2008 was a memorable and productive year for ACS President Bruce E. Bursten. His overarching theme this past year was "The Centrality of Chemistry," an opportunity to celebrate our science and our practitioners, and to raise the awareness of the importance of chemistry in education, society, and technology.

Early in the year, Dr. Bursten formed a presidential task force, which explored the feasibility of creating a program about which he was particularly passionate: the ACS Fellows Program. In December, the ACS Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish the program for an initial period of three years, beginning in 2009.

The goal of this new program is "to recognize members of the American Chemical Society for outstanding achievements in and contributions to science, the profession, and the Society." Dr. Bursten envisioned a Fellows Program as one way in which the ACS could acknowledge the excellence of ACS members, especially to those outside of our Society. The program will honor those members who have contributed in two defined areas: Excellence in Science/Profession and Outstanding Service to ACS. About 160 ACS members will be selected as Fellows during the first year of the program.

Also in December, President Bursten had the opportunity to highlight the centrality of chemistry at a summit at Princeton University convened by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The summit focused on ways in which investment in the physical sciences and energy research could be used to move our nation forward out of its economic slump. Other participants included the President of Princeton University, five congressional representatives in addition to Speaker Pelosi, and leaders from industry, government and academe. That ACS was the only scientific society represented at this select gathering of 22 leaders is a testament to a successful four-year strategy to transform ACS policy priorities into a compelling message that science is the engine that powers the U.S. economy.

Dr. Bursten spent much of his ACS presidential year representing the Society at conferences and meetings in Europe, Asia, Canada and Latin America, as well as numerous meetings and events in the US. In July, he met with the Council of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London, helping to lay the groundwork for new joint ventures with our colleagues in the United Kingdom. Later that month, he and Chinese Chemical Society President, Professor Chunli Bai, in conjunction with the ACS Office of International Activities, launched a Chinese version of ACS Chemistry in Context in Dalian, China. He represented our Society at important "umbrella" meetings of other global chemical societies, including the Assembly of the European Chemical and Molecular Societies (EuCheMS) in Norway and the Federation of Latin American Chemical Societies (FLAQ) in Puerto Rico.

Other 2008 Achievements

Other notable ACS achievements in Dr. Bursten's presidential year included:

• Nearly 30,000 people participated in two ACS national meetings and expositions, which featured more than 17,000 technical presentations, products, and services from nearly 2,700 exhibitors. About 3,000 attendees participated in the eight ACS Regional Meetings in 2008.
• The ACS Petroleum Research Fund, one of the nation's largest private philanthropies, awarded more than $23 million in grants supporting energy-related research and scientific education.
• In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Project SEED, the Society raised more than $1 million in support of this important program, which provides economically disadvantaged high school students a summer of paid laboratory research under the guidance of a chemical scientist.
• Late in 2008, the Hach Scientific Foundation agreed to transfer its assets, estimated to be $33 million, to ACS. In exchange, the Society agreed to carry out the Foundation's primary mission: supporting future teachers of science at land-grant educational institutions. The Hach family chose ACS because it "represents permanence and stability, and it truly embraces chemistry on a national level."
• To help correct disappointing fiscal year 2009 appropriations for key federal agencies, ACS engaged in six months of concentrated advocacy with Legislative Action Network members producing more than 5,000 letters and 800 phone calls, the Board visiting more than 25 congressional offices, and ACS President Bursten writing five letters to national leaders. ACS efforts, in concert with its allied organizations, resulted in $400 million of additional supplemental funding for the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, as well as quadrupled funding for an important NSF recruitment program for science teachers.

As his presidential year culminated, Dr. Bursten collaborated with ACS Board Chair Judith L. Benham and President-Elect Thomas H. Lane to address another of his passions: improving science and chemistry education. Drs. Bursten, Benham, and Lane established the Board-Presidential Task Force on Education, charged with proposing mechanisms to improve science education for which ACS is uniquely positioned to contribute.