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Quality Education: Building Bridges between Academia and Industry

June 16, 2026

9:30 AM

Session Location:

Salon D

Session Theme:

Chemistry Education

Presiders

Loyd Bastin (Widener University), Edmond Lam (American Chemical Society), David Laviska (American Chemical Society), Isamir Martinez (American Chemical Society), Adelina Voutchkova-Kostal (George Washington University)

Organizers

David Laviska (American Chemical Society), Loyd Bastin (Widener University), Isamir Martinez (American Chemical Society), Edmond Lam (American Chemical Society), Adelina Voutchkova-Kostal (George Washington University)

Session Overview:

The American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) has been working across sectors with a broad spectrum of stakeholders to promote the principles of green chemistry for more than two decades. As ACS celebrates 150 years of advancing science and building communities across the globe in 2026, we are highlighting the rapidly expanding role that green chemistry plays in building a more sustainable future for the chemistry enterprise, from education to industry and beyond. At the foundation of our shared vision for leveraging the power of chemistry lies education the starting point for every chemist regardless of their chosen career path. Far more than a set of tools to be applied in the laboratory, the 12 principles of green chemistry form the basis for a holistic, inclusive mindset that helps us contextualize our choices as chemists and compels us to take responsibility for how our field evolves into the future. In honor of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4 Quality Education , this symposium will celebrate 30 years of the GC&E Conference by focusing on the intersection between academia and industry. Invited speakers will comment on progress made toward infusing green and sustainable chemistry into both teaching and industrial… applications and highlight overlapping priorities, collaborative strategies, and challenges associated with training chemists for their future careers. This symposium will be the second in a series of five thematically linked events programmed at ACS-supported events throughout 2026, each of which will focus on a specific cross-section of chemistry instructors. Taken together, these five symposia will provide a detailed snapshot of where we are now and where we need to go to best prepare students at all levels for the complex challenges they will face as the innovators of the future.
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Presentations:

Welcome & General Introductions

Time: 9:30 AM – 9:45 AM (15 minutes)

Presentation 1: Building Bridges between Academia and Industry: Needs and Challenges

Presenter: David Laviska (American Chemical Society)

Time: 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM (60 minutes)

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There is a pressing need to make the pipeline for training chemists and engineers more efficient and targeted to industry needs relevant to green chemistry and broader sustainability. In the first half of this session, a panel of experts from academia and industry will share perspectives on the reasons why progress toward building bridges between academia (education) and industry (careers) has been challenging. We will also explore opportunities for speeding up the collaborative process and ensuring greater alignment of goals and values in the future. Audience participation will be emphasized throughout both parts of this symposium with time scheduled for Q&A and group discussion

Summary & Takeaways

Time: 10:45 AM – 10:55 AM (10 minutes)

Networking Coffee Break

Time: 10:55 AM – 11:10 AM (15 minutes)

Opening Remarks and Framing

Time: 11:10 AM – 11:20 AM (10 minutes)

Presentation 2: Building Bridges between Academia and Industry: Opportunities and Benefits

Presenter: David Laviska (American Chemical Society)

Time: 11:20 AM – 12:20 PM (60 minutes)

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During part two of this symposium, a second group of panelists will explore themes relevant to the question “What should a job-ready green chemist/engineer be able to do?” Discussion topics will include workforce needs and overlapping priorities (skills, tools, mindsets); shared competency areas such as solvent selection, PMI/process metrics, LCA thinking, safer-by-design, and data literacy; professional competencies such as “trade-off thinking” and cross-functional collaboration, etc. As in part one of this symposium, audience participation will be strongly encouraged.

Summary & Takeaways

Time: 12:20 PM – 12:25 PM (5 minutes)

Closing Remarks & Call to Action

Time: 12:25 PM – 12:30 PM (5 minutes)