Connecting with a Most Powerful Ally of Science - ACS Publications

Chapter 7

Connecting with a Most Powerful Ally of Science Downloaded by RMIT UNIV on December 30, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date (Web): September 4, 2014 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2014-1169.ch007

George Rodriguez* Argeni LLC, PO Box 63, Madison, New Jersey 07940, United States *E-mail: [email protected]

Throughout human history, chemistry has played a central role in developing new materials and innovative solutions to overcome societal challenges. At the same time, science, when working in concert with business, has been a truly powerful engine for prosperity. Proficiency in both disciplines is fundamental for professionals to be more productive, work more harmoniously and provide a better quality of life. This essay will discuss how growth in population and material consumption point to an expanding role for chemists and chemical engineers who also understand business. It will also highlight how the influence of government and media in society calls for the increasing participation of technologically savvy professionals in these sectors. Finally, examples will be given on how CM&E, the business and technology topical group of the American Chemical Society (ACS) New York Section, created new programs that have strengthened the support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and helped ACS engage the public.

Introduction In the coming decades the USA will face the insatiable global appetite for materials, the fall from the top spot in the global economy, and a political system unable to stop the relentless decline of its educational system or spur job creation. To change this gloomy scenario, the objectivity and problem-solving competence of STEM professionals need to be brought to the forefront of society. One tangible way of doing so is to increase the small percentage of lawmakers with STEM © 2014 American Chemical Society Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.

Downloaded by RMIT UNIV on December 30, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date (Web): September 4, 2014 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2014-1169.ch007

backgrounds to a larger number of authoritative voices to assure the USA’s position as the largest innovation-driven economy in the world. Also, there are glimpses of hope when States that focus on business growth succeed in education and STEM employment. To help the job creation process, the STEM community needs to break the academic silos so that students can expand their business knowledge. ACS has facilitated this effort with programs that include entrepreneurial mentoring. Its New York Section has successfully used its 60 years of connections with the business community to build an effective platform where students can learn about the rich mosaic of chemical enterprises and enhance their ability to shape the future of our world.

Population: The Last 500 Years Have Been a Blast! In the nearly 200 thousand-year chronology of Homo sapiens (1), the last 0.25% of that period, or half a millennium, has left the most profound mark in the history of civilization. America was the last major continent on Earth to become part of the world map after the trip organized by Cristóbal Colón (a.k.a. Christopher Columbus) discovered land on October 12, 1492. At that time the global population was estimated at 500 million (compared to 300 million at the start of the Common Era 1500 years earlier). Since then the population has grown exponentially to 7.2 billion people (2, 3) accompanied by a vertiginous advancement of knowledge. The phenomenal human population increase to 14 times since the time of Colón would have been impossible without parallel developments in technology, trade and government. The fight for democracy around the world for the last two and a half centuries was triggered by the unfair exploitation of people, the infamous taxation without representation and the lack of competent leadership. During this period the USA became a beacon for freedom and economic opportunity. These principles helped catapult the USA into the world’s largest economic and military power. The fight for independence was accompanied by mankind’s remarkable ability to produce and distribute goods worldwide. The shift to a thriving global economy was made possible by a growing middle class focused on providing future generations Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. These disciplines have been essential to business and society in developing, manufacturing and delivering new compounds, materials, devices, products and techniques.

The Rise of Prolific and Voracious Populations By the end of the twentieth century, the USA increased the consumption of non-fuel materials by a factor of seventeen from about 0.2 million metric tons (mmt) to 3.5 mmt according to the 1900-2010 US materials consumption study of the Center for Sustainable Systems of the University of Michigan (4). The USA population during that period increased by 233 million or a factor of four (from 76 to 309 million) and material consumption per capita also had a substantial impact. 84 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


The findings in the study concluded that “In 2000, U.S. per capita total material consumption (including fuels) was 23.6 metric tons, 51% higher than the European average. Construction materials, including stone, gravel, and sand comprise around three quarters of raw materials use. The use of renewable materials decreased dramatically over the last century—from 41% to 5% of total materials by weight—as the U.S. economy shifted from an agricultural to an industrial base. The ratio of global reserves over production rates is an indicator of the adequacy of mineral supplies; it can range from over a millennium (aluminum), to a few centuries (platinum, phosphate rock, chromium), to several decades (selenium, indium, cadmium). Several rare earth elements and other minerals critical to producing solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles could face shortages during the next five to ten years.” The use of resources in the 20th century will pale in comparison to future needs. According to a UN report, by the year 2028 India will have 1.45 billion people, the same population as China, and the world population will reach a staggering 8.1 billion (5). China and India, combined, will represent 36% of the world’s population and will have approximately eight times the population of the USA. As their middle class rises with the expectation for a better quality of life, their use of raw materials will intensify the scarcity of key resources.

Chemistry to the Rescue of a Material World In the coming four decades, humanity faces an additional increase of nearly 3 billion people which will exacerbate the “Top 10 Problems for Humanity in the Next 50 Years” listed by Dr. Richard Smalley (6, 7), the 1996 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in May 2003: Energy, Water, Food, Environment, Poverty, Terrorism & war, Disease, Education, Democracy and Population. The population growth and per-capita consumption will continue to have significant multiplier effects on the overall global material consumption. Economic advancement will require finding solutions to multidimensional problems. In the environment field alone society faces resource depletion, deforestation, desertification, animal mass extinctions and widespread pollution, as shown in the great garbage patches and ocean trash plaguing our sea (8). Business and STEM education have proven Malthusian theory predictions wrong and they are poised to continue their success. However, in order to meet the multiple needs of humanity, all facets of society need to work in concert. Adding business skills to the profile of chemistry professionals will help society navigate the increasing complexity in managing the world’s resource exploitation, transformation, delivery, recycling and replenishment.

Adapting to a New World Order The geopolitical shift during this century will be of titanic proportions. The USA will have a smaller economy than other nations, China and India, for the first time in a century. Russia, with a territory that represents one sixth of the earth’s 85 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


land area, its vast nuclear arsenal and its sharp differences with USA’s geopolitical interests, will continue to be an untamable force. In a world that has been capable of cataclysmic mass destruction for 70 years, the potential increase in extreme political or religious beliefs accentuates the shadow of armed conflict and terrorism. The unpredictable behavior of nuclear North Korea and the recent military confrontations that involve three (China, Japan, and USA) of the world’s top four economies due to territorial disputes (9) represent the tip of an iceberg that continues to test world stability. In addition, technology is changing profoundly the nature of warfare and terrorism since the level of casualties once associated only with nuclear war can now be achieved by small-scale strategic attacks. The vulnerability of the USA electric power grid to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), from sun flares or a nuclear explosion, or, physical (or cyber) attacks by terrorists like the one that took place by gunmen on April 16, 2013 in San Jose, California (10), has come to the fore. There are over 2000 high-voltage transformers in the USA grid with a single transformer supply lead time of one-year. The blackouts would be catastrophic and require a new set of cross-sector technology solutions. Another factor is the rapid erosion of USA Competitiveness from the top position in the period of 2007-2009 to the 7th place in the 2012-2013 Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum (11), which adds to the imbalance of power. Finally, among all the multi-sector challenges, the most critical strategic threat is that the USA, an innovation-driven economy, has failed in a key factor for prosperity: education.

The STEM Decline Requires a Drastic Remake The USA educational underperformance is best described in the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) biennial study of global education systems (12). It showed that American 15 year-olds tested were mediocre, and rapidly declining, in reading and science skills as well as below-average in math. American students’ rankings in math have slipped from 24th to 29th compared to the last test in 2010. In science, they’ve gone from 19th to 22nd and in reading from 10th to 20th. This is in sharp contrast to the surging performance from Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore), Europe (Poland, Finland and Holland), as well as neighbor Canada and Australia and represents the persistent failure of not just our political and educational leaders but of our society and culture (13). In the field of Chemistry, the results of the Annual International Chemistry Olympiad similarly show that the USA underperforms countries that spend a fraction of the USA investment in education. Only 5% of USA college students graduate with STEM degrees which does not bode well in the future world stage considering that in China 46% of college graduates enter the workforce with degrees in these fields. STEM jobs in USA are expected to grow at twice the rate of jobs in any other field over the next several years (14) and many of these employment opportunities will not be seized by USA graduates. 86

Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.

By increasing business understanding and engagement, members of ACS, the largest scientific society in the world, will be more effective in getting corporate support of ACS programs including scholarships, student projects, mentoring, tools for teachers and other programs. Another key ingredient for STEM education success is the ACS member engagement with the media and the government, particularly in Congress and at the state education departments and board of education for deep changes may be required in school discipline, teacher training, STEM curriculum, laboratories and other areas.


Education, Business and STEM Jobs The symbiosis between business and education is evident through the success of public schools in Texas and Florida which consistently ranked among the top 20 in the Washington Post 2013 ranking of the top 1900 public high schools nationwide (15), and the ranking of Texas and Florida as the top two States for business by Chief Executive magazine with a bimonthly circulation of 42,000 aimed at top executives (16). In the 2018 STEM jobs projections by the US Bureau of Statistics, the State of Texas ranks second at 758,000 and Florida ranks fourth at 411,000 (17). Other states that rank well in future STEM jobs include California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Virginia, among others. Texas will have 61% more STEM jobs than the State of New York which ranked third at 477,000 but normalized for population size the difference is even greater in favor of Texas since its population is larger than New York’s by only 34%. The State of New York is trying to catch up by attracting new businesses with substantial 10-year tax incentives. It remains to be seen if this will compensate for the lack of state income taxes in Texas (and Florida) and whether New Yorker taxpayers, who ultimately will be paying for these incentives, believe that it is fair to existing residents. While studies are needed to determine causality and correlation over time, the preliminary findings suggest that business, education and STEM jobs can thrive together, at least in states with no income taxes.

Empowering the STEM Role in Society The leaders of the world will face critical technological challenges in order to satisfy the largest population in history amidst a fragile geopolitical environment. This demands strong foundations of STEM knowledge to enhance the quality and timing of decisions. However, one of the most important decision making bodies, the U.S. Congress, which add up to 535 people, consists of only 5% of STEM educated professionals, including just two chemists. Nature Magazine quotes the STEM professional Bill Foster, PhD (Representative of Illinois) as a physicist who “wants more scientists in Congress who can bring to bear an analytical mind-set to lawmaking” (18). The USA has accumulated a public debt of over $17 trillion ($17,000,000,000,000.00) a number of astronomic proportions. On October 18, 87 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


2013 the public debt surpassed that $17 trillion milestone with a $328 billion increase in one single day (19). To keep that one day increase in perspective, we need to realize that it was larger than all the goods and services produced in one year (GDP) by any of 160 countries in the world which represents 83% of all 193 member states of the United Nations (20, 21). Another point of reference is the total 2014 USA foreign aid budget amounts to $48 billion (22). The unfunded liabilities level in the US Debt Clock shows $127.5 trillion as of January 2014 (23). The debt and liability figures are so phenomenal that few words can properly describe the geographical branch of Homo sapiens that has allowed this behavior to continue over the years. At this point, reversing these trends is not simply a matter of voicing a sudden sense of urgency. The understanding of basic STEM concepts and methods is fundamental in developing comprehensive plans and realistic timing, avoiding policy misdirection and minimizing waste of valuable resources. Society must focus on increasing the level of overall STEM and business competence of the social fabric of the nation including academia, government and the media, also known as the powerful Fourth Estate (24). ACS has been empowering members through its entrepreneurial support program, a laudable effort that shall contribute to the generation of STEM jobs.

Breaking the Academic Silos A new breed of leaders with strong STEM foundations is needed in order to analyze, strategize and transform the multi-faceted world in which we live. Nanotechnology is a prime example of how academia can break the traditional boundaries in order to solve complex problems through the better integration of various scientific disciplines. Similarly, the inclusion of entrepreneurship in the academic training that complements STEM education embraces the concept of assimilation of new fields of knowledge that contribute to the mission of job creation while balancing resource management and environmental stewardship.

Six Decades of ACS Business Connection ACS has one subsection with a six-decade tradition of business focus, the Chemical Marketing and Economics group of the ACS New York Section (CM&E). This group has become a focal point of influence for members of the technical, entrepreneurial and investment community in the business of chemistry. Founded in 1954 to address marketing and economic challenges in a comprehensive way, CM&E organizes monthly luncheons in the heart of New York City where thought leaders in energy, materials and life science share their original research and insights with a diverse audience that includes industry, investment, academia, media, entrepreneurs, general public and government at the state, national and supranational level (25). Typical monthly attendance ranges from 30 to 60 people and over 150 people for the annual awards event. 88 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


Local and Global Outreach Since 2009, CM&E has doubled luncheon attendance, increased its email list by a factor of seven and membership by a factor of ten. The group fund-raising in 2013 surpassed the contributions of all 58 prior years combined. Over half of CM&E membership comes from members of the public. The CM&E focus on innovation, operational excellence and having fun in the process, has resulted in initiatives designed to improve the support for STEM education, including the ACS Scholars program, and connections with the public and diverse non-profit organizations with global reach. The group has attracted the vast international community in New York and has nurtured a relationship with the Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations. Free webcasts are now offered to all ACS members. The Annual Leadership Awards established in 2012 celebrating the business of chemistry have been sold out. For the inaugural CM&E awards event, the New York Section received the ACS ChemLuminary Award for Global Engagement (26, 27).

Helping Students Become Future Leaders CM&E has also instituted the position of Associate Directors of its Board (28) which allow chemistry and chemical engineering students in the Greater New York Area to participate in CM&E’s organization of activities, gain knowledge of the broad economic impact of chemistry in the world, understand the latest market and regulatory trends as well as job opportunities worldwide. In a survey of students who attended CM&E events, over 90% rated them at the highest level of satisfaction. “As a PhD student doing lab work every day, the business and industrial view of certain market is truly helpful for me to understand the full picture of one field,” one respondent said when asked how the meetings will help his career. “As a student there is no academic outlet to learn about the structure of the chemical industry and get a grasp on how large and varied it is. CM&E topics definitely helped me understand this,” wrote one student illustrating how monthly meetings provide a platform for mentoring students, increasing the connection with current leaders of society and sharpening their networking skills to enhance their placement after graduation.

Conclusion As a preeminent innovation-driven economy, the USA relies on technological advancement and a high degree of business sophistication. In the coming decades, humanity will rely increasingly on multi-faceted and technologically competent leaders to navigate the world’s ever more complex challenges that demand outstanding strategy inception and execution talent. Business has been one of the most powerful allies of STEM education and together they have moved society forward to a level unimaginable just one century ago. Members of the American Chemical Society, such as chemists and chemical engineers, are uniquely qualified to follow career paths in business organizations 89 Cheng et al.; Careers, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Chemistry Enterprise ... ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2014.


and play a large role in society to bring the scientific methodologies to decision making across a variety of sectors. The CM&E group activities of the New York Section represent a scalable template that ACS could use to increase its sphere of influence in local business communities in various centers of economic activity throughout the globe. The American Chemical Society must continue its quest to engage the next generations of professionals with initiatives that combine STEM education, business and the leadership skills necessary for job creation and sustainable development. Fostering such programs throughout all major global economic clusters will help increase the transformational power of the society to advance education and quality of life, the essential pillars for peace and prosperity.

Acknowledgments Thanks are due to Marinda Wu and Madeleine Jacobs for their leadership and inspiration to move STEM education forward and make it fun! I am also grateful to the various CM&E Board members, including Associate Directors, Anna Powers and Debra Rooker, for their support in reviewing the essay, to the leadership of the ACS New York Section Board for their guidance and to the Directors of CM&E who helped conceive and implement pioneering initiatives in a way that made them feel effortless. Mention of government groups and other institutions in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by any organization.

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Connecting with a Most Powerful Ally of Science - ACS Publications

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