Breaking Barriers: Chemistry is Everyone, Episode 1
6/18/202631 min
This episode of Chain Reaction launches a special series celebrating the American Chemical Society’s 150th anniversary. Immediate past president, Dorothy Phillips, interviews three chemists whose journeys emphasize resilience, representation, and inclusion. Cary Supalo, a blind chemist, describes overcoming barriers in education and research by developing collaborative techniques and accessible technologies that allow visually impaired scientists to participate fully in chemistry. Zemen Berhe, a refugee and first-generation scholar, reflects on the importance of representation and mentorship in shaping her path to becoming a professor and supporting underrepresented students. Simon Shannon shares his transition from bench chemistry to business leadership at 3M, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary skills and diverse perspectives. Throughout, the episode underscores how mentorship, community, and increased access can help broaden participation in STEM and ensure that chemistry truly belongs to everyone.
Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction
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First 90 secondsMargot Wall· Host0:04
Welcome to Chain Reaction, a new podcast from the American Chemical Society, where we link chemistry's past to its future. I'm your host, Margot Wall.
Shane Hanlon· Host0:14
And I'm Shane Hanlon.
Margot Wall· Host0:15
What? [laughs] [laughs] Where's Sam? What did you do with her?
Shane Hanlon· Host0:20
I mean, you invited me. Uh- [laughs] ... but in all fairness for the listeners, I'm Margot's colleague here at ACS, so my official title is Executive Editor of Brand Lab, but basically we're a group here who help tell ACS's story. And in this case, we're talking about ACS's 150th anniversary.
Margot Wall· Host0:37
Yay. Another excuse to say sesquinta- sesquicentennial. [laughs] [laughs] Oh, gosh. I never get it. Anyways, this is a big deal for us. 150 years as an organization, that's, that's a lot of years.
Shane Hanlon· Host0:49
Yeah. You know, it really is. And we're doing all sorts of things to celebrate this year that are really focused on the past, present, and future of chemistry.
Margot Wall· Host0:58
That's what we're all about here at Chain Reaction.
Shane Hanlon· Host1:00
And I was thinking about that dynamic, and it reminded me of our presidential structure here at ACS and how that works. I can see, I can see your eyes glazing over.
Margot Wall· Host1:11
No one can see that, okay?
Shane Hanlon· Host1:12
Okay. Well- You'd have to tell everyone ... I'm putting you on blast, and I can hear the listeners' eyes glazing over.
Margot Wall· Host1:19
You can hear that?
Shane Hanlon· Host1:19
[laughs] Just wait. Just hear me out. [laughs] So we have a president-elect, a president, and an immediate past president. So past, present, future.