There is widespread recognition of the value in building diverse talent in industry, but there are also significant challenges for recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities (URM). Several science and technology companies have responded by enhancing their recruiting practices to improve the diversity of their talent pool as well as developing strategies to retain URMs through career development plans. The goals of this half-day symposium are to: 1) share what each company is doing to build diverse talent, 2) provide students with a broad view of opportunities to build their network with industrial scientists and engineers, and 3) maximize students’ potential to be successful in the job search process by providing insights into life in industry and the graduate recruiting process.
Symposia
Barriers and Resolutions for Maintaining Your LGBTQ+ Identity in STEM
In the session, we will feature a keynote speaker to provide context on the current realities (quantitative data) and barriers to LGBTQ+ student success in STEM. The keynote will naturally lead into a panel featuring academics at different levels – postdoctoral studies, early-career faculty, and administration – where lived experiences will be shared. The discussion will include both barriers panel members have faced and strategies, focused on actions, that members have used to overcome these barriers. We feel the discussion will be relevant for chemists across the academic trajectory. The panel will include both a moderator-led Q&A and an open Q&A from the audience.
The Professional Chemist: Recognizing the Winner of the Henry Hill Award
Working Chemists with Disabilities
This symposium seeks current and/or aspiring chemists to consider participating in this unique autoethnographic session. Presentations should document how chemists with various disabilities perform their jobs in the chemistry field. Describe the work arounds and accommodations that you have been provided to illustrate your success in chemistry. Presenters may be invited to contribute to a digital version of the 1996 ACS publication titled, “Working Chemist’s with disabilities.” It is the expectation of the organizers that the presentations paint a picture of how chemists with disabilities are overcoming challenges and accomplishing success in the chemistry field.
Symposium: Planning for Retirement

This symposium will include presentations we would like to see again with significant updates and some we missed and some new ones on planning for retirement including finances, activities, life style, etc.
- Introductory Remarks
09:00am – 09:05am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
- Skydiving into retirement II: The retirement strategic planning process
09:05am – 09:30am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
William Carroll, Presenter
- Using scientific and project management techniques for holistic retirement planning: Opportunities, ego, identity, purpose, money, life style, and relationships
09:30am – 09:55am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
Lucinda Jackson, Presenter | Craig Hodges
- My thoughts and planning both pre and post retirement
09:55am – 10:20am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
Bryan Balazs, Presenter
- Financial aspects of retirement plans
10:20am – 10:45am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
E. Gerald Meyer, Presenter
- Looking for an opportunity to help early stage chemical businesses grow and create jobs for chemists
10:45am – 11:10am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
Dr. Sidney White, Presenter
- More intriguing facts I learned about senior chemists by editing the SCC Newsletter.
11:10am – 11:35am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
Lynn Hartshorn, Presenter
- Concluding Remarks
11:35am – 11:40am USA / Canada – Pacific – April 8, 2021
Symposium: LGBTQ+ Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Research Symposium (Wed PM)
The symposium will consist of scientific talks by LGBTQ+ graduate students and postdoctoral scholars and will conclude with a panel discussion and a keynote presentation. Presenters have the option of presenting a 20-minute presentation or a lightning talk presentation. Presenters within all disciplines of chemistry are invited to apply. Selected presenters may be awarded registration “travel awards” for the symposium.
- Introductory Remarks
01:00pm – 01:10pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
- Robust self-assembled nanoribbons for sequestering heavy metals from drinking water
01:10pm – 01:30pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
Ty Christoff-Tempesta, Presenter | Julia Ortony
- Advanced functional polypeptides for biological, energy, and electronic applications
01:30pm – 01:50pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
Tan Nguyen, Presenter | Soon-Mi Lim | Alexandra Easley | Jodie Lutkenhaus | Karen Wooley
- Predictive design of tobacco mosaic virus double-disks for biomimetic light harvesting
01:50pm – 02:10pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
Avery Tytla, Presenter | Amanda Bischoff | Matthew Francis | Amanda Li
- Intermission
02:10pm – 02:15pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
- Developing an inclusive department culture: Experiences from a pilot anti-racism workshop at Portland State University
02:15pm – 02:35pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
Nicole Javaly, Presenter | Irving Rettig
- Diverse organic transformations enabled by electrocatalysis
02:35pm – 03:05pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021
Song Lin, Presenter
- Concluding Remarks
03:05pm – 03:15pm USA / Canada – Pacific – April 7, 2021