SVACS

Building an Integrated Safety Approach in Your Chemistry Department
2026-06-11 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars
June 11, 11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

Safety in the lab shouldn’t be a one-day lecture or a checklist, it should be how students think and work as scientists.
Join Daniel Jacques of SUNY Brockport for a practical, classroom-tested approach to embedding safety across the undergraduate chemistry experience. This webinar repositions safety as an active learning process, not a standalone requirement. Using the free Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students (LSCS) e-Textbook, you’ll see how students can learn to recognize hazards, assess risk, and make informed decisions in real time. Grounded in authentic academic lab settings, this webinar goes beyond theory to offer strategies you can implement immediately. Discover how to create alignment across courses, student roles, and time so that safety is reinforced consistently. Following this discussion, you will understand how a safety mindset becomes intrinsic to student practice of chemistry when exposure to safety is reinforced rather than fragmented.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Rachel Lee Bocwinski of the American Chemical Society and co-produced with the ACS Office of Safety Programs. As part of ACS’s ongoing celebration of our 150th anniversary, this month we reaffirm our commitment to safety by elevating lab protocols, chemical risk awareness, and environmental health standards.
“What You Will Learn”
– Practical ways to use the LSCS e-Textbook and the RAMP® framework to build student independence, confidence, and critical thinking
– Insight into where safety instruction breaks down across courses and roles, and how to create a cohesive, reinforced approach
– Actionable entry points to embed safety into your existing curriculum, leveraging TAs and student roles even within real institutional constraints

Tech Trek Camp at Santa Clara University for Middle School Girls
2026-07-05 - 2026-07-11 | In-person
Sponsored by American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Silicon Valley ACS
In-person at Santa Clara University, Learn more
Tech Trek is a summer camp for middle school girls that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Campers spend one week on a university campus – they live in the dorms, eat in the cafeteria, attend labs and classes, and learn what it might be like to be a college student.
With the aim of encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers, the camp exposes them to a wide variety of STEM fields and occupations through hands-on experience in classes, workshops and demonstrations.

Silicon Valley ACS Executive Committee Meeting
2026-07-06 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-09-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Hybrid
Sponsored by the Silicon Valley ACS local section
7:00-8:30 pm, Hybrid Event, Free, Guests welcome: contact Chair to attend

Data: The engine behind AI-driven drug discovery
2026-07-07 07:00 - 08:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by CAS
7:00-8:00 am, Online, Free, Registration required

About This Webinar
As AI reshapes drug discovery, the quality of scientific data has become the foundation on which model performance is built or broken. This webinar examines the trends driving AI adoption in the field, including foundation models, multimodal architectures, RAG-based scientific reasoning, and knowledge-centric workflows. Ayelet Ofarim, Ph.D., explores how the structure, consistency, and completeness of underlying data determine AI performance and success.
What You Will Learn

How high-integrity scientific data accelerates discovery pipelines, enables reliable decision-making, and reduces downstream risk.
What knowledge-centric workflows look like in practice, and how they separate high-performing AI programs from the rest.

Turning Research into Reach: Marketing Fundamentals for Scientists
2026-07-08 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and BrandLab
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

Science alone is not enough. If people never hear about your research, its impact is limited.
Scientists devote their careers to advancing knowledge, solving complex problems, and improving society through discovery. Yet many researchers struggle with one critical challenge: communicating their work in a way that captures attention, builds credibility, and inspires action. Join Jesse Harris and Sarah Ashley Jolly of American Chemical Society BrandLab for an engaging discussion on how scientists can amplify the reach and influence of their research through strategic communication. Learn how to use tools like social media, storytelling, and public relations to make your work more visible, memorable, and impactful within and beyond the scientific community. Register now to gain practical marketing and communications skills that will help you elevate your research profile, attract new opportunities, and ensure your discoveries reach the audiences that matter most.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Heather Lockhart-Neff and co-produced with BrandLab at the American Chemical Society.

What You Will Learn

Why effectively communicating your research is essential for increasing its visibility, influence, and real-world impact
How storytelling and strategic communication can make complex scientific ideas more engaging, memorable, and accessible
Practical ways to turn academic research into compelling content using social media, public relations, and other communications channels

Event Details

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

BrandLab

Silicon Valley ACS 2026 Picnic and Awards
2026-07-11 16:00 - 19:00 | In-Person in Mountain View at Cuesta Park Group BBQ Areas #1-2, 615 Cuesta Drive, Mountain View, CA, United States
A family-friendly event, join us for our annual picnic and awards ceremony!

Date and Time: July 11, 2026, 4-7pm

4:00-5:00 pm: Wine-tasting with hors d’oeuvres

5:00 pm: Awards and Recognitions – Silicon Valley ACS’ Ottenberg Award and Teacher-Scholar Award, plus celebrating 50-, 60- and 70-year ACS members

Location: Cuesta Park Group BBQ Areas #1-2, Mountain View, California

General admission: $10, Children free. Catered by Armadillo Willys

Registration required by July 6th, so we order enough food! Download flyer

Tech Trek Camp at UC Santa Cruz for Middle School Girls
2026-07-12 - 2026-07-18 | In-person
Sponsored by American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Silicon Valley ACS
In-person at University of California Santa Cruz, Learn more

Tech Trek is a summer camp for middle school girls that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Campers spend one week on a university campus – they live in the dorms, eat in the cafeteria, attend labs and classes, and learn what it might be like to be a college student.
With the aim of encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers, the camp exposes them to a wide variety of STEM fields and occupations through hands-on experience in classes, workshops and demonstrations.

Working for Yourself: Your Idea, Business, and Marketing Strategy
2026-07-15 09:00 - 10:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Careers
9:00-10:30 am, Online, Free, Registration required

This virtual live, 90-minute workshop will answer common questions and provide expert insight regarding the key responsibilities and actions of an aspiring entrepreneur looking to start a business in the chemical industry.
After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:

Decide if self-employment option is right for you.
Create a mission statement for your new business.
Gain a better understanding of your ideal clientele.
Assess the market for competitors.
Begin to establish the outline of a business plan for your new company.

The first hour of the workshop will feature a presentation by an ACS Career Consultant, while the last 30 minutes will be a dedicated Q&A session between participants and the facilitator.

Patent Signals: Mapping the Future of Pharma Innovation
2026-07-15 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and CAS
11:00-12:30 pm, Online, Free, Registration required

The future of pharmaceutical innovation is already taking shape in today’s patent filings, but are you able to see what your competitors might miss?
Join Janet Sasso and Kavita Iyer of CAS as they reveal a landmark analysis of more than 368,000 global pharmaceutical patents filed between 2020–2025 that uncovers the strategic signals hidden deep within the world’s fastest-growing areas of drug discovery. By combining advanced AI, natural language processing, and expert scientific analysis, they have transformed massive volumes of patent data into 26 CAS TrendScape maps that reveal where innovation is accelerating long before market shifts become obvious. From emerging therapeutic modalities and novel molecular targets to rapidly evolving disease landscapes, this research provides a forward-looking view of where the industry is heading and where the next breakthroughs are likely to emerge. Register now to explore which therapeutic platforms are gaining momentum, where the druggable genome is expanding, which disease areas are poised for breakthrough innovation, and how patent intelligence can drive smarter R&D and competitive strategy decisions.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Qiongqiong Angela Zhou of CAS and is co-produced with CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society.

What You Will Learn

How therapeutic modality diversification is reshaping competitive strategy, including acceleration of RNA therapeutics and AI/ML applications while small molecules plateau, and what this means for your platform selection decisions
Where the “undruggable” genome is becoming druggable, including novel target classes like transcription factors, protein-protein interactions, and degradation pathways that are enabling therapeutic breakthroughs in previously intractable diseases
Which disease areas beyond oncology show the most striking emergence and growth potential, particularly fibrotic diseases, and genetic disorders, versus mature landscapes like infectious diseases where innovation faces constraints

Event Details

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 @ 2-3:30pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society

Stanford Research Park's 75th Year Anniversary
2026-07-15 17:30 - 19:00 | In-person
Sponsored by Stanford Department of Chemical Engineering
5:30-7:30 pm, In-person at The Hub at Stanford Research Park, 3215 Porter Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (free parking at 3165 Porter), Learn more

The LASERs (Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) are an international program of evening gatherings that bring artists and scientists together for informal presentations and conversation with an audience. This evening, chaired by cultural historian Piero Scaruffi, will be a special LASER to celebrate the Stanford Research Park, that was founded 75 years ago.
The evening will open with a brief video interview with a Silicon Valley engineer of the 1960s: John Minck.
It will be followed by four talks:
– Mihai Codreanu (Stanford) on “The Impact of University Research Parks”
– Piero Scaruffi (Stanford) on “A History of Silicon Valley”
– Elise DeMarzo (Code: ART Festival) on “Digital Art, Real Community”
– Ge Wang (Stanford) on “What do we (really) want from AI”
Mihai Codreanu is an economist working on tracking innovation and technology development over the very long-run. His Stanford dissertation focused on university research parks, and Stanford Research Park in particular.
Piero Scaruffi has worked on Internet and Artificial Intelligence technologies since the early 1980s and has written “A History of Silicon Valley” (2011), which has also been translated in China.
Elise DeMarzo is the Director of Public Art for the City of Palo Alto and oversees all aspects of both temporary and permanent public art installations. She implemented a new media public art festival called Code:ART in 2017.
Ge Wang is an Associate Professor at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), director of the Stanford Laptop Orchestra, and the author of “Artful Design: Technology in Search of the Sublime”.
Detailed bios at: http://www.lasertalks.com/
The Stanford LASERs are co-sponsored by the deans of Humanities and Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and by Chemical Engineering.
Visit this website for more information

Exploring Strange New Worlds: Rocky Exoplanet Atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope
2026-07-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Hybrid
Sponsored by Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), Stanford University
7:00-8:00 pm, Hybrid, Free, Registration required

Event Details:

How important is an atmosphere for rocky planets? Join us to learn what JWST has discovered about the habitability of other worlds!

This lecture will be offered in a hybrid format, is open to all, and is recommended for adults and students in 9th grade and above.

Title: Exploring Strange New Worlds: Rocky Exoplanet Atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope
Speaker: Prof. Laura Schaefer (Stanford/KIPAC)
Abstract: Can we learn about the history and geology of a rocky planet like Earth by measuring its atmosphere? In just a few decades, astronomers have gone from wondering whether planets exist around other stars to discovering thousands of them. Now the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is taking the next step: not just finding these worlds, but beginning to study what they’re like—including whether they have atmospheres at all, which are critical for planetary habitability. In this talk, we’ll meet the small, rocky exoplanets that are most like the inner planets of our own Solar System, and see how JWST looks for the faint chemical fingerprints of gases around distant worlds. We’ll also tour what JWST has discovered so far, what has surprised us, and why some planets seem to lose their atmospheres while others manage to hold on. Along the way, we’ll connect these observations to bigger questions about how planets evolve—and what it might take for a world to be truly Earth-like.
The livestream URL can be found at the bottom of the EventBrite registration confirmation email.

Visit this website for more information

From Pixels to Pollution: Liquid Crystal Monomers, Neurotoxicity, and Environmental Risk
2026-07-23 08:00 - 09:30
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Committee on Science
8:00-9:30 am, Online, Free, Registration required

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) power the screens that run the modern world. Yet the Liquid Crystal Monomers (LCMs) that make these technologies possible are emerging as a new class of environmental contaminants with potentially far-reaching consequences. Recent research has revealed that LCMs are no longer confined to electronic devices, and toxicological risks of LCMs has become an urgent scientific and regulatory challenge.
Join Yuhe (Henry) He of the City University of Hong Kong and Gyanyong Su of Nanjing University of Science and Technology as they present groundbreaking findings that are reshaping our understanding of chemical pollution associated with modern electronics. Their research traces the journey of LCMs from discarded consumer products into the environment, culminating in their accumulation within the brains of apex marine predators. These findings provide compelling evidence that certain LCMs can cross the blood-brain barrier, raising important questions about their potential neurotoxicity and implications for both wildlife and human health. From the Pearl River Estuary to indoor residential environments, this webinar will explore how cutting-edge analytical chemistry, environmental monitoring, and toxicological research are uncovering an emerging contaminant hidden in plain sight. The findings underscore the need for proactive regulation, responsible chemical stewardship, sustainable materials innovation, and greater collaboration among scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by John Giesy of Baylor University and University of Saskatchewan and is co-produced with the ACS Committee on Science.

What You Will Learn

Understand why certain LCMs exhibit persistence, mobility, and bioaccumulative properties, how they escape electronic products and e-waste streams, and the pathways that transport them from indoor environments and landfills into aquatic and coastal ecosystems.
Explore findings from environmental monitoring and toxicological studies that have detected LCMs in indoor dust, sediments, human serum, and marine food webs, including research demonstrating their accumulation in the brains of Chinese white dolphins and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Learn why LCMs are emerging as contaminants of concern, how their potential impacts compare with other persistent organic pollutants, and what opportunities exist for safer chemical design, sustainable electronics manufacturing, ESG leadership, and science-based regulatory action.

Event Details

Friday, July 24, 2026 @ 11am-12:30pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

ACS Committee on Science

Neuroinclusion by Design: Rethinking Workplace Dynamics
2026-07-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Office of Inclusion and Belonging
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

Up to one in five people identify as neurodivergent and the true number in STEM is likely higher. Yet most workplace systems are still designed for a narrow range of cognitive styles, quietly increasing friction, miscommunication, and turnover.
Join Jane Singleton of Launchpad for Life as she discusses how to build a neuroinclusive workplace with strategic moves that unlock the full cognitive potential already sitting on your team. You’ll move beyond awareness to understand exactly how differences in attention, executive functioning, sensory processing, and language shape day-to-day workflow and team dynamics.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Cristina Bartolomei Pérez-Arce of the American Chemical Society and co-produced with the ACS Office of Inclusion and Belonging.

What You Will Learn

How attention, executive functioning, and sensory differences show up in workflows and what specific accommodations and system changes make the biggest impact on productivity
How to identify and dismantle common misconceptions about cognitive diversity that cause communication barriers
How to apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and structured feedback frameworks to leverage the cognitive strengths of every team member

Event Details

Thursday, July 23, 2026 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to attend
Slides may not be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

ACS Office of Inclusion and Belonging

From Pixels to Pollution: Liquid Crystal Monomers, Neurotoxicity, and Environmental Risk
2026-07-24 08:00 - 09:30 | Virtual

2D Polymers and Polymerizations
2026-07-28 18:30 - 19:30
Prof. William Dichtel, Northwestern University
Sponsored by Golden Gate Polymer Forum
6:30-7:30 pm, Online, Free/$5 donation, Register by July 27th at 1pm

Abstract
Synthetic chemists have developed robust methods to synthesize discrete molecules, linear and branched polymers, and disordered cross-linked networks. However, two-dimensional (2D) polymers prepared from designed monomers have been long missing from these capabilities, both as objects of chemical synthesis and in nature. Recently, new polymerization strategies and characterization methods have enabled the unambiguous realization of 2D, covalently linked macromolecular sheets. We have developed tools to study these polymerizations experimentally and computationally, which has given rise to the first controlled two-dimensional polymerizations, along with materials of improved quality.1,2 Furthermore, a new solid-state polymerization approach provides access to two-dimensional polymers containing mechanical bonds at each repeat unit.3,4 These approaches and the properties of high-quality 2D polymers that are now emerging will be presented.
(1) Natraj, A. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 19813–19824
(2) Kharel, P. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 11821–11828.
(3) Bardot, M. I. et al. Science 2025 387, 264–269.
(4) Bardot, M. I. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, 148, 20631–20638.
Speaker Background
William Dichtel received a B.S. in Chemistry from MIT and Ph.D. from UC-Berkeley under Prof. Jean M. J. Fréchet. He was a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Fraser Stoddart at UCLA, and Prof. James Heath at Caltech. He began his independent career at Cornell University in 2008 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014. In 2016, he moved to Northwestern University as the Robert L. Letsinger Professor of Chemistry. His research has expanded the study of polymerization into the second and third dimensions in polymers known as covalent organic frameworks, porous polymers for water purification, and new approaches to polymer recycling. Dichtel has been recognized with a MacArthur Fellowship, the Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award of the North Jersey Section of the ACS, and as the 2020 Blavatnik National Laureate in Chemistry.

DATE and Time: Tuesday, July 28, 6:30 PM Pacific time

Registration deadline: Monday, July 27, 1:00 PM.
Registration may close earlier than the nominal deadline if capacity is reached.

Chemistry, Regulation, and Change: Understanding TSCA's Next Chapter
2026-08-12 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars, ACS Government Affairs, and ACS Green Chemistry Institute
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to implement the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the regulatory framework governing chemical innovation is evolving rapidly. Understanding these changes is becoming essential for chemists developing safer, more sustainable technologies.
Join Richard Engler of Bergeson & Campbell and Adelina Voutchkova of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute to gain a practical overview of the current state of TSCA, the latest developments in chemical review and risk evaluation, and what these changes mean for the future of green and sustainable chemistry. You’ll also learn how to engage effectively with EPA during chemical review processes and contribute your scientific expertise to decisions that shape the future of chemical safety and innovation.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by William Hartwig of the American Chemical Society and is co-produced with ACS Government Affairs and the ACS Green Chemistry Institute.

What You Will Learn

What is the current status of TSCA implementation and what are the key regulatory developments
How TSCA influences the development, review, and commercialization of green and sustainable chemistry innovations
Where are the opportunities to engage with EPA’s chemical review and risk evaluation processes and contribute scientific expertise to regulatory decision-making

Event Details

Wednesday, August 12, 2026 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

ACS Government Affairs

ACS Green Chemistry Institute

Smarter Routes, Smaller Footprints: Award-Winning Green Chemistry in Pharma
2026-08-13 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable
11:00 am-12:30 pm, Online, Free, Registration required

Creating tomorrow’s medicines without compromising tomorrow’s planet lies in rethinking chemistry from the ground up. Join us as we celebrate the recipients of the Peter J. Dunn Award, whose groundbreaking process innovations demonstrate that greener chemistry can deliver not only performance but measurable gains in efficiency, safety, scalability, and sustainability.
Amgen is recognized for reinventing the manufacturing process for Olpasiran, a GalNAc-conjugated siRNA therapeutic, through the application of green chemistry principles. The team redesigned key stages of the synthesis, from starting materials and GalNAc ligand production to the final conjugation step, replacing hazardous solvents and reagents with safer, lower-risk alternatives while maintaining or improving yields. Successfully demonstrated at multi-kilogram scale (>30 kg), the optimized process reduced E-factors by up to 37% and cut solvent use and waste generation by more than 25% at peak production. This work illustrates how strategic process innovation can reduce environmental impact while enabling robust, large-scale manufacturing of next-generation RNA therapeutics.
Bristol Myers Squibb is recognized for transforming the manufacturing route for the Repotrectinib (BMS-986472) API through an ambitious redesign grounded in green chemistry. By combining retrosynthetic innovation with process optimization, the team increased overall yield fourfold (11% to 45%), reduced isolation steps from ten to six, and completely eliminated dioxane and all halogenated solvents and reagents. A second-generation biocatalytic process for a key starting material further advanced the use of renewable, low-impact technologies. Together, these innovations reduced process mass intensity, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, cycle time, and manufacturing costs by 43%-73%, demonstrating that bold process redesign can simultaneously improve sustainability, operational performance, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by John Tucker of Neurocrine Biosciences and co-produced with the ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable. As part of ACS’ ongoing celebration of our 150th anniversary, this month we highlight innovation in chemistry, from supporting research to advancing scientific publications we are excited to imagine what the next 150 years of innovation in science might look like. Celebrate with us at www.acs.org/150

What You Will Learn

How green chemistry principles translate into real-world manufacturing, improving sustainability while maintaining or increasing process performance
The strategies behind award-winning process redesigns, from retrosynthetic innovation and biocatalysis to safer solvents and streamlined synthetic routes
How measurable sustainability metrics can drive better decision-making in pharmaceutical development including Process Mass Intensity, E-factor, energy use, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions

Event Details

Thursday, August 13, 2026 @ 2-3:30pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Additional Resources

ACS GCIPR Industry Awards – An annual awards program to recognize green chemistry innovations that advance sustainability in the pharma industry and allied industrial partners.
Tools for Innovation – Free high quality tools and metrics to help scientists and engineers make better decisions about chemical selection and route and process design.

Co-Produced With

ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable

ORCID 101: The ORCID iD and Record
2026-08-19 09:00 - 10:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ORCID US Community
9:00 am-10:00 am Online, Free, Registration required

Getting and using your free ORCID iD and ORCID record can help you save time and get credit for your work in funding, publishing, and research reporting workflows. Funding organizations, publishers, and research institutions are increasingly requiring or asking for ORCID iDs from researchers, so this workshop will help you make sure you are ahead of the game. In this workshop, we will cover: – An overview of the benefits of ORCID for researchers – How ORCID can help you save time throughout the research landscape – Tips and tricks for keeping your ORCID record up-to-date No prior experience with ORCID necessary. The session recording will be sent to all who register. See you there!

Working for Yourself: Your Sales, Marketing, and Financing Plan
2026-08-19 09:00 - 10:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Careers
9:00 am-10:30 am, Online, Free, Registration required

This virtual live, 90-minute workshop will answer common questions and provide expert insight regarding the key responsibilities and actions of an aspiring entrepreneur looking to start a business in the chemical industry.
After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:

Decide if self-employment option is right for you.
Create a mission statement for your new business.
Gain a better understanding of your ideal clientele.
Assess the market for competitors.
Establish the outline of a business plan for your new company.

The first hour of the workshop will feature a presentation by an ACS Career Consultant, while the last 30 minutes will be a dedicated Q&A session between participants and the facilitator.

AI-powered synthetic planning with CAS SciFinder and CAS Newton
2026-08-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by CAS
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

Expand your synthetic planning! This demonstration covers recent advancements designed to overcome synthetic planning challenges. See how science-smart AI capabilities deliver actionable route predictions and practical synthetic insights through the combined power of CAS SciFinder and CAS Newton.

How Many Tie Chains are Needed for a Semicrystalline Polymer to be Ductile?
2026-08-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Prof. Richard A. Register, Princeton University
Sponsored by Golden Gate Polymer Forum
6:00 pm-7:00 pm, Online, Free/$5 Donation, Registration required by Aug. 18 at 1pm

Abstract
Semicrystalline polymers of low glass transition temperature, such as polyethylene (PE) and hydrogenated polynorbornene (hPN), can be either brittle or ductile depending on how well stress can be transmitted between crystallites—such as via tie molecules (TMs), chains that directly bridge the intercrystalline amorphous layer. TM content will increase with increasing molecular weight (M), or with the fraction of high-M chains in a disperse polymer; it will also increase with decreasing intercrystallite repeat spacing d, which can be manipulated through thermal history and the incorporation of comonomer. We have examined the failure mode of model narrow-distribution linear PEs and hPNs, where d is varied through both crystallization history (either quenching or slowly cooling) and the incorporation of short branches (at variable levels) that are unable to enter the crystals. For a given (co)polymer composition and thermal history, a rather sharp brittle-to-ductile transition (BDT) is observed with increasing M, at a value MBDT. However, when looking across thermal histories and comonomer contents, MBDT does not correspond to a particular numerical value of the tie molecule fraction (P), calculated by the Huang-Brown approach. Rather, PBDT increases strongly as crystal thickness decreases, with both PE and hPN showing similar dependences. We trace this unanticipated dependence to the loss of TMs during drawing, with polymers having thinner initial crystals losing a larger fraction of their TMs. This postulate is confirmed by measurements of the post-draw strain-hardening modulus, which reflects the content of TMs remaining after the material has necked and drawn. Adding a short amorphous block at the chain end is also found to improve the retention of TMs. These insights provide guidance for the molecular design of ductile and easily processible polymers (via molecular weight distribution and branch content), and how those desirable characteristics can be preserved through rounds of mechanical recycling.
Speaker Background
Richard A. Register is currently Director of the Princeton Materials Institute and Eugene Higgins Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University. His research interests revolve around micro- and nanostructured polymers, such as semicrystalline polymers, block copolymers, polymer blends, and ionomers, and range across their synthesis, physics, properties, applications, and sustainability. He served as chair of Princeton’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering from 2008-2016, and as Director of the NSF-supported Princeton Center for Complex Materials from 2005-2008. He received the Charles M.A. Stine Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2002, the Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science Distinguished Teacher Award in 2018, its inaugural Distinguished Service Award in 2023, and the inaugural Distinguished Faculty Service Award from Princeton in 2025. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

How Python can Streamline your Chem Lab
2026-08-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Office of Career and Professional Education
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

Are routine data tasks keeping you at your desk instead of in the lab? From collecting and formatting data to analyzing and plotting results, these time-consuming processes can pull scientists away from discovery.
Join Mark Russo of The College of New Jersey and ACS Short Course Instructor William Neil for an overview of an upcoming course designed to help scientists build practical Python skills for the laboratory. This webinar is not an in-depth Python class, but rather introduction to Python and its potential to automate routine tasks, streamline workflows, and solve common data-related challenges in the lab.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Bryan Tweedy of the American Chemical Society and co-produced with the ACS Office of Career and Professional Education.

What You Will Learn

Why Python is becoming an essential skill for today’s laboratory scientists
Examples of how Python can automate laboratory workflows and data analysis
Real-world applications involving laboratory instrumentation and experimental data

Event Details

Thursday, August 20, 2026 @ 2:00-3:00pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Additional Resources

Python in the Laboratory I: Fundamentals – ACS Institute Course to learn the basics of Python so you can write programs to collect, process, and analyze scientific data.
Python in the Laboratory II: Applications – ACS Institute Course to level up your Python knowledge to expedite and automate complex tasks in your lab.

Co-Produced With

ACS Office of Career and Professional Education

ACS Fall 2026 National Meeting, August 23-27 - Chicago, IL and Digital
2026-08-23 - 2026-08-27 | Hybrid
https://www.acs.org/events/fall.html
Advance registration ends July 23rd

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The ACS Fall 2026 Virtual Platform is available. To access the full virtual platform, you must be signed in with your ACS ID. ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez welcomes you to the Fall Meeting, a time that includes celebrating ACS’ 150th Anniversary.

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A Tribute to Hans C. Andersen, Prof. Emeritus of Chemistry, Stanford University
2026-08-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Hybrid
Sponsored by Stanford Department of Chemistry
3:00 pm-5:00 pm, In-person and Online, Free, Learn more
Hans Christian Andersen, an esteemed Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University, passed away on July 4, 2026. Renowned for his pioneering contributions to statistical mechanics and molecular simulation techniques, Hans profoundly transformed the field of chemistry.
During his distinguished 40-year career, he developed foundational computer simulation methods and sophisticated analytical theories that greatly advanced our understanding of complex chemical systems. His ingenuity and dedication earned him numerous accolades in theoretical chemistry and education, as well as significant administrative roles at Stanford University. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1992 and appointed the David Mulvane Ehrsam and Edward Curtis Franklin Professor in Chemistry in 1994.
Beyond his remarkable scientific achievements, Hans will be fondly remembered by his colleagues, students, and postdoctoral researchers for his intellectual brilliance, inspiring mentorship, and unwavering kindness. His legacy will undoubtedly continue to influence future generations of scientists.
A memorial service for Hans Andersen is being planned in Redmond, WA, at 3 PM PT on Saturday, August 29th. The memorial service will be simulcast over Zoom.
Should you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution in memory of Hans, please see the following link

Future-Proof Your Chemistry Career for 2030
2026-09-02 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Industrial Engagement
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

The chemistry profession is evolving rapidly. Advances in artificial intelligence, data science, and sustainability are transforming how research is conducted, decisions are made, and innovation reaches the marketplace. The scientists who thrive in 2030 will be those who can combine deep technical expertise with the skills needed to adapt, collaborate, and lead.
Join Careers in Chemistry 2030 for a forward-looking discussion on the capabilities that will shape the future of the chemical sciences. Hear from industry and academic leaders as they explore the growing importance of sustainability, AI and data literacy, and effective communication. Register now to discover how developing these skills today can expand your career opportunities and increase your impact tomorrow.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Rebekah Paul of the American Chemical Society and co-produced by ACS Industrial Engagement. Join the American Chemical Society this September as we continue to celebrate our 150th Anniversary and feature events that highlight lifelong learning by advancing STEM education, inclusivity, professional development, and mentorship for chemists at every career stage.

What You Will Learn

How the chemistry workforce is expected to evolve over the next five years
The critical skills employers will value most in the AI-driven, sustainability-focused future of chemistry
Practical strategies to begin building these in-demand capabilities today

Event Details

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 @ 2:00-3:00pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

ACS Industrial Engagement

2026 Ig Nobel Prizes (36th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony)
2026-09-03 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by Improbable Research
10:00 am-11:30 am, Watch Livestream on YouTube | Learn more

The 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes will be awarded at the 36th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, on Thursday evening, September 3, 2026. The ceremony, as per tradition, will also be webcast. The previous 35 ceremonies all took place in the USA, in Cambridge/Boston. In a break from tradition, this year’s ceremony will take place in Zürich, Switzerland.
The basic info: The Ceremony (and webcast) on September 3, 2026
WHEN/WHERE: This year’s ceremony will happen on Thursday, September 3, 2026, 7:00 pm (CET), at Kongresshaus Zürich, Claridenstrasse 5, Zürich, Switzerland.
WHAT: Ten new Ig Nobel Prize winners will be introduced — each has done something that makes people LAUGH, then THINK. A gaggle of amused genuine Nobel Prize winners will physically hand the prizes to the new Ig Nobel Prize winners.
TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS to attend the ceremony in person went on sale May 12. The tickets sold out within a few days. [There is a chance that a few tickets will become available. You might want to check the ticket site occasionally to see.]

REGULAR TICKETS: 89 CHF
STUDENT TICKETS (Up to PhD-student level. Please show student ID at the door.): 59 CHF
BILLIONAIRE TICKETS (Expressly for people who want to financially support the Ig Nobel Prizes! Each billionaire-ticket holder will receive a Zimbabwean 1-billion-dollar bill.): 500 CHF
MILLIONAIRE TICKETS (Expressly for people who want to financially support the Ig Nobel Prizes! Each millionaire-ticket holder will receive a Zimbabwean 1-million-dollar bill.): 250 CHF
GROUP TICKETS: If your group wants to be recognized during the ceremony as an OFFICIAL DELEGATION, first purchase your tickets, then email us at zurich@improbable.com Minimum OFFICIAL DELEGATION size is ten (10). Maximum OFFICIAL DELEGATION size is one thousand (1000).

WEBCAST, and WATCH PARTIES: The 2026 ceremony will be webcast. (This will be the 32nd straight year — the 1995 Ig Nobel ceremony was one of the very first events ever to be webcast). Watch parties will happen in many countries, some small and informal, some large. You can download a guide for organizing a Watch Party. (If your organization would like to host an Official Ig Nobel Watch Party, and thus be mentioned admiringly during the ceremony and also on this web page, email us at <zurich@improbable.com>. This involves a few formalities. ) There will be OFFICIAL WATCH PARTIES in Flanders (University of Antwerp), The Netherlands (Utrecht University), Germany (DESY, Hamburg), France (Université Paris Science & Lettres), Cambridge, Massachusetts (Swissnex), and other places to be announced — and many unofficial watch parties (create you own!) in lots of places.
IG NOBEL FACE-to-FACE in ZURICH: A related event, called “Ig Nobel Face-to-Face”, will happen the next afternoon, Friday, September 4, 2026, 2:00 pm, at Hörsaal Universität Zürich, University of Zürich, Rämistrasse 71, Zürich. The new Ig Nobel Prize winners will ask each other questions about their work. The Face-to-Face event is free. Seating is limited, so we advise arriving a bit early. (The Ig Nobel Face-to-Face event will not be webcast. We will later produce an edited video of the event.)
[THREE WEEKS LATER] BOST-Ig, A CELEBRATION IN CAMBRIDGE, USA, at the Swiss Consulate, Swissnex, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 6:00-7:00 pm, then light refreshments (doors open 5:30). This is a small (small because space is very limited) celebration event. A few of the new Ig Nobel Prize winners will do a short informal talks, as will Ig Nobel founder Marc Abrahams. There will be a performance of three Tom Lehrer songs (Tom, who died last year, helped with several of the early Ig Nobel ceremonies) by Amanda Palmer and Dr. Thomas Michel (who each have performed in and helped organize many Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies), and a short display/talk by Louise Reilly Sacco (who also has performed in and helped organize many Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies) of science-related paintings from MOBA, the Museum of Bad Art. And there will be jolly conversation with the audience. Details TBA.
[SOME WEEKS LATER] IG NOBEL FACE-to-FACE IN TOKYO, JAPAN…. The Miraikan science museum, in Tokyo, will again host a gala Ig Nobel Face-to-Face event. Date and other details TBA.
(Curious about the previous year? Take a peek at the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony!) Watch on YouTube

Catalyze the Vote! Meet the 2027 ACS President-Elect Candidates
2026-09-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars, ACS Younger Chemists Committee, and ACS Committee on Nominations and Elections
11:00 am-Noon, Online, Free, Registration required

“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
Join a friendly virtual discussion between the 2027 ACS President-Elect Candidates, Laura Sremaniak of NC State University and Lisa McElwee-White of the University of Florida. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover more about each candidate’s values as they answer questions relevant to young chemists as well as the entire Society. Become more informed of their specific goals during this free interactive broadcast and get the information you need to confidently cast your vote.
This ACS Webinar will be moderated by Annabelle Lolinco a YCC Member and is co-produced with the ACS Younger Chemists Committee in partnership with the Committee on Nominations and Elections.

What You Will Learn

Meet the ACS President-Elect Candidates
Listen as the candidates share their vision for ACS
Ask your questions to the candidates

Event Details

Thursday, September 10, 2026 from 2:00-3:00pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will not be available for this event

Additional Resources

The ACS Fall National Elections open on September 14, 2026 and close on October 9, 2026 at 12:00pm CT. Find out more about the ACS Election process, including how to vote: https://www.acs.org/elections
Laura Sremaniak Questionnaire (Available as soon as possible.)
Lisa McElwee-White Questionnaire (Available as soon as possible.)

Co-Produced With

ACS Younger Chemists Committee

Committee on Nominations and Elections

A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
2026-09-12 10:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
Dr. Kelly Weinersmith, Adjunct Professor at Rice University
Sponsored by California ACS Women Chemists Committee and AAUW California
10:30 am-12:30 pm, Online, Free, Registration required | Download Flyer (PDF)

Abstract
Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away—no climate change, no war, no X—beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? My co-author/husband and I are sci-fi geeks who set out to write a book about the glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, we aren’t so sure it’s a good idea. Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn’t spark conflict back home. In this talk, I’ll tackle questions like: Where are we most likely to settle? What will life in space be like? Is it safe to have babies in space? What is the future of bathrooms in space? What laws will govern humanity when we become interplanetary? Get in, we’re going to Mars.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Kelly Weinersmith is an adjunct faculty member at Rice University. Her research has been featured in The Atlantic, National Geographic, BBC World, Science, Nature, and more. Kelly co-wrote the New York Times bestsellers Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve And/Or Ruin Everything and A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? In 2024, she and her co-author/husband Zach received a Hugo Award and the Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize for A City on Mars. Kelly is also co-host of the podcast Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe.
Reservation
Please visit the CalACS website www.calacs.org to register for this meeting or use EventBrite.
RSVP here!
Please register before Thursday, September 10, 2026, 12 noon. Your email address is needed to send the Zoom link, which will be shared with attendees on or before the day of the event via Eventbrite.
Cost
Free!
Questions?
Please contact Elaine Yamaguchi at eyamaguchi08@gmail.com

AI-Guided Molecular Design: From Biological Programming to Drug Discovery
2026-09-16 08:00 - 09:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Publications
8:00 am-9:30 am, Online, Free, Registration required

Artificial intelligence is transforming chemistry from analyzing molecules to designing them with unprecedented precision. Join three leading researchers as they explore how AI, molecular simulations, and advanced computational workflows are accelerating the discovery of biologics, therapeutics, and next-generation antimicrobial inhibitors.
Pranam Chatterjee of the University of Pennsylvania will discuss how generative AI models are enabling the design of programmable biologics, including peptides, proteins, mRNAs, and metal-sequestering molecules optimized for target binding, safety, and efficacy. He will also highlight emerging approaches for controlling protein folding and cell-state transitions.
Shozeb Haider of University College London will examine how molecular recognition dynamics can inform the fight against antibiotic resistance. By combining simulations, machine learning, and structural biology, his team uncovered mechanisms of β-lactamase inhibitor binding that led to the design of N11, a potent next-generation inhibitor.
Alexey Zakharov of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at NIH will present an AI-driven framework for hit identification and lead optimization, demonstrating how machine learning and open-source workflows can efficiently uncover novel, synthetically accessible drug candidates from ultra-large chemical spaces.
Register now to learn how AI-guided design is reshaping molecular discovery, from programming biological systems and understanding target recognition to identifying and optimizing therapeutic candidates.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Jon Stokes of McMaster University and co-produced with ACS Publications. Join the American Chemical Society this September as we continue to celebrate our 150th Anniversary and feature events that highlight lifelong learning by advancing STEM education, inclusivity, professional development, and mentorship for chemists at every career stage.

What You Will Learn

How generative AI and protein language models are enabling the design of therapeutically ready biologics and programmable molecular systems
How molecular simulations, kinetics, and machine learning can uncover hidden mechanisms of target recognition and guide rational inhibitor design
How qHTS-driven machine learning, reaction-based SAR modeling, and scaffold-centric exploration can accelerate hit identification and lead optimization
How to navigate ultra-large chemical spaces to discover potent, synthetically accessible candidates for challenging therapeutic targets
How integrating AI across biologics, small molecules, and antimicrobial research is transforming the future of drug discovery and molecular engineering

Event Details

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 @ 11:00am-12:30pm ET
Free to attend
Slides will be available on day of the webinar

Co-Produced With

ACS Publications
