Creating a more inclusive ACS for our international chapters

Abstract

In today’s globalized world, one’s action will have an impact, and we as chemists know that for every action there will be a reaction. So what should our role be as the American Chemical Society? As a scientific nonprofit organization, we hold ourselves to the highest standards to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. ACS has more than 150,000 members, with 27,000 members (approximately 18% of the membership) living or working outside the U.S. This comes with a responsibility to respect other parts of the world and our sister societies in these places. We need to ask ourselves if our actions truly reflect our mission. From 2008 to 2018, ACS’s total membership decreased from just over 160,000 to just under 151,000, a decrease of 5.7%. Domestic membership has decreased by 10.9% (from 138,000 to 123,000), while its foreign membership has