Event Description
ACS Meetings & Expositions are where chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. By attracting thousands of chemical professionals, the meetings provide excellent opportunities for sharing your passion for chemistry, connecting with one of the world's largest scientific societies, and advancing your career in this ever-changing global economy.
Mechanisms to Move the Oil and Gas Business to Green Chemistry
Presented by Dr. John Warner, Co-Founder of Beyond Benign; Co-Author of Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice; CEO of the Technology Greenhouse
Sunday, March 23rd from 8:00 - 11:00 AM PST | Marriot Grand Ballroom Section 11
To many people the oil and gas business represents one of the most unsustainable aspects of the chemical enterprises. In many ways this perception is deserved. But in some ways this perspective misses some important social implications. Because our global economy is currently dependent on this industry, we can’t simply decide to just stop overnight. It is going to take a very long time to create alternative technologies that meet the current global demands that the oil and gas business. In parallel to creating alternatives, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to take as many steps as possible to improve the sustainability performance of the myriad integrated processes to this business.. This presentation will discuss the challenges and opportunities that must be addressed as soon as possible.
Green Chemistry and Circular Economy Opportunities for Soft Materials
Presented by Dr. John Warner, Co-Founder of Beyond Benign; Co-Author of Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice; CEO of the Technology Greenhouse
Sunday, March 23rd from 4:20 - 4:25 PM PST | Ballroom 6D
Soft materials provide molecular mechanisms that allow the design of products capable of achieving sustainability goals (green chemistry and circular economy). Unique reversible and irreversible interactions that create flexible molecular architectures provide structural resilience and adaptation in various environments. These systems under dynamic equilibria offer customized product performance and enable circular economic models of reuse. This presentation will discuss examples of noncovalent derivatization and photo crosslinked polymer matrices as bioinspired illustrations of commercially relevant technologies that are consistent with the 12 principles of green chemistry.
Organized by: Dr. Deborah Bromfield-Lee, Dr. Monica Soma Hensley, & Dr. Jane Wissinger
Wednesday, March 26th from 8:00– 11:00 AM PST | Room 5B
There is an increase in educational activities aimed at enhancing knowledge and use of Green Chemistry principles and applications. However, with demands in academia, this sometimes presents a barrier to wider adoption across the curriculum. This symposium explores the process of developing Green Chemistry activities, courses, and curricular changes, sharing how educators got started and progressed through development. The discussion will cover research, theory-based methodology, and pedagogical strategies used to revamp or develop activities, as well as chemical education research on this process. The session will also discuss the pivotal role of change agents—educators and researchers who drive the adoption of innovative practices and sustainable principles in education. By sharing the developmental journey and the theoretical underpinnings of our assessment strategies, the session aims to contribute to the broader discourse on advancing Green Chemistry education and to inspire ongoing research and implementation of effective teaching methodologies. Speakers from all sectors of the CHED community are invited to share how they are integrating green and sustainable chemistry, systems-thinking, toxicology, and social/environmental justice into their classrooms, laboratory curriculum, undergraduate research and outreach activities. Interdisciplinary and international perspectives are welcome, as are student speakers at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels, including those from minority-serving institutions.
Presented by Dr. Monica Soma Hensley
Wednesday, March 26th from 10:25 – 10:45 AM PST | Room 5B
The incorporation of green chemistry principles as a decision-making framework into academic curricula is essential for preparing students for sustainable careers in chemistry and related fields. This process requires the development of curricular materials that are both relevant and accessible, as well as a professional development infrastructure to support educators in this endeavor. Beyond Benign, a nonprofit organization focused on green chemistry education, has created a comprehensive framework that fosters faculty development through open-access resource creation and collaborative opportunities with industry experts. One key initiative is the faculty-led, faculty-developed approach to curriculum design, which incorporates industrial expertise to ensure real-world relevance. This partnership exemplifies how industrial collaboration can enhance curricular content, making it more applicable to current industry standards while supporting faculty in their professional growth.
In this presentation, notable case studies will be highlighted to showcase how Beyond Benign promotes collaboration for developing open-access curricular activities, and the impact of these initiatives on faculty development, resource creation, and the broader adoption of green chemistry education across academic institutions. Additionally, findings from a faculty survey highlighting the professional development needs of educators in green chemistry will be shared.
Organized by: Dr. Loyd Bastin, Dr. Edward Brush, Dr. Tsvetanka Filipova, Dr. Nimrat Obhi, Dr. Laurel Royer, and Dr. Jane Wissinger
Thursday, March 27th from 8:00 AM– 12:00 PM PST | Marriott Grand Ballroom: Section 5
This symposium will explore the growing need for the chemistry and chemical engineering enterprises to adopt green chemistry and green engineering principles and practices through the lens of environmental justice. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines Environmental Justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies . . .achieved when everyone enjoys: (1) The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and (2) Equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work. This symposium will engage a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary discourse of speakers and participants focused on a re-evaluation of our business-as-usual practices through the lens of environmental justice: community groups and organizations, education (especially project-based and/or civic learning with environmental justice communities); careers at the intersection of green chemistry and environmental justice; sustainable chemistry technologies; sustainable engineering; connections to the UN Sustainable Development Goals; climate justice; policy statements; and industrial practices. The symposium will include an open discussion on Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results for the critical role that environmental justice will play in the chemistry and chemical engineering enterprises because it provides a framework to address global environmental and human health impacts that continue to disproportionately burden communities of color, vulnerable and low-income populations.
San Diego, CA
United States