ACS Division of Chemical Education

ACS Division of Chemical Education
Name	ACS Division of Chemical Education
Native name	Division of Chemical Education, American Chemical Society
Abbreviation	DivCHED
Formation	1936
Type	Scientific organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	Chair
Parent organization	American Chemical Society

ACS Division of Chemical Education is a professional unit within the American Chemical Society focused on the advancement of chemical pedagogy, curricular development, and teacher preparation. It connects educators across secondary and higher education, facilitates scholarship in chemical instruction, and disseminates innovations through meetings, publications, and awards. The division collaborates with national organizations and institutions to influence curriculum reform, laboratory safety, and educational policy.

History

Founded in 1936 during a period of curricular reexamination alongside entities such as National Research Council, Guggenheim Foundation, and contemporaneous committees within the American Chemical Society, the division emerged amid movements led by figures associated with University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Columbia University. Early efforts intersected with projects at American Association for the Advancement of Science and initiatives like the Chemical Bonding reforms that followed recommendations from panels similar to those convened by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Mid‑20th century activities engaged educators influenced by work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley, and responded to national priorities exemplified by programs at National Science Foundation. Later decades saw collaboration with subject groups linked to International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and curriculum innovators from Johns Hopkins University and University of Michigan.

Mission and Objectives

The division's mission aligns with objectives championed by organizations such as American Association of Chemistry Teachers, National Science Teachers Association, and Association of American Universities: strengthen instruction in chemistry at all levels, promote research in chemical education, and support professional development. Objectives emphasize development of instructional materials used at institutions like Princeton University, Yale University, and Stanford University, enhancement of laboratory pedagogy practiced at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory training programs, and advocacy for standards advocated by Council of Graduate Schools and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology-style review committees.

Governance and Membership

Governance follows structures common to units such as American Chemical Society local sections and divisions like ACS Division of Organic Chemistry, with an elected executive committee, chaired officers, and appointed committees mirroring models from Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and American Physical Society. Membership draws faculty from institutions including University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, and Arizona State University; secondary educators from districts associated with Chicago Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District; and representatives from national labs and publishers such as Wiley, Elsevier, and Macmillan Publishers. The division maintains liaisons with bodies such as Council for Higher Education Accreditation and collaborates with professional societies like Royal Society of Chemistry and Chemical Society of Japan.

Programs and Activities

Core programs mirror initiatives seen in National Science Foundation-funded projects, including curriculum workshops modeled on efforts at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and teacher development akin to Fulbright Program exchanges. Activities include summer institutes patterned after training at Scripps Research, online seminars paralleling offerings from Coursera partnerships, and cooperative projects with consortia like Association of American Colleges and Universities. Outreach spans collaborations with museums and centers such as Smithsonian Institution and American Museum of Natural History, and partnership programs with testing agencies comparable to College Board and ETS.

Publications and Resources

The division sponsors and contributes to periodicals and resource compilations similar to publications from Journal of Chemical Education, textbooks used in courses at University of California, Los Angeles, and digital repositories comparable to PubChem and ChemSpider in scope for pedagogical resources. It curates curriculum guides, laboratory manuals, and assessment tools influenced by standards from Next Generation Science Standards committees and assessment research from Educational Testing Service. Resource sharing includes collaborations with university presses such as Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press for monographs on chemical instruction.

Awards and Recognition

The division administers awards and recognitions modeled on honors from organizations like National Science Foundation and American Association for the Advancement of Science, celebrating contributions in teaching and curriculum development akin to prizes given by Guggenheim Foundation and named awards reminiscent of those from American Chemical Society national programs. Recipients often include educators from institutions such as Boston University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and University of Texas at Austin, and scholars with affiliations to research centers like Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Conferences and Meetings

The division organizes symposia and sessions within national meetings of the American Chemical Society and hosts standalone conferences similar in format to gatherings at Brookings Institution-sponsored forums or international congresses held under International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Past and recurring meetings have featured presenters from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and University of Cambridge, and have coordinated with specialty conferences such as those run by Gordon Research Conferences and regional science associations.

Category:American Chemical Society divisions