding in our scientific communications through ACS journals and conferences. Let us maintain that excellence and use our skills to reach out to the public. Is your passion live events such as science cafes? Providing tours of your company’s facilities? Social media? Podcasts or videos? Something new? We need to engage our fellow citizens, and I am committed to supporting the development of creative new outreach programs. Do you enjoy explaining complex concepts to a non-expert audience? Let us refresh and expand the list of volunteer ACS Experts who provide information for the media and our elected officials. As ACS president, I will be out there telling the story. Find your passion and come with me out into the community!
Educate. The ACS has long been the advocate for high standards in chemical education. I know this from my service on the ACS Committee on Professional Training. We can maintain this quality while supporting innovative curriculum development at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. I am committed to support efforts that include broad perspectives from academia, industry, and the public sector, so that we can prepare our students with both chemistry expertise and the broader skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex and interdisciplinary global workforce. Not all education is done in the classroom. As we rethink education, we should incentivize experiential learning such as internships, study abroad, student outreach, professional development, and mentoring programs for new faculty and early career industrial chemists. These are critical for training the next generation. Those of us with more experience have an obligation to pass on what we have learned, and I will champion these efforts.
Advocate. First, we must advocate for each other and for the ACS. We can bring in additional members to strengthen our community. We can participate in local section activities. Despite the current political climate, diversity is still a good thing. We can be welcoming to all. We can support the affinity groups within ACS. Then, as a cohesive group of chemists, we can turn our attention outward to engage in broader advocacy. The ACS has a robust advocacy program in Washington, DC that addresses policy at the federal level. This is extremely important, and it is a top priority for me. However, there is more to do. It has been said that all politics arelocal. The same advocacy strategies ACS uses in Washington can be used by local sections to engage with school boards, local governments, and regional commissions to address issues that are science related. Let’s do it!
As we tell our story: communicate, educate, and advocate, the ACS has resources to utilize. Use them as a starting point. We will develop more resources as we go. Come with me. We can make a difference.
I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me with questions or ideas. I can be reached on LinkedIn, on Bluesky @McElweeWhite, by email at [email protected], or on my website LisaMcACS.org.
