Message from 2006 Chair Steve Waller

My fellow members of the ACS,

I am honored to represent you as the 2006 chair of the North Jersey Section. I feel very fortunate to be involved with very motivated volunteers who do great things for chemistry and chemists. Before I volunteered to help with local ACS events, I did not realize how important our society was to advancing our profession, and I did not realize how many people it took to make it all happen.

Since 1998, I have seen what this section can accomplish when volunteers work together. For some, their efforts have been hours of commitment to section activities, and their efforts have made a huge difference in the lives of many. For their efforts, we are grateful.We have also been lucky to have many that give what time they can at local events and programs, and they too have made our section successful. For every member concerned about the future of chemistry, we have plenty of time-limited opportunities for them to make a difference, like judging high school student posters for two hours once a year or helping send out emails for publicity. Every volunteer is important!

In 2006, our section will continue doing everything it has done so well over the years, including Project SEED, National Chemistry Week, Teacher Affiliates, technical programming, and much more. As chair, I will do all I can to assist with these programs. I have already begun to work on enhancing other programs in our section. In collaboration with the ACS Division of Polymeric Materials Sciece and Engineering (PMSE), we will be having a special polymeric materials science day next fall. This will feature a professional symposium, poster session, younger chemists’ career counseling, and polymers teaching workshop. If you are interested in this topic, contact me, so you can be part of this important event as the details are put into place.

I have also started meeting with our state and federal legislators on issues that are important to chemists in North Jersey. As your chair, I need your input on legislative science issues, so I can present your issues to our section government affairs committee for discussion and then communicate your issues to those in Trenton and Washington, DC who decide on laws and appropriations that can positively or negatively affect our profession. If you are not signed up, take a moment to register as a member of the ACS Legislative Action Network at chemistry.org, so you are informed on what is happening in our government. If we do not defend chemistry in our government, who will?

What is your vision of chemistry in our world? Whatever it is, the ACS is here to help you accomplish it.You can build a professional network.You can discover new career paths.You can help a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop see that chemistry is fun.You can be the person introducig some big name speaker. The future of our profession and our world’s view of chemistry are in our hands. Together, we can make great things happen. It takes very little time and reaps so much more.

The value of my own membership was not achieved until I allowed myself to become valuable to the ACS and our members. Please contact me if you want to discover the real value to your ACS membership or if you have additional ideas on how our section can better represent your interests.

Thanks,

Steve Waller
2006 Chair
ACS-North Jersey Section

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