Issue #1 (2023) · May 2023
E-CACS 2023 Newsletter — Issue #1
Inaugural issue under the new E-CACS name (formerly Tri-State CACS), featuring President Xiaozhou Zhang’s message, the announcement of the 35th Annual Symposium “Chemistry & Medicine For Modern Life” at Rutgers on June 17, 2023, the 2023 events plan, and recaps of the 2020–2022 webinar series.
Editor's Note
Editors: Xizhe (Gigi) Zhao, Yuan Cheng, Mingxiao Li, Xiaozhou Zhang
Welcome to Issue #1 of the 2023 E-CACS Newsletter — the inaugural issue under the new East-CACS name. This issue introduces the renamed chapter, shares the President's message, previews the 2023 events plan and Annual Symposium at Rutgers, and recaps three years of pandemic-era webinars covering IP, vaccines, presentation skills, sustainable plastics, and leadership.
E-CACS Introduction
We are excited to announce that the Tri-State CACS chapter has changed its name to E-CACS (CACS East Chapter). This change reflects the expanded geographic reach of our chapter, which now includes members from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Founded in 1981, CACS is a nonprofit, professional organization that promotes fellowship among Chinese American chemists, chemical engineers, and those working in related fields. Our mission is to enhance communication and interactions among our members, provide a forum for discussions of issues that are of interest and concern to our members, and create opportunities for our members to share professional experiences and participate in joint research and business ventures.
The East chapter area has the largest population of Chinese American chemists, biochemists, and chemical engineers, and is a hotbed of pharmaceutical and chemical research and industry. As such, we are committed to providing a network for professional and career development, career guidance and counseling for younger people interested in scientific and engineering careers, and recognizing achievement in chemistry and chemical engineering, community service, and other chemistry-related ventures.
We look forward to continuing our mission under our new name and expanding our reach to better serve our members in the East Coast region. Thanks for the continued support of CACS from all members of the society.
President's Message
Dear E-CACS Members,
As we enter the new year, I am honored to serve as the President of E-CACS. Our organization has a rich history of promoting fellowship, communication, and professional development among Chinese American chemists, chemical engineers, and related fields.
In 2023, we have an exciting lineup of events planned that will provide opportunities for us to network, share knowledge, and celebrate our achievements. We will kick off with our Annual Scientific Symposium in June, where we will bring together leading experts in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering to share their research and insights. In addition to the symposium, we will work toward our goal of increasing engagement with our members through more onsite activities, including workshops, seminars, and site visits to local companies and research institutions. We hope to facilitate interactions between E-CACS and other scientific and professional organizations and communities, and provide a network for professional and career development.
Our success as an organization relies on the contributions of our members, and I encourage each and every one of you to get involved, share your expertise, and take advantage of the many opportunities that E-CACS offers. Together, we can continue to build a strong and supportive community of professionals.
Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to working with all of you in the coming year.
Sincerely,
— Xiaozhou Zhang President, East Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society (E-CACS)
Become a Member
We invite you to explore our website at eastcacs.org and learn more about our organization, including our objectives and activities. If you are interested in becoming a member, register at eastcacs.org/membership. Membership is open to professionals and students in chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields, as well as individuals and corporations supporting the objectives of CACS.
By becoming a member of East CACS, you will have access to a network of professionals in the industry, career guidance and counseling, recognition for your achievements in the field, and opportunities for professional development and growth. You will also have the chance to participate in our events and conferences, where you can connect with other members, share your knowledge, and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and research.
We hope you will join us and become a member of our growing community.
E-CACS 2023 Events
We are excited to announce our events plan for 2023! This year, our goal is to re-engage with our members through more onsite activities, in order to increase the impact of E-CACS by reaching out to and networking with more individuals.
- Our first event will be the 2023 Annual Scientific Symposium, taking place at Rutgers University in June. The symposium will feature presentations from leading experts in chemistry and chemical engineering, plus opportunities for networking and collaboration.
- Next, we will host our annual Summer Picnic and Reunion with friends and families in August — a great opportunity to connect with fellow members and enjoy summer with food, drinks, and activities for all ages.
- We are also expanding our Young Scientist Award from high-school students to college students and researchers, recognizing outstanding achievements and supporting the next generation of scientists and researchers.
- Finally, we will celebrate Chinese New Year with family and friends, announcing the Young Scientist Award winners and providing further opportunities for networking.
We hope you will join us for these exciting events and help us re-engage with our members and increase the impact of E-CACS. Stay tuned for more details and registration information in the coming months.
2023 Annual Symposium Announcement
Dear Colleagues,
We are excited to announce that the 2023 Annual Symposium of the East Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS) will be held in person on June 17th, 2023, at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers. This year's theme is "Chemistry and Medicine for Modern Life," highlighting the critical role of chemistry and medicine in enhancing our quality of life.
We have lined up talks from leading experts from academia, industry, and government in green chemistry, synthetic biology, pharmaceutical research and development, intellectual property, and regulatory affairs. The event will also feature career workshops, panel discussions, job postings, poster sessions and awards, vendor shows, and prize drawings. We invite you and your colleagues to submit a poster for presentation at the symposium.
We are delighted to inform you that symposium registration — including breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks — is free. Our sponsors are leaders in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, including ExxonMobil, IFF, BirdoTech, Johnson & Johnson, MCE, Fox Rothschild, Alfa Chemistry, AnHart, Shimadzu, Primera, Rutgers, Aromiens, Colgate-Palmolive, Viwit, and more.
Please visit our website to find the registration form and poster abstract submission form. We kindly ask that you forward this invitation to anyone in your group or department who may be interested in attending.
I believe this event will be a great success and provide valuable insights and networking opportunities for all attendees. We look forward to seeing you at the symposium!
Best regards,
— Yuan Cheng President-Elect, East Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society (E-CACS)
2020–2022 Past Events
In the years 2020 to 2022, the E-CACS organization was unable to hold its annual symposium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the organization successfully adapted to the situation and hosted several scientific and career-related webinars for its members during this time. These webinars provided valuable learning opportunities for members through online channels.
2020 events
On November 17, 2020, E-CACS hosted its first webinar after the pandemic outbreak, themed "Enriching Your Skills for A Successful Career." The webinar was sponsored by Fox Rothschild and featured four speakers from leading industries.
Dr. Joe Chen from Fox Rothschild gave a talk on "Recent Developments in Vaccines against COVID-19." His presentation reviewed the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, therapeutics, and vaccines for preventing or treating COVID-19. Attendees also learned about the considerations associated with patenting biologics such as vaccines.
The second talk from Fox Rothschild was delivered by Dr. Gerry Norton on "Protection of IP Assets and Compliance with Trade Secret Laws." Dr. Norton shared insights on how to protect a company's IP assets from theft and how to comply with rules and regulations related to protecting company trade secrets.
The founder and CEO of Aucta Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Shoufeng Li, shared his experience starting and building the company in his talk "From a Research Scientist to an Entrepreneur." Attendees gained insights into idea conception, team building, pipeline development, and learning and growing in areas outside of one's own comfort zone. Dr. Li also discussed the current business environment between the U.S. and China and how having a presence on both sides can support career growth.
Patrick Wong, who has held senior roles in finance and sales with technology companies and financial institutions, talked about "Setting up Startup Equity and Corporate Structure." He shared an overview of equity-setup basics for new startups, including different legal business-entity options, providing valuable information on how to set up founders', employees', and investors' equity to work effectively with potential investors and talented people.
Attendees gained valuable knowledge and skills that could help them in their careers — recent developments in vaccines against COVID-19, protecting IP assets, setting up startup equity and corporate structure, and the journey from a research scientist to an entrepreneur. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, E-CACS was able to provide its members with valuable learning opportunities through online channels.
2021 events
Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from members on the 2020 webinar, E-CACS conducted two webinars in 2021.
On January 19, 2021, Lauren Supraner, President and Founder of CAL Learning, was invited to present "Improve Your Presentations with Stress and Intonation." In her talk, she highlighted the importance of using stress and intonation to deliver presentations effectively, emphasizing that monotone delivery not only makes a presentation boring but also makes it hard to understand for English listeners who expect certain stress and intonation patterns to guide them. Attendees received personalized, live feedback and coaching on their presentation and pronunciation skills.
The second 2021 webinar was delivered on December 6, 2021. Titled "Iron Catalysis for a Sustainable Plastics Age," it was presented by Professor Paul Chirik, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University. Professor Chirik emphasized the importance of plastics in our daily lives while highlighting the negative environmental impact of plastic waste. Rather than advocating for a kneejerk reaction of banning plastics altogether, he provided a more nuanced approach focused on the fundamental chemistry and catalysis required to enable a sustainable plastics age — including new polymer microstructures that are chemically recyclable using an iron catalyst (reverting plastic back to pristine monomer), and integrated polymerization methods to prepare polyolefins from monomers derived from CO₂.
2022 events
In 2022, E-CACS hosted two career-development webinars.
On February 11, 2022, Dr. John Sun, Global Program Lead at Novartis, spoke about the importance of leadership skills in the scientific industry — specifically for Asian Americans — and how to overcome the "bamboo ceiling" that limits their representation in leadership positions. The audience was encouraged to examine the gaps holistically and develop their human skills to become stronger leaders. Dr. Sun has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is a passionate advocate for career development, having volunteered in various professional organizations and presented at domestic and international symposia.
On September 17, 2022, E-CACS invited Dr. Xinjin Zhao, a recently retired executive with extensive global business experience and a passion for leadership development, to deliver the second career-development webinar titled "The Odyssey of Self-Discovery: On Becoming a Leader." Dr. Zhao discussed the current state of leadership-development programs and the need for aspiring leaders to take ownership of their development. He emphasized that leadership-development initiatives should be more people-focused than organization-focused, and that aspiring leaders need to chart their unique path to becoming a leader based on their internal motivations.
Closing Remarks
We hope this newsletter has provided you with valuable information about E-CACS's latest developments and upcoming events. We encourage you to visit our website, register for membership, and get involved in our activities. With a new chapter name and a dynamic executive committee, E-CACS is poised to make a significant impact on the scientific community. We look forward to seeing you at our events and working together to advance chemistry and its applications.