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Chain Reaction by ACS

Mentoring Across Generations: Chemistry is Everyone, Episode 2

6/25/202629 min

ACS president Rigoberto Hernandez invites colleagues to speak about mentorship, communication, and the human side of science. One of Rigoberto’s former students, Ashley Ringer McDonald, talks about the power of multi-directional mentorship and the importance of nurturing growth and confidence in students. Michelle Francl and Rigoberto discuss the evolving role of theoretical chemistry, the need to balance basic and applied research, and the importance of communicating science in accessible, engaging ways. The episode closes with Angel Martí, who reflects on inclusive mentoring, community-building, and creating a sense of belonging to retain diverse talent in STEM. Across these conversations, a central theme emerges: science is fundamentally a human endeavor shaped by relationships, communication, and shared curiosity. 

Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction

Clips

The Changing Face Mosaic
Invite Her Yourself
Belonging Over Intelligence
Science Needs Humans
Equations Don’t Always Sing
Meet Students Where They Are
Dark Arts of Chemistry

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Margot Wall· Host0:00

    [upbeat music] This is Chain Reaction, a podcast from the American Chemical Society, where we link chemistry's past to its future. I'm your host, Margot Wall.

  2. Shane Hanlon· Host0:13

    And I'm Shane Hanlon.

  3. Margot Wall· Host0:14

    Shane, you're back.

  4. Shane Hanlon· Host0:19

    I am back. I'm, I'm, I'm just interloping.

  5. Margot Wall· Host0:22

    [laughs] Okay. Well, do you wanna remind our audience as to what's going on here?

  6. Shane Hanlon· Host0:27

    I'd love to. It's ACS's 150th anniversary, and that's a big deal. So we thought that it might be fun to hear from our president on this feed for the occasion. But not just in the, "Hey, let's celebrate ACS being around for 150 years," but also to celebrate the people that make up ACS. So we're featuring discussions between members of the presidential succession and their peers and colleagues.

  7. Margot Wall· Host0:52

    Presidential succession always sounds so formal when I hear it, but I guess it makes the most sense because, you know, ACS always has a new president every year.

  8. Shane Hanlon· Host1:01

    And this week we're going to hear conversations with our current ACS president, Rigoberto Hernandez. [upbeat music] I first chatted with Rigoberto back in 2025 when he was president-elect, and I was immediately excited to hear from him and the folks he talked to. I'm very comfortable behind a microphone.

  9. Margot Wall· Host1:20

    You are, Shane.

  10. Shane Hanlon· Host1:21

    Oh, well, thank you. [laughs] And it's really rare that I meet someone who shares that sentiment. Rigoberto is one of those people.

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