Warm tidings and Happy New Year!
On behalf of the Executive Committee and the Board of Managers, it is my honor to welcome the Chemical Society of Washington (CSW) to 2024. As we were established in 1884, this marks our 140th anniversary as a group promoting the chemical community in the DC-metro area. We are also one of the largest local sections of the American Chemical Society (ACS). As we move into the endemic phase of COVID, we acknowledge that not everyone wants to return to fully in person events. Therefore, many of our events will still have hybrid accessibility for those who are unable to attend in person.
I’m a medicinal biochemist by training, with my degree in organic chemistry specifically. Currently, I am the course director for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the George Washington University’s Postbacculareate Premedicine Program (IG @GWU_PBPM). We accept students from diverse backgrounds who want to change careers and go into medicine for their terminal degrees (PA, MD, DO, DDS). I enjoy advising my students and connecting my preclinical chemical knowledge into the curriculum to make it come alive for them.
Even though I’m more of a “traditional” chemist, I have a slightly alternate pathway in my career. I’m in a non-tenure track position and I’m hired to teach – not to do bench research. Therefore, my research passion is more on the educational front. I want to improve inclusivity for learners for all abilities in higher education – especially in premedical education. If you’re interested in helping your students with disabilities, I’m more than happy to talk to you about the topic.
Getting involved with my local ACS section was about the best thing I could’ve done for my career. I’ve met some wonderful people here at CSW over the years. There are many opportunities to be involved – from the local to the national scale. I recommend you start small and check out one of our monthly dinner meetings. Once you see how much fun we have, I know you’ll want to get more involved in events and perhaps even volunteer as a committee chair one day. You can find our events and activities, as well as information on our committees, on our website at www.capitalchemist.org. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to volunteer, be a speaker, or just share ideas. All feedback is welcome, and we would love to hear from you.
I hope we have another successful year with amazing volunteer engagement. See you in 2024!
Kind regards,
Lauren Ragle
2024 CSW President
