This event was made possible through a successful Strategic Project Fund application submitted by the Early Career Chemistry Education Scholars Committee.

As part of our committee’s commitment to supporting early career scholars, I had the opportunity to host a lunch during ACS, which successfully brought together 13

 early career academics, including graduate students, postdocs, and early-stage faculty. The lunch served as a relaxed and welcoming environment where attendees could build new connections and share their experiences. 

Conversation at this event ranged from navigating the academic job market to managing work- life balance, as well as more lighthearted topics that helped establish a sense of connection and community. Several attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting that it was extremely helpful to have structured events where they could interact with other scholars, especially if they were solo representatives from their groups, or if they did not know many other people at the conference. 

In addition to the lunch, I found other ways to foster for community such as introducing graduate students to one another and to established faculty, encouraging 

participation in other CHED- sponsored events, and chatting with visitors to the table at SciMix. Overall, I believe this project successfully fostered networking opportunities and helped build a stronger sense of community among early career scholars at the conference.