Candidates for Chair-Elect
Ljiljana Paša-Tolić, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, ACS Member Since 1995
Election Statement: Thank you for considering me for Chair-elect of the ACS Analytical Division. ACS plays a critical role in promoting chemistry and science and providing a framework for advances in the field. It would be a great honor and joy to serve in this role as the Society and Division continue to evolve to benefit its broad and diverse membership and build cooperative relationships with other scientific organizations across academia, industry, and government. Interdisciplinary science is critical for the development of new analytical capabilities, which drive and support innovative solutions for human health, energy, and global environmental challenges. I would welcome the opportunity to serve the Division by listening and supporting the members, actively creating opportunities to inspire and encourage interdisciplinary teamwork for breakthrough science. I would enthusiastically execute the vision of advancing the science of chemical characterization and measurement, embrace the mission of developing a vibrant and inclusive community that supports individual career advancement and analytical chemistry as a whole, and continue the legacy of advocating on behalf of analytical chemistry and science.
Mitchel J. Doktycz, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ACS Member Since 1993
Election Statement: I am honored to be considered for nomination for the position of Chair of the Division of Analytical Chemistry. I look forward to the opportunity to apply my diverse leadership and management experiences to bolstering the prominence of the Division. My career at a National Laboratory has furnished me with broad awareness of the various facets of analytical chemistry, and I hope to faithfully represent its many subdisciplines and technical membership. If elected, I am committed to the promotion of science education and will strive to ensure the Division grows a diverse and engaged membership. I welcome the chance to give back to the discipline and Society that has enabled my career and to pay it forward to enable future generations of the profession. My goals are to continue the excellent work of the executive committee, faithfully represent the Division, and further strengthen the engagement of our membership through the planning of appealing programs and opportunities for participation.
Mirlinda Biba, Merck & Co., Inc., ACS Member Since 2001
Election Statement: It is an honor to be nominated as a Chair-Elect candidate for the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry. I have been an ACS member since 2001 and have over 20 years of experience as an analytical chemist in the pharmaceutical industry. I have also been an active member of the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry (ANYL) for a few years as a member of Long Range Program Planning (LRPP) Committee in 2018 and served as Alternate Councilor in 2019-2021. In these roles, I have participated in many division activities including the planning of division programming, the division strategic planning and initiatives, promote ANYL at EAS and other analytical conferences, promote engagement with the analytical chemistry community in industry, and support Diversity & Inclusion initiatives through grant submission and activity planning. I have also been active at our local North Jersey ACS section, where I have served as a Councilor during 2017-2019 and more recently as the Chair in 2021. At the local level I have participated in many public outreach programs including ACS National Chemistry Week, Project SEED, various community events for promoting chemistry to our K-12 students, and organizing seminars, symposia and networking events through the chromatography topical group. If elected, my goal will be to continue the mission of ANYL to promote analytical chemistry through professional opportunities and fostering collaborations.
Candidates for Secretary
Xiao-Ying Yu, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, ACS Member Since 1999
Election Statement: I am grateful for the opportunity to volunteer and work for the Division of Analytical Chemistry. We need new strategies to enhance communication and service to our community focusing on the science of measurement and characterization. My objective is to support our division to increase membership from domestic and international researchers including junior colleagues and students and work with our colleagues to develop new analytical approaches to combat the threat posed by the pandemic outbreak in this difficult time. If elected, I pledge to perform the functions of Secretary to keep Division members informed of the activities within our active membership and forge collaborations through joint meetings and divisional symposia to engage scientists worldwide from industry, government, and academic institutes. I pledge to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups to participate in activities charted in our division and to build the future of analytical science together. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered as a member of the leadership team in our Division!
Michelle Rivard, Dow Inc., ACS Member Since 2005
Election Statement: I like to think that my love of chemistry is infectious, and nothing brings me greater joy than translating that passion into real impact at Dow, ACS, and in my local community. For me, being an Analytical Chemist isn’t just a ‘day job.’ When I’m not in the lab, I love to be an advocate for chemical technology to the next generation. Using my passion, connections and solutionist mind set, I have been able to advance and promote The Division of Analytical Chemistry (DAC) vision to a diverse group of next generation scientists. As Secretary, I would continue to support and maintain the efforts of DAC.
John T. Kelly, UES, Inc., ACS Member Since 2013
Election Statement: As a young chemist, I am honored to be nominated for the position of Secretary for the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. Recently, the ACS has outlined a strategic plan with particular focus on improving diversity, equity, inclusion & respect. Here, I see an opportunity for the Division to advocate for younger chemists’ needs, concerns, and contributions by providing tools and support to younger chemists for diverse career opportunities and development. The responsibilities and obligations of the Secretary will be executed through a timeline agreed upon by the Executive Committee. If elected, I plan to foster and connect communities of younger chemists around the world through a three-point proposal; (1) local, regional, national and international programming, (2) membership engagement of chemists under the age of 35, and (3) partnering with international industrial, academic, and government entities for career development for future analytical chemists. My proposed effort is in addition to the standard duties of records of meetings, compiling the annual report, and organizing the annual elections.
Candidates for Councilor
Emily A. Smith, Iowa State University, ACS Member Since 1994
Election Statement: The ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry is a critical component in maintaining the visibility of the field within the profession and the public. Important activities that aid the division in this aspect of its mission include national and regional conference programming, and recognizing its professional and student members with highly regarded divisional awards and fellowships. If elected to be a Councilor, I will be an advocate for the field of analytical chemistry and the ACS‑DAC, to expand the visibility of its services to its members while striving to increase the active membership by encouraging the participation of graduate students in its programming, outreach, and engagement activities.
X. Nancy Xu, Old Dominion University, ACS Member Since 1990
Election Statement: Analytical chemistry plays a vital and central role in advancing a wide range of disciplines in sciences and engineering, including chemical sciences, biomedical sciences, life sciences, food sciences, environmental sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, forensic sciences, and materials sciences and engineering. As a councilor, I will work with the members of executive committee to well represent and advocate the interdisciplinary interests of analytical chemistry division and its members and seek multidisciplinary joint efforts with other divisions and other organizations to further advance and celebrate our profession. I will continue to help the division to build an interdisciplinary platform that will enable the division and ACS to effectively reach out and co-host symposia and job fairs with other organizations and societies, to showcase and explore diverse and multidisciplinary career paths of our members, and to recruit and educate next generations of analytical chemists who are diverse and inclusive, and well equipped with multidisciplinary mindsets.
Bryant C. Nelson, NIST, ACS Member Since 1997
Election Statement: In my professional capacity as a staff chemist at NIST for the past 22 y, I have come to deeply appreciate the importance of having well-defined “standards” when developing reference methods/materials that will be used by clinicians to accurately diagnose diseases, when developing guidance documents that may directly influence decisions on international trade and when making the necessary decisions regarding the appropriate funding levels for new projects and programs. A proper understanding of how standards are developed, implemented and used for the betterment of mankind are a critical component of modern society. After all, the use and implementation of standards was directly written into the US Constitution, Article 1, Section 8 “The Congress shall have the power … to coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin … and fix the standard of weights and measures … (1788)”. I have been very involved in outreach to STEM students and professional scientists and engineers in order to advance the status and understanding of the chemical sciences, and in particular, the many roles that standards in chemistry play in facilitating the translation of ideas and data into innovative applications and solutions to real world problems. If re-elected to the ACS Council, I will thoughtfully advise the Governing Board, the Analytical Chemistry Division members (including ACS members outside of the Division) and any committee that I may be part of, on relevant issues that may have a standards component. In my first 3 y as a Councilor for the Division, I have actively contributed to the strategic goals of the Division by participating as an Associate Member of Project SEED, representing the Division on the Multidisciplinary Program Planning Group of the Divisional Activities Committee and serving as the Volunteer Coordination Chair for members who want to contribute to any of the Division’s ten service committees. As part of the Analytical Chemistry Division’s Executive Committee, I will continue to advocate and promote innovative ideas for recruiting and retaining young analytical chemists in the Division. And I will still endeavor to establish educational programs and learning tools targeted toward our newest members (STEM students and young professionals) that will facilitate a deep appreciation of standards in the chemical enterprise. I believe that the new scientists entering our profession are critical to the stability and long-term growth of the Society and if we develop in them an understanding of how and why standards are necessary for good decision-making, both in the practice of chemistry and in the setting of good chemical sciences policy, then our Division will continue to make a positive impact on the chemical enterprise.
Benjamin A. Garcia, Washington University School of Medicine, ACS Member Since 2020
Election Statement: I would like to state my enthusiasm for the position of Councilor and I look forward to the opportunity to serve in the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry. The ACS was the first scientific society that I joined as an undergraduate back in 1998. My first scientific memories of presenting my undergraduate work were at ACS National Conferences. I also was named an ACS Scholar and received the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry I.M. Kolthoff Undergraduate Award as well. These experiences led me to pursue a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, and a lifelong goal to apply technology to answer biomedical questions. I would love to contribute to helping younger scientists find their passion through our analytical community with this position. Additionally, I am passionate about enhancing diversity and inclusion at all levels, and hope work to increase and diversify the division’s membership. Overall, I believe my previous research and administrative experiences, especially in professional societies will be valuable for advancing the division’s goals.
Rebecca A. Hunter, The College of New Jersey, ACS Member Since 2008
Election Statement: While I have been an ACS member for over a decade, the absence of in-person scientific meetings during this past year has prompted me to reflect on the vital role ACS has played in helping me cultivate my professional network, beginning when I attended my first national meeting as an undergraduate with support from the Women Chemists Committee/Eli Lilly travel grant. As someone who has directly benefited my ACS membership in numerous ways, I feel compelled to serve as an advocate for the advancement of chemical measurement science and those within its community. Analytical chemistry has broad applicability across all subdisciplines of chemistry, and according to the 2015 ACS ChemCensus, the largest proportion (16.2%) of ACS chemists in the workforce are currently employed in the area of analytical chemistry. That number is even higher (29.9%) for chemists with a bachelor’s degree. As such, in my career I have been committed to developing pedagogies that help prepare all students – particularly women and underrepresented minorities – to have a strong background in analytical chemistry as well as solid problem-solving skills that will ensure success upon entering graduate school or the workforce. Within the Division of Analytical Chemistry, I hope to help create a community that is welcoming and supportive of all those working in our discipline, whether or not they were formally trained as analytical chemists.