Mary K. Carroll ’86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry at Union College, is one of two finalists in the fall election for 2021 president-elect of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society with 152,000 members in more than 140 countries.
Carroll, an analytical chemist, joined Union in 1992, the first alumna hired as a tenure-track member of Union’s faculty.
“We are proud of Prof. Carroll’s many accomplishments and pleased to see her recognized as a candidate for such a prestigious position,” said David R. Harris, president of Union College. “Throughout her career, she has been a steadfast champion for the liberal arts, undergraduate research and promoting women in STEM.”
Carroll co-directs the College’s Aerogel Lab, a highly productive, cross-disciplinary group of students and faculty in chemistry, mechanical engineering and other STEM fields. The lab investigates catalytic aerogels for automotive pollution mitigation and the use of aerogels for sustainable building applications. It has been supported by a number of grants from the National Science Foundation and Carroll and her colleagues hold three patents, including two for their aerogel manufacturing process. Since 2001, more than 150 undergraduate students have participated in aerogel research at Union.
She is active in the American Chemical Society (ACS) and since 1998 has served as a councilor of the Eastern New York ACS section. At the national level, she currently serves on the ACS Committee on Science. In 2016, she was recognized as an ACS Fellow.
At Union, she is chair of the Faculty Executive Committee and sits on the College’s Planning & Priorities Committee.
“At this difficult time, it is critically important that scientists contribute to society as a whole via research, education, advocacy and outreach activities. I am truly honored to be a candidate for ACS President-Elect.”
Prof. Carroll earned her bachelor’s degree from Union College and her Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Among her honors, she was named among 100 Inspiring Women in STEM by INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. She received the Outstanding Service Award from the New York Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy; and the Stillman Prize for Outstanding Teaching from Union.
For more on Prof. Carroll, visit here.
She faces Angela K. Wilson, associate dean for strategic initiatives in the College of Natural Sciences at Michigan State University, for a three-year term on the ACS board as a member of the presidential succession.
