New York Section of the American Chemical Society

New York Section of the American Chemical Society
Name	New York Section of the American Chemical Society
Formation	1897
Type	Professional society section
Region served	New York City metropolitan area
Parent organization	American Chemical Society

Contents

New York Section of the American Chemical Society The New York Section of the American Chemical Society is a regional unit of the American Chemical Society serving chemists and chemical professionals in the New York City metropolitan area. Founded in the late 19th century, the section connects members from institutions such as Columbia University, New York University, Brooklyn College, and industry employers including Pfizer, Merck & Co., and Dow Chemical Company. It collaborates with organizations like the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Royal Society of Chemistry, and local institutions including the New York Academy of Sciences.

History

The section traces roots to the era of the Gilded Age and industrial expansion, when chemical practice in places like Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Navy Yard, and Jersey City expanded alongside companies such as DuPont, Eastman Kodak, and Abbott Laboratories. Early members included academics from Columbia University, City College of New York, and practitioners from firms like Union Carbide and Standard Oil. The section has hosted lectures by figures associated with New York Botanical Garden, American Museum of Natural History, and research centers such as Brookhaven National Laboratory and Bell Labs. Over the decades it has engaged with events like the World's Columbian Exposition-era scientific exchange and later initiatives connected to Manhattan Project-era alumni, while addressing public issues highlighted by incidents such as the Love Canal controversy and regulatory developments influenced by the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

Governance follows the bylaws compatible with the American Chemical Society and includes an elected Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and councilors who liaise with the national ACS Council. Committee structure includes program committees, education committees, and awards committees drawing volunteers from Columbia University Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and industry labs like Bristol-Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline. The section holds annual business meetings in venues including New York Public Library, Cooper Union, Lincoln Center, and partners with museums such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art for outreach. Financial oversight includes auditing and investments managed with advisors linked to institutions like New York University School of Law and accounting firms with histories at Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Regular programming includes monthly seminars, symposia, and topical meetings featuring speakers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Yale University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and national labs such as Argonne National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Signature events encompass career workshops in collaboration with New York Hall of Science, public lectures with the American Museum of Natural History, and chemistry demonstrations at festivals like the Halloween Parade-adjacent science fairs and the Tribeca Film Festival science panels. The section organizes themed symposiums on topics resonant with local stakeholders such as pharmaceutical development with panels including representatives from FDA, climate-related chemistry with experts from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and environmental remediation with participants from Environmental Protection Agency.

Educational initiatives support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and undergraduate programs at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Vassar College. Professional development offerings include résumé clinics, chemical safety training aligned with standards from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and intellectual property seminars with attorneys from firms experienced before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The section has hosted workshops on pedagogical techniques for faculty from Teachers College, Columbia University and career transition sessions leveraging alumni networks at Princeton University, Cornell University, and Yale University.

The section administers local awards recognizing achievements by members affiliated with institutions like Rutgers University, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and companies such as BASF and Lonza. Awards categories include young investigator prizes, lifetime achievement honors, and student scholarships supporting winners to attend national meetings of the American Chemical Society. Notable award recipients have included researchers who later received national honors such as the Priestley Medal, the ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry, and fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

Communications channels include a regular newsletter, meeting bulletins, and social media outreach coordinated with platforms used by partners including Science Magazine, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and press offices at Columbia University and New York University. Archives and historical notes have been deposited with repositories such as the New York Public Library and libraries of Brooklyn College and City College of New York. The section maintains a calendar of events synchronized with national conferences including ACS National Meeting and collaborates on special issues with regional journals and societies like the Journal of the American Chemical Society and the Chemical & Engineering News.