Welcome to NESACS - Message from the Chair

Message from the Chair

2021 NESACS Chair

Dr. Raj (SB) Rajur

It is a great pleasure and an honor for me to serve as the Chair of the North Eastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS) for 2021.

I would like to thank the NESACS officers and volunteers who have made our section one of the most dynamic sections within the ACS. I look forward to working with this dedicated and creative group to continue to promote the NEACS mission of “The advancement of chemistry and chemical engineering, the promotion of research, the improvement of the qualifications of members through high standards of educational and professional ethics, the increase and diffusion of chemical knowledge, and the promotion of scientific interests and inquiry.”

Our Section is the home of many diverse committees that are comprised of talented scientists in the interdisciplinary fields of chemistry, including the Medicinal Chemistry group, the Women Chemists Committee (WCC), the Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) and the Senior Chemists Committee (SCC). These groups offer exciting seminars, symposia and other events throughout the year, which provide unique opportunities for continuous education and networking. Our section will continue with its numerous public outreach programs including Project SEED, National Chemistry Week and the Chemistry Olympiad.

The year 2020 was unprecedented. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found a way to connect and communicate with our members using modern technologies. We successfully engaged the members by conducting monthly meetings and webinars via zoom. Moving forward, we will continue to use these avenues to conduct our monthly meetings and bring quality seminars.

My focus this year will be on the following strategic goals:

Improving the sustainability of our section through actively recruiting new leaders and improving communication;
Increasing section membership by enhancing our programs and supporting the interests of our constituents;
Establishing collaborations between the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, the Massachusetts Life Science Center and other local life science organizations to expand the collaborations and visibility of NESACS; and
Initiating the Medicinal Chemistry Prize and also an exchange program with Indian universities similar to the German Exchange program.

Having worked in the biotech industry for the last 20 years in various leadership positions and having established CreaGen in 2001, I recognize the value of networking and collaboration. Through Medicinal Chemistry monthly meetings and annual Advances in Chemical Sciences Symposia, I plan to increase the networking and collaboration opportunities and exchange of ideas between industrial and academic participants. And, most importantly, I will continue to foster our meetings as places where students from our many prestigious colleges and universities can network with professionals and learn from the symposia topics that feature cutting edge science.

For NESACS events and information please visit us at www.nesacs.org.

Finally, let me add that the history of our section is immense and impressive. In my term as the Chair of NESACS, I hope to add to this legacy. Thank you for your support.

Raj Rajur, PhD

NESACS Chair 2021

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