Active PROF Member and former Treasurer Sarah Kennedy has assembled an incredible resource for educators! We are pleased to share this with you, our PROF membership, and encourage you to spread it widely throughout the chemistry community.
Introduction from the Authors
Attribution: Winfrey, M. & Kennedy, S. (2020). Inclusive Pedagogy Toolkit for Scientists. Radford University.
Join ACS Webinars and the Division of Professional Relations for a series of paired-events that are co-hosted by the ACS Department of Diversity Programs and the Diversity, Inclusion and Respect Advisory Board.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 2-3pm ET
Speaker: Fatima Dainkeh, She+ Geeks Out
Moderator: Paula Christopher, American Chemical Society
What You Will Learn
Co-produced with: ACS Department of Diversity Programs and ACS Diversity, Inclusion & Respect Advisory Board
__________
Then, join us to discuss!
When: Thursday November 19 at 4-5 pm ET
Moderator: Ben Fiore-Walker, PhD – Manager, Department of Diversity Programs at American Chemical Society
Register for the Listening Session
Following this session, the ACS Division of Professional Relations (PROF) will be hosting a listening session, building off of the ACS webinar to allow members to provide their thoughts, ideas, and suggested action items. This will be facilitated by Ben Fiore-Walker, Manager of the ACS Diversity Programs Office. This session will be held on November 19th from 4-5pm EDT and you can register for this event at the following link: https://american-chemical-society.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkcOmuqT0pHtDkWLt1_oam0l3_X6Uwypvz
It is not required for attendees of the Listening Session to attend the ACS Webinar, but it is highly encouraged and the video recording can be viewed on-demand following the live broadcast (free ACS Member benefit).
These paired events will help us to continue to listen to our Members and provide them a conduit to share their thoughts, feelings, and suggested actions to help improve the culture of inclusion with ACS and our respective institutions.
And, let’s keep the conversation going. Let us know how we can support you, our members, by submitting anonymous suggestions to: https://app.suggestionox.com/r/DI_R
Join ACS Webinars and the Division of Professional Relations for a series of paired-events that are co-hosted by the ACS Department of Diversity Programs and the Diversity, Inclusion and Respect Advisory Board.
When: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 2-3pm ET
Speaker: Michele Heyward, Posi+iveHire
Moderator: Paula Christopher, American Chemical Society
What You Will Learn
Co-produced with: ACS Department of Diversity Programs and ACS Diversity, Inclusion & Respect Advisory Board
__________
Then, join us to discuss!
When: Monday October 19 from 7-8 PM ET
Moderator: Dr. Ben Fiore-Walker, manager of the ACS Department of Diversity Programs
Register for the Listening Session
Following this session, the ACS Division of Professional Relations (PROF) will be hosting a listening session building off of the ACS webinar to allow members to provide their thoughts, ideas, and suggested action items.
It is not required for attendees of the Listening Session to attend the ACS Webinar, but it is highly encouraged and the video recording can be viewed on-demand following the live broadcast (free ACS Member benefit).
These paired events will help us to continue to listen to our Members and provide them a conduit to share their thoughts, feelings, and suggested actions for us to help enable as their elected officers.
And, let’s keep the conversation going. Let us know how we can support you, our members, by submitting anonymous suggestions to: https://app.suggestionox.com/r/DI_R
Ethics education is important and paramount in becoming a professional. Ethics is not the same as moral reasoning. Good people can do bad things. Newspaper articles report on cases in which scientists “mess up” or make the wrong choice in regards to ethical research, publishing and lab safety.1 Ethics is as important as chemical laboratory skills and both must be taught. Basic research improves lives through chemistry; the quality of the science and published results is directly dependent upon the adherence to best practices in scientific ethics.
Ethics in ACS
The American Chemical Society (ACS) takes ethics seriously as it is infused in the society in a variety of ways. The ACS has developed “The Chemical Professional’s Code of Conduct” that can be implemented or modified for implementation at your organization to improve employee’s and student’s ethical decision making.2 Similarly, ACS International Activities has composed the Global Chemists’ Code of Ethics (GCCE)3 and a free online training module is available to all.4 As the division that leads the Society in professional development for all chemists, the Division of Professional Relations (PROF) has an Ethics Subdivision members can join.5 The Ethics Subdivision organizes symposia and networking opportunities for chemists to learn more about the topic and how to infuse it into their labs, workplaces and courses. ACS has a Committee on Ethics (ETHX) that was formed to promote and support “high standards of ethical conduct and integrity in the community of chemistry and related disciplines for the benefit of science and society.”6,7 ETHX meets twice annually at the national meetings with additional virtual meetings at other times of the year. Throughout the year, ETHX is focused on linking content and educational resources for chemists on their website, developing and sponsoring ethics programming, contributing to Webinars, and rewarding outstanding ethics programming with its ChemLuminary Award for “Outstanding Local Section Programming Related to the Promotion of Ethics in Chemistry.”8 The linked resources include both ACS and non-ACS resources including links to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research9 and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ The Office of Research Integrity documents and training tutorials.10
Ethics Resources
Educators and managers must emphasize teaching ethics. To that end, for the chemical sciences, ACS and its members have taken the lead on ethics education. ETHX members are highly regarded professionals and innovators in ethics education. The ETHX Committee Chair contributes a column published in the weekly ACS publication Chemical and Engineering News. ETHX has published two monographs on its website authored by its members including “Introduction to the Ethics of Scientific Conflict of Interest (COI)” by Patrick Knerr and Ron D’Amelia11 and “The Importance of Ethical Conduct in Scientific Research” by Laurence Doemeny and Patrick Knerr.12 There are many articles published in the ACS Journal of Chemical Education and ACS Symposium Series books on ethics education. ETHX Committee member Patricia Mabrouk and former member Susan Schelble teamed up to survey ACS national meeting attendees on “ACS Members’ Knowledge and Needs on Research Ethics” and reported their findings in the ACS Journal of Chemical Education.13 ETHX Committee member John D’Angelo authored the book Ethics in Science: Ethical Misconduct in Scientific Research published by CRC Press/Taylor and Francis.14 ETHX Committee Chair Judith Currano and member Patricia Mabrouk edited the 2018 ACS Symposium Series book entitled, Credit Where Credit Is Due: Respecting Authorship and Intellectual Property which stemmed from ACS national meeting symposium presentations.15 In addition to online resources, journal publications and books, ACS has organized webinars for chemists seeking to learn more about ethics. An example is the recent ACS off-campus Webinar entitled, “Copyright and Ethics Basics, and ACS resources available to help”16 focused on the peer-review process.
Networking Opportunities
The Ethics Subdivision hosts networking sessions at national meetings. We hope to see you at our next event!
I joined PROF because they offer valuable programming and networking events. There’s something for everyone. Reach out to me to learn more about ACS ethics resources and programming and to learn how you can get involved in the Ethics Subdivision. And the next time you are at an ACS event, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself!
References
Biography
Kelly Elkins is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Towson University (TU) where she teaches courses in forensic DNA biology, forensic chemistry, and forensic serology and leads a research lab in TU’s Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)-accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Kelly is a leading forensic educator who has authored two books, Introduction to Forensic Chemistry (CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, 2018) and Forensic DNA Biology: A Laboratory Manual (Elsevier Academic Press, 2013). She has published five book chapters and over thirty journal articles including a recently published paper entitled, “Case Studies and Methods for Teaching Professional Ethics for Forensic Science Students,” and a forthcoming invited book chapter on “Publication Ethics” in Principles of Research Methodology and Ethics in Pharmaceutical Sciences to be published by CRC Press. Kelly is an active volunteer leader within the American Chemical Society where she is a member of the ACS Ethics Committee (ETHX) and serves on the Executive Committees of the Division of Professional Development as the Chair of the Ethics Subdivision and Secretary of the Division and the Maryland Local Section as Councilor and Co-Chair of the Women Chemists events. She organized three symposia and presented poster and oral presentations on ethics topics at the virtual Philadelphia and San Francisco ACS National Meetings.
Join ACS Webinars and the Division of Professional Relations for a series of paired-events that are co-hosted by the ACS Department of Diversity Programs and the Diversity, Inclusion and Respect Advisory Board.
When: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 2-3pm ET
Speaker: Desiree S. Coleman, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant
Moderator: Paula Christopher, American Chemical Society
What You Will Learn
Co-produced with: ACS Department of Diversity Programs and ACS Diversity, Inclusion & Respect Advisory Board
__________
Then, join us to discuss!
When: Tuesday September 15 at 2-3pm ET
Moderator: Desiree S. Coleman, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant & Ben Fiore-Walker, American Chemical Society
Register for the Listening Session
Following this session, the ACS Division of Professional Relations (PROF) will be hosting an “Finding Your Voice in the DEI Conversation” building off of the ACS webinar to allow members to provide their thoughts, ideas, and suggested action items. This will be co-hosted by webinar speaker Desiree S. Coleman, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant and Ben Fiore-Walker, Manager of the ACS Diversity Programs Office. This session will be held on September 15th from 2-3pm EDT and you can register for this event at the following link: https://american-chemical-society.zoom.com/meeting/register/tJ0tf-qhqzkpH9wgzGO6NdX_mYybqnPhi6D_
It is not required for attendees of the Listening Session to attend the ACS Webinar, but it is highly encouraged and the video recording can be viewed on-demand following the live broadcast (free ACS Member benefit).
These paired events will help us to continue to listen to our Members and provide them a conduit to share their thoughts, feelings, and suggested actions for us to help enable as their elected officers.
And, let’s keep the conversation going. Let us know how we can support you, our members, by submitting anonymous suggestions to: https://app.suggestionox.com/r/DI_R
The ongoing social debate on social justice and equity for underrepresented minority and diversity groups has continued to take hold across the globe including within the chemical community. This dialogue was further escalated within the hallowed halls of our chemical profession when a perspective written by Hudlicky was published in Angewandte Chemie, International Edition. (1) The article was quickly removed as the community decried its derogatory opinions on diversity within the chemical sciences.
This publication resulted in numerous critiques from around the chemical enterprise. Most recently, Tehshik Yoon, past-Chair of the ACS Division of Professional Relations Gay & Transgender Chemists and Allies (GCTA) subdivision, and his academic colleagues took up the critique in an editorial published in Organic Letters. (2)
Professor Yoon and his collaborators speak to their sub-disciplinary peers in “Organic Chemistry: A Call to Action for Diversity and Inclusion” in a very approachable and engaging way. This editorial lays out a wonderfully crafted rejection of the Hudlicky arguments against diversity within the chemical sciences. Instead, they expand on their perspectives as academic leaders in the field. Throughout their paper, Professor Yoon et. al. promote the idea that diversity is a strength and that removal of archaic and artificial homogeneity will move a fatal flaw from the continued development of the chemical sciences.
The editorial further defends the quality of the diverse students in which the authors engage
with, and mentor, as a key to successfully innovating within the field of organic chemistry. Integrating the diverse views and experiences within their teams continues to create significant chemical discoveries and progress within the field. Combined, these create a powerful argument that ultimately concludes with a call to action for both individuals and institutions to combat divisive behaviors that have resulted in institutional barriers for many of our colleagues, friends, and family.
The ACS Division of Professional Relations continues to strive to be a home for all chemists that fosters diverse and inclusive communities. We applaud Professor Yoon and his colleagues and implore you to read their editorial and take action to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture with the chemical enterprise.
Submitted by:
Matt Grandbois, ACS Division of Professional Relations Member-At-Large
References
