I have truly enjoyed being part of this community over the past year and continue to learn so much from all of you. A special thanks goes to Thom Bussey and Resa Kelly for their leadership of the division, and to Heather Johnson for her dedication and support in advancing the division’s work. Being on the chair succession with them is an incredible experience, and I am grateful for all I have learned from them.

This summer the chair succession has been meeting with the chairs of the committees and boards, and I am continually inspired by the dedication and energy our members bring to advancing chemical education. I have enjoyed working closely with the Finance Committee, the BCC Committee, and the ACS Exams Institute, Board of Trustees. I am excited for the upcoming BCCE and the new resources the Institute has developed and published. I am also grateful that Kristen Murphy is continuing as director of the Institute for another five years. Meanwhile, our Finance Committee has been hard at work since the spring 2025 ACS meeting developing next year’s budget. I encourage you to join the open sessions to learn more about the many activities taking place across the division.

I want to especially thank Resa for shepherding our strategic plan and to Nicole James, who is leading the new Strategic Planning Oversight Committee (SPOC). Over the past two years, our strategic planning teams have made great progress implementing the first phase of our division’s plan. This coming year I am excited to work with SPOC and all the teams as we begin the next phase. I know the teams have been working hard on their plans and I want to make sure we publicize all the great work happening across the division. Please send updates to Heather Johnson or me so we can share them on the website.

This spring and summer the Goal 2, Strategy 1: Faculty Development team partnered with several groups to deliver two professional learning events: a virtual POGIL workshop and a virtual meeting for early career chemistry education scholars.

A special shout-out goes to the ECCES committee for their outstanding Virtual Conference for Graduate Students and Postdocs in Chemical Education Research (July 28–30). Led by Michelle Herridge, Chair-elect of ECCES, with Ryan Stowe and Rebecca Samson (both G2S1 team members) as planning committee members, the event brought together CER professionals from across the country to share insights on career pathways, publishing, navigating the job market, and more, alongside posters, small-group discussions, and networking. Thank you to all the speakers (many of them our own members) and to the incredible ECCES committee members who moderated and facilitated breakout rooms across the three days: Olivia Crandell, Danielle Maxwell, Katy Hosbein, Molly Atkinson, Melissa Collini, Paulette Vincent-Ruz, Lyniesha Ward, and Chloe Sells. This event would not have been possible without them.

Thank you all for your commitment to the division and to advancing chemical education. I look forward to the year ahead as we continue building a strong, supportive, and innovative community.

Kind Regards,

Gina Frey
Chair Elect, ACS Division of Chemical Education