DOING OUR BEST FOR ACS AND
FOR SOCIETY
Bassam Z. Shakhashiri
I seek your vote and your help so together we can strengthen what ACS does best for its members and for society.
I will serve ACS as an open and uniting leader.
ACS
is a membership organization. ACS must continue to nurture its members, advance the professional
status of chemists everywhere, and work for the betterment of the total
chemistry enterprise—academic, industrial and governmental. ACS has great
resiliency and the capacity to adapt its programs and services to the rapidly
changing world of science and technology.
Chemistry is the key to
eradicating disease and reducing poverty. Our research and our technology can
provide clean water and nutritious food, meet energy demands, and help lead to
sustainable development everywhere. And, just as important, chemists can help
society develop the will to improve the quality of life on the planet.
Chemistry brings a wide range of goods and functions to everyone and
thus is vital to our democracy. Science literacy is necessary for the
democratic process to work. By science literacy I mean an appreciation of
science and technology and the potential risks and rewards in both. The level
of science literacy in any society is a measure of what it values and its resolve
to put these values into practice.
I want to devote my
presidency to showcasing chemistry at its best in addressing
significant societal concerns. I have the experience of thinking about and
acting on these important aspects of chemistry. During my six years as NSF assistant director our record was second to
none in advocating new program opportunities for research and education and in
securing the necessary Federal funds.
I ask
for your vote so that together we can do what is best for ACS, for science, and
for society.
Thank you.
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