Community News

An interview with Andrea Oseolorun

In 2013, Beyond Benign created the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) program with guidance from higher education institutions as a framework to unite the global Green Chemistry community. The GCC goal is to infuse Green Chemistry into Higher Education and give scientists the required skills to design processes and products less hazardous to human health and the environment.

Beyond Benign has partnered with companies including Dow, MilliporeSigma, and Biogen to further its mission to empower educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Support from these partners has allowed Beyond Benign to create resources, foster relationships, and provide essential funding to educators, all in an effort to grow and strengthen the Green Chemistry education community.

Prairie View A&M University is a Dow academic partner and GCC signer. Discover the university’s story in our interview with Dr. Andrea Oseolorun.

How has being part of the GCC impacted your institution and you as a faculty member?

Signing on to the GCC has opened so many doors for our department, including new collaborations, new research directions, increased interest in more green and sustainable chemistry projects and proposals, more publications targeting green chemistry journals, and a new green chemistry course based on resources provided by Beyond Benign and other partners.

As a scientist from an interdisciplinary background in a department filled with Ph.D. chemists, [the GCC] has given me a voice and a way to show what I can offer to the academy. It has also allowed me to introduce my students to a subject that is of particular interest to me coming from an environmental science background.

What student outcomes have you observed since instituting Green Chemistry practices and principles?

I’ve always envisioned creating an environmental chemistry course in my department, and the encouragement I’ve received from the GCC community has built my confidence to move forward with the project. I have found my feet and my voice, literally, and I am looking forward to bigger things because of the assistance from my colleagues in the GCC. I have experienced a genuine sense of belonging as a scientist that was not there before.

It’s also helped me connect with new colleagues and students across the globe. I’ve met students in Berlin who are doing great work to advance green chemistry in the University. I have talked with colleagues in Canada and multiple states across the U.S., and I hope to work on research projects in the future.

How do you envision the GCC community supporting the future green chemistry goals of your institution and training of your students?

We hope to always have a forum to share our ideas and also learn from the community. We would like to see more outreach to support our efforts to increase awareness of the benefits of this new, more sustainable enterprise and how vital green chemistry education is to student success.

Read more, including a selection of impact stories from six of Dow’s academic partners and their reflections on green chemistry education.

An interview with Jane Wissinger

In 2013, Beyond Benign created the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) program with guidance from higher education institutions as a framework to unite the global Green Chemistry community. The GCC goal is to infuse Green Chemistry into Higher Education and give scientists the required skills to design processes and products less hazardous to human health and the environment.

Beyond Benign has partnered with companies including Dow, MilliporeSigma, and Biogen to further its mission to empower educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Support from these partners has allowed Beyond Benign to create resources, foster relationships, and provide essential funding to educators, all in an effort to grow and strengthen the Green Chemistry education community.

The University of Minnesota (UMN) is a Dow academic partner and founding GCC signer. Discover the university’s story in our interview with Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor, Jane Wissinger.

How has being part of the GCC impacted your institution and you as a faculty member?

Since signing the GCC in 2013, many new and diverse initiatives evolved through the support and resources provided through this program. Green chemistry was already incorporated in the organic laboratory course, but the GCC sparked interest in developing a dedicated green chemistry upper-division lecture course. This course has been taught by five different faculty instructors, each with their own influences and research connections, expanding the breadth and diversity in green chemistry and engineering concepts for our students.

Being part of the GCC encouraged the addition of toxicology into the course and fostered collaborations with departments such as the MN School of Public Health as well as state agencies such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Personally, these interactions opened opportunities of learning and examples of new curriculum content to continue improving upon my own courses as well as disseminating ideas to other instructors for their courses.

What student outcomes have you observed since instituting Green Chemistry practices and principles?

Student outcomes are evident at both the undergraduate and graduate student levels. At the undergraduate level, students who were introduced to green chemistry were increasingly interested in research opportunities where they could apply the principles. In the last three years, the ACS MN student chapter made a concerted effort to increase green chemistry programming and won a Green Chemistry Chapter award in 2022.

At the graduate student level, two major efforts have emerged. One involves our department’s Joint Safety Team (JST) that promotes reducing risk through substitution or elimination of the hazards when possible and provides resources through their website. Second, is a new committee called the Sustainable and Green Chemistry committee that is comprised of graduate students, staff, postdocs, undergraduates, and faculty all working together to build a culture of sustainability and green chemistry in the department. The graduate students, in particular, are working to improve sustainability practices in the research laboratories.

How do you envision the GCC community supporting the future green chemistry goals of your institution and training of your students?

I believe it is important that students at all levels see evidence that their academic training will be relevant to their future careers, and that their careers will have an impact on society. This applies to both academic and industrial positions. The fact that companies such as DOW are backing this initiative is of HUGE consequence and illustrative of the fact that green and sustainable chemistry is increasingly valued by the entire chemical enterprise; not just educators.

I envision the GCC continuing to provide a strong community of educators with resources and opportunities to build bridges between student training and industrial partners. This will enable chemistry students to see themselves in a career that can have a profound impact for the future.

Read more, including a selection of impact stories from six of Dow’s academic partners and their reflections on green chemistry education.

Amidst a pandemic that challenged educators and the education system, Beyond Benign and Dow successfully designed and launched the first Green Chemistry Education Challenge Awards to advance green chemistry at Dow’s partners institutions. Five institutions applied, and three universities were awarded a combined total of $30,000 for their year or multi-year projects. Through the awards, the three institutions will design approximately 10 teaching resources for undergraduate courses, which will help bring green chemistry directly to 3,000+ students each year.

Michigan State University

Michigan State University (MSU) is a research university in East Lansing, Michigan (USA) founded in 1855. With 40 faculty members, its interdisciplinary Chemistry department can reach about 10,000 students yearly. MSU has joined Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Commitment program in 2018 with the goals of integrating green chemistry throughout its departmental research, teaching, and service. The implementation of green chemistry in MSU is currently not only performed in faculty and student research, but in its organic and green chemistry courses, as well as in its Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program and safety course.

MSU has undertaken a project to transition its large-enrollment undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course to a Green Chemistry Project-Based laboratory. Under faculty supervision, a small group of undergraduate students have been beta testing this project which aims to cultivate students’ analytical thinking, effective citizenship, effective communication, and integrated reasoning abilities. With the funding obtained through Dow and Beyond Benign’s first Green Chemistry Education Challenge Award grant, MSU was enabled to plan and carry out the Green Chemistry Project-Based laboratory course investigation and evaluation while supporting the beta-testing undergraduate students. The implementation of MSU’s new laboratory will be able to reach approximately 1,300 students who take the Green Chemistry Project-Based laboratory course each year. Upon the completion of its study, MSU plans to publish its findings online with free access and share them at upcoming conferences so these resources can be adopted, incorporated, and practiced within the global green chemistry community and beyond.

University of California, Berkeley

With over 65 faculty members, the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry (BCGC) at the University of California (UC) Berkeley (USA) has been a Green Chemistry Commitment Signer since 2013. Their Chemistry program is able to reach more than 16,000 students annually and it is currently advancing green chemistry through research, teaching, and engagement in interdisciplinary areas. The goal is to place green chemistry, alongside carbon-neutral technologies, as a cornerstone of environmentally sustainable development and the green economy.

At UC Berkeley, faculty members, instructors, and graduate students have adjusted a published green chemistry experiment to fit the needs and resources of an introductory organic chemistry lab class (CHEM 3AL) attended by approximately 600 non-majors. In the initial experiment entitled ‘Student-Designed Green Chemistry Experiment for a Large-Enrollment, Introductory Organic Laboratory Course’ by Wu et al., students performed a “standard” procedure and then adjusted a variable of their choice to make it greener. UC Berkeley students tested the initial experiment, which then allowed faculty and instructors to pinpoint areas in which it required improvement for its incorporation into the CHEM 3AL course.

The Green Chemistry Education Challenge Award offered by Beyond Benign and Dow allowed UC Berkeley to support and compensate the two graduate students involved in this project. Besides the creation of a slide deck with the material developed, a survey to analyze students’ attitude towards green chemistry’s relevance was designed. The materials created along with the project will be implemented in the Spring 2023 semester and will be made available to other institutions.

Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

As a Green Chemistry Commitment Signer since 2021, Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical (A&M) College is a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USA). This institution has the goal to increase the implementation of green chemistry practices in its biochemistry, general, organic, inorganic, analytical, environmental, and physical chemistry courses, while also continuing to foster inclusion and belonging for populations underrepresented in STEM areas. At Southern University, more than 3,000 students are learning concepts and obtaining hands-on experience in the application and importance of green chemistry in creating more benign materials to human health and the environment.

The Green Chemistry Education Challenge Award grant offered by Beyond Benign and Dow has allowed Southern University and A&M College to be able to continue the path of implementing green chemistry in its courses. Since the beginning of this journey, many students and faculty members have gained much more interest in the area. The work developed by Southern University A&M College is an inspiration for the incorporation of green chemistry into the curriculum of universities that mainly serve underrepresented individuals, and would therefore enhance the curriculum at those institutions to better prepare their students for their future careers. Moreover, the funding received has allowed Southern University and A&M College to use results, ideas, and other findings from this project as preliminary data to obtain future funding in green chemistry, which will continue to help Southern foster relationships with other institutions as well as its local community and K-12 schools.

Read more, including a selection of impact stories from six of Dow’s academic partners and their reflections on green chemistry education.

The Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) Summit held in June brought together passionate leaders and experts in the field of green chemistry, delivering thought-provoking presentations that left a lasting impact. With an emphasis on community support, this event celebrated the GCC’s 10th anniversary and the transformative power of collective action within the green chemistry community.

The summit showcased visionary speakers who ignited inspiration among attendees with their remarkable achievements and innovative ideas. Their words echoed a common theme: the urgent need for a strong sense of community and collaboration within the green chemistry movement. By uniting professionals, educators, and advocates under a shared vision, the summit emphasized that progress in green chemistry goes beyond individual efforts and requires collective support and knowledge sharing.

The GCC launched in June of 2013 with 13 founding signatories. The program was designed around four student learning objectives — theory, toxicology, laboratory skills, and application — as a framework of departmental change at higher education institutions. The GCC program is the result of collaboration between leaders in the green chemistry community, and to date, 130 institutions have signed on, representing approximately 2,900 of faculty members who teach approximately 733,000 students every year. The Commitment is free and open to all chemistry departments.

In this article, we delve into highlights and insights from the GCC Summit, exploring the groundbreaking discussions that took place. By celebrating the contributions of these visionary speakers, we uncover the immense potential for revolutionizing our world toward achieving a sustainable future through green chemistry.

Sign up for our newsletter to learn how to attend future GCC Summit events.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Amy Cannon, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Beyond Benign:

“Let’s take a minute to think big. Imagine that you’re not the only champion for green chemistry at your institution. There’s a future where this can happen. Imagine if you didn’t have to explain the value of green chemistry to colleagues or other professionals. Imagine if we had a common grounding in green chemistry. Imagine if research and implementation within the laboratory setting just included toxicity and hazard as key design criteria. Imagine if students entering professional careers were prepared with these skills. Imagine if green chemistry was just the norm, not the exception. 

We’re getting closer. How do we get to this future that we can all envision? Our vision is that the molecular building blocks of products that we use every day are safe and healthy for humans and the environment. We think this has to start with education. It has to start at the beginning. And that’s our mission. That’s why we do what we do. 

There’s another key piece here, and that’s innovation. These two pieces together, education and innovation, are essential for making that future in which green chemistry is the norm. It starts with all of you.”

Natalie O’Neil, Director of Higher Education at Beyond Benign:

“It starts with you, but it doesn’t end with you. What’s really impactful about the people here is that they bring green chemistry to their own work, and they don’t stop there. You’re out there championing for others to do it too because you truly believe it’s the way that they should teach chemistry. You are my heroes. You are the ones that see the barriers and continue to charge toward them. Thank you for all that you do for you but also for others.”

John Warner, Co-Founder of Beyond Benign:

“There are so many approaches to sustainability. It makes me so sad that we’re in a society where people have decided that some approaches are correct and some are wrong. ‘This is better, and this is not.’ Our world has a diverse set of problems. We humans are a diverse species. Everything is worthy. We just need to find a way to work together to support each other. 

Society has reached a point where everything is polarized. But we in chemistry have an entire 150 year history of not taking sides. There’s a lot of serious stuff happening in the world right now. We can’t afford polarization. We need to be disciplined not only in how we communicate to the outside world, but in how we treat one another. 

Imagine if tomorrow everyone woke up and wanted sustainability. Every consumer insisted on buying, every retailer insisted on selling, and every manufacturer insisted on creating sustainable technologies. We’ve got a lot of work to do. The vast majority of these technologies haven’t been invented yet. We make a mistake when we think of this as a crisis of desire.”

Areej Nitowski, Green Chemistry Education Manager for MilliporeSigma:

“Education plays a vital role in countering the distrust of science and connecting students with tangible solutions. We must update our curricula to emphasize the importance of chemistry in affecting positive change in our world. By signing the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Commitment, educators are not entering into a binding contract, but rather expressing their willingness to incorporate green chemistry principles into their teaching practices. As educators, we have a profound influence on students, and we must not lose sight of the impact we can have. 

The current perception of science is distorted, and we face challenges in gaining public trust and credibility. Students often question the relevance of what they learn, and we must bridge the gap between their lives and the significance of green chemistry. John Dewey, considered the father of public education, said, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” It resonates with me because, as a chemistry educator, I see the need for change in curriculum. I compare the curriculum I studied in the 1980s with today’s, and it is disheartening to find that it remains largely unchanged. We need to make the connection between chemistry and environmental science to empower students to make a difference. 

It’s crucial that we amplify our voices and take action. Implementing green chemistry in the curriculum may seem challenging, but it is a necessary step toward a more sustainable future. By taking the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Commitment, we enhance our institutions’ reputations, curriculums, and degree programs. It also attracts students who are increasingly interested in sustainability. Sustainability cannot be achieved without green chemistry, and we need to make students aware of the professional opportunities and personal impact that green chemistry offers. Let’s continue to inspire and educate, recognizing the multiplier effect our efforts can have.”

Paul Anastas, Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment at Yale:

“You are all giants. What I mean by that is the challenge you’re undertaking is immense. It’s not just about the daily work; it’s about bringing about a conceptual and cultural change. Your colleagues, although brilliant and accomplished, often know very little about green chemistry. Convincing them to embrace this new way of thinking is not easy. It challenges their intellectual status quo and their sense of importance. Persuading students to embrace green chemistry is also a significant challenge, as it touches their identity. However, I have seen many of you slowly make progress by acknowledging and appreciating their efforts and highlighting the importance of green chemistry. It’s inspiring to witness.

Another remarkable thing I’ve observed is that you are driving a shift in mindset. Rather than focusing solely on measuring the extent of problems related to sustainability, environmental issues, and human health, you are actively seeking solutions. Understanding the problem deeply is crucial, but the ultimate goal is to empower and inform the solution. This change in mindset is essential, and it’s incredible to witness your dedication to thoughtful design and green chemistry solutions.

However, there is always room for improvement. We need to rethink how we teach introductory chemistry and engage students more effectively. We should encourage them to think beyond the prescribed curriculum and ask insightful questions that trigger bigger ideas. While technology like AI can provide answers, it cannot generate the thought-provoking questions that foster deeper thinking. Asking the right questions and guiding students to transform data into knowledge and wisdom is where your expertise truly shines.

I want to reference Isaac Newton’s famous quote about standing on the shoulders of giants. By saying that you are giants, I mean that you are willing to lift others onto your shoulders so they can see new horizons. Knowledge is not isolated; it’s about relevance and sharing wisdom. As giants in your field, you have the power to help students see new possibilities, understand why they matter, and inspire action. Remember, giants may not see the horizon themselves, but they enable others to see it and make a difference.”

INSPIRING SESSION SUMMARIES

Meredith Williams, Director of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control:

In her presentation, Meredith highlighted the work of the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) in managing toxic chemicals in California. The DTSC is responsible for remediating the effects of past industrial practices, overseeing cleanup efforts for contaminated lands, and ensuring the safe management of hazardous materials. The DTSC also emphasizes their commitment to promoting safer consumer products by encouraging companies to adopt green chemistry practices and eliminate toxic materials from their products. In her talk, Meredith mentioned the challenges identified in a report commissioned by the California legislature, including gaps in chemical investigation and disclosure, safety measures, and technology innovation. The DTSC has been actively addressing these gaps through regulations, partnerships with academic institutions, and collaborations with other regulatory authorities.

In addition, Meredith discussed the importance of data disclosure and transparency, advancements in computational toxicology, and the role of green chemistry in driving innovation and finding alternatives to harmful chemicals. The DTSC is committed to a precautionary approach, focusing on comprehensive hazard assessments and promoting the use of safer chemicals.

Jane Wissinger, Distinguished University Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota:

During her presentation, Jane highlighted the importance of green chemistry education at the University of Minnesota. She discussed various initiatives and achievements related to green chemistry within her department and shared how students’ excitement about green chemistry experiments fueled their research program. Jane emphasized the involvement of students, faculty, and the ACS student chapter in promoting green chemistry education. She also mentioned the incorporation of green chemistry principles in lecture and lab courses, as well as the University’s focus on safety and collaboration with Dow Chemical. Lastly, Jane discussed the establishment of a Sustainable & Green Chemistry Committee (SGC) and graduate students’ initiatives in social environmental justice and sustainable research labs. Students’ enthusiasm and involvement, along with faculty support and safety programs, have contributed to the integration of green chemistry principles in various aspects of the University of Minnesota’s curriculum and operations.

Dalila Kovaks, Professor at Grand Valley State University:

At the Summit, Dalila discussed the chemistry department at Grand Valley State University, a predominantly undergraduate institution, focusing on their student population and programs. She highlighted the history of the green chemistry initiative at the university, including the introduction of special topic classes that generated student enthusiasm and led to the development of additional courses. Dalila emphasized the importance of partnerships with local businesses, collaboration with the Michigan Green Chemistry Education Network, and support from the university administration and ACS Green Chemistry Institute. She discussed the challenges she faced in making changes to the school’s curriculum and attracting the attendance needed to keep new courses in session. She also explained the value of the green chemistry certification, and survey responses from local businesses regarding their interest in hiring individuals with green chemistry knowledge. She noted the need for expertise in specific areas, such as polymers, and encourages collaboration and future improvement in green chemistry education and research.

Douglas Raynie, Department Head & Professor Emeritus at South Dakota State University:

In his presentation, Doug discussed his journey with green chemistry over the past 10 years and the challenges he faced in getting administrators on board. He emphasized the importance of administrators embracing green chemistry principles and recommended watching John Warner’s inspiring talks on YouTube. Doug highlighted the integration of green chemistry into his curriculum, including the introduction of the 12 principles in general chemistry courses, toxicology in organic chemistry experiments, and a standalone toxicology course. He mentioned his involvement in research projects and the success of his students’ affiliate club in receiving the green chemistry award. Doug reflected on the debate of standalone green chemistry courses versus integration throughout the curriculum and stressed the need for champions, but involving everyone in the process as champions can not be relied upon. He explored future opportunities such as implementing virtual reality in chemistry education, the potential relationship between the ACS Bridge Program and green chemistry, and the proposal for an online graduate certificate in green chemistry education. Finally, he shared and celebrated the newly updated ACS CPT Guidelines for Bachelor’s Degree Programs. The New CPT Guidelines were released in January of 2023, signposting green chemistry and sustainability as a critical requirement for chemistry coursework at institutions. Additional mention of green chemistry is included as normal expectations and markers of excellence. This is a long needed carrot for the chemistry education community and an indicator that green chemistry is becoming more of the rule, rather than the exception.

Our higher ed team hosted monthly Green Chemistry Connections events, where higher education and industry leaders actively practicing green chemistry and/or Toxicology shared their experiences. These events provided an opportunity for small group discussions, networking, and resource sharing, following the Green Chemistry Students Learning Objectives as a framework. Throughout the year, we hosted 244 faculty and students during our Connections series, 38% of which attended more than one meeting, for a total of 422 engagements across 9 meetings. Meeting topics ranged from favorite resources, to implementation models from around the world, to useful green chemistry tools used in real-world industry practice. If you’d like to discover our 2022-2023 GCC Connection series, please check out the archived webinar to watch the presentations. 

Don’t miss out on next year’s Connection series, which will feature green chemistry leaders, opportunities to interact with the community, and plenty of resources to share! Register for the free series here!

Discover our 2022-2023 GCConnections series:

Theme: Fabulous Fabrics
with Dr. Julian Silverman (Assistant Professor, Fashion Institute of Technology NY) and Dr. Dean Campbell (Professor, Bradley University).

Theme: Implementation of the Green Chemistry Commitment
with Dr. Nasrin Mirsaleh-Kohan (Associate Professor, Texas Woman’s University – TWU), Niki Juhl, and Tisha Mendiola Jessop (Senior Instructors, University of Colorado Colorado Springs – UCCS).

Theme: Green Chemistry in Latin America
with Dr. Edson Grandisoli (Education Coordinator and Ambassador, Circular Movement), Leticia Dantas and Fernando Maturi (São Paulo State University – UNESP), Sabrina Ferreira, Gabriela Trisch de Quadros (Federal University of Pelotas – UFPel), Maria Victória Barros, Thalia Ayane, Larissa Nogueira, and José Victor Lopes (Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro – Duque de Caxias, IFRJ).

Theme: Tools in Green Chemistry
with Tony Phan (Naturals Production and Methods Manager, MANE), Dr. Philippa Payne (Associate Director, Gilead Sciences), Dr. Shegufa Merchant (Assistant Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland), Dr. Alexey Leontyev and Krystal Grieger (Assistant Professor and Graduate Student, North Dakota State University).

Theme: Towards a Global Community of Transformation in Green Chemistry Education (Part I)
with Dr. Karolina Mellor (Program Director, Yale University) and Dr. Samson Alayande (Associate Professor, First Technical University).

Theme: From Land to Sea: A Connection Between Decolonization and Renewable Resources
with Dr. Avtar Matharu (Professor, University of York) and Dr. Tova Williams (Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University).

Theme: Towards a Global Community of Transformation in Green Chemistry Education (Part II)
with Dr. John De Backere (Assistant Professor, University of Toronto), Dr. Edu Inam (Professor, University of Uyo), Dr. Vânia Zuin Zedler (Professor, Leuphana University), Dr. Mageswary Karpudewan (Associate Professor, Universiti of Sains Malaysia).

Theme: Local and Global Actions for a Sustainable Future
with Dr. Francesca Kerton with (Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland), Christina Greever (Senior Programs Manager, My Green Lab), Graziana Gigliuto (International Secretary, Green Sciences for Sustainable Development – GSSD – Foundation), Dr. João Borges (Senior Researcher, University of Aveiro).

Ten years ago, we launched the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) — a framework to advance green chemistry in higher education. Today, more than 100 organizations from across the globe have signed the commitment, supporting a more sustainable future for us all. 

As we gear up to celebrate 10 years of the GCC, we sat down with Beyond Benign Co-Founder Dr. Amy Cannon to reflect on how the GCC has grown in the last decade and look toward the future of green chemistry education. 

Amy is the first person to achieve a Ph.D. in green chemistry and is a leader in advancing the field. But for Amy, advancing green chemistry is a community effort. In this conversation, Amy shares more about the beginnings of the GCC and Beyond Benign’s goals to support green chemistry in higher education. 

This summer, Beyond Benign is celebrating 10 years of the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC). How are you feeling about this milestone for the green chemistry movement?

It’s a really exciting time, particularly because we’ve seen so much growth in the past couple of years. There’s still so much more to do, but there’s been a lot of momentum in academia toward greener chemistry. 

Part of the goal of the GCC was to foster and support systemic change in chemistry education, and I think we are getting closer to that. It’s a super hard thing to do. But we’ve come a long way. 

At the beginning of the GCC, was it difficult to find institutions willing to sign on?

When we first created the Green Chemistry Commitment, folks were really worried that it was a prescriptive approach. We had to do a lot of communication around the fact that it isn’t prescriptive. The diversity of approaches that people use to bring green chemistry to their teaching and practice is something we want to celebrate and elevate and highlight. It’s so valuable for others to recognize their own path. 

Why did you decide to create a “commitment” instead of just providing institutional support? 

We were trying to support the individual champions of green chemistry. Oftentimes green chemistry starts with one faculty member who’s working by themselves to bring green chemistry to what they do. We wanted to think of ways to support that one individual in bringing green chemistry to their whole department. Otherwise, when that individual leaves that institution, what’s left behind? Are we actually creating change? 

When you say that the GCC is “by the community, for the community,” what does that mean in practice?

When we first had this idea, I wanted to share it with our community and get their feedback. I wanted to know if they thought it was a good idea and how they would set it up. So we created a faculty advisory board that could take the idea, break it down, and put it back together in a structured way that could work for institutions. From the beginning, we’ve really listened to the community.

Now we try to keep listening to understand what needs the signers have. What things will help support faculty to make these changes? The mini-grants we’re able to give out to signers came from listening to the community. 

It seems like community and collaboration are a huge emphasis in your leadership style.

I don’t think any one person can do any of this alone. No one organization can do any of this alone. So it’s really important to find others who can lead in these spaces. I continue to work on finding new leaders that can step up, and I focus on elevating their voices. That diversity of voices is so important.

We also partner with other organizations on a regular basis, because we’re a small nonprofit. We have limited resources. We have limited bandwidth. Other organizations bring in really unique expertise that we might not have. We can complement each other and elevate our collective missions.

There are so many people working in this space that bring so much value to the equation. It doesn’t make sense to not work together.

Do you think you’ve changed as a leader over the course of time that you’ve been leading at Beyond Benign?

Probably. I definitely didn’t know what I was doing when I started. And I still feel that way in some instances. But I think admitting that you don’t know is a good skill. That’s when you need other perspectives. It’s important to ask for support and admit you don’t know it all. In my opinion, that’s one of the most valuable things that leaders can do: listen.

One of the things I’m trying to be better at is recognizing that I do have a lot of experience in this space. Traditionally I’m a little bit more passive. I’m working on realizing when I should step up and say, “We have expertise in this space. Let’s share that expertise. Let’s lead here.” Leading doesn’t mean plowing over others. It’s about coming to the table and offering that expertise.

You were the first Ph.D. in green chemistry. How have you seen the field change over time?

Originally, people had this perspective that having a green chemistry degree as opposed to just straight chemistry would somehow restrict or limit my opportunities. And I thought that was really interesting. I remember getting a question like, “Don’t you feel like getting a Ph.D. in green chemistry will limit your job opportunities?” And my answer was “Why would I ever want to work for someone if they didn’t want me to do green chemistry?” 

I think that has changed a lot. I graduated with my Ph.D. in 2005, and there were a lot of misconceptions around what green chemistry was. Some people thought that it was somehow not-as-good chemistry. Now it’s been proven throughout the years that it’s actually an advantage. It can be an advantage for innovation, and it can be an advantage for job opportunities, because you bring a different skill set to the table.

What progress has Beyond Benign made toward its 25 by 25 goal?

Each year in the U.S., we graduate about 22,000 chemists. We wanted to put a stake in the ground for what we’re trying to achieve. The goal to have 25% of graduates versed in green chemistry came out of wanting to build a critical mass of institutions that are teaching green chemistry and preparing students with green chemistry skills to enter the workforce and create change.

We’re not there yet. We’re just over 10%. There’s a lot of work to do in that space. I’m not sure we’ll get there within the time frame that we’re hoping for, but I think it’s a goal that calls out this need. Chemistry as a profession is a small percentage of the general population, but it can have huge impacts. It’s central to so many of the products that we use on a daily basis. The potential impact that green chemistry training can have on the global workforce and the chemical enterprise is tremendous. I think it’s worth creating ambitious goals.

Why did Beyond Benign launch the Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Initiative?

The MSI Initiative is an intentional approach for reaching out to, engaging with, and elevating minority serving institutions in the green chemistry education community. We not only want to invite them into the community, but we want to elevate the diversity of voices within this community.

When we talk about supporting the community and supporting colleges and universities, we want to make sure that we are offering support and pathways and programming that meet the needs for the whole diverse set of institutions and people involved in academia. We know that there’s underrepresentation within the chemical sciences. We don’t want to be part of that problem. Instead, we want to help bring more institutions and people to the table.

What do the next 10 years of the GCC look like?

I hope we’ll have a good percentage of colleges and universities involved with the program. I want to continue to support change in chemistry education. We hope we can offer more mini grants to enable institutions to make these changes. 

Through the launch of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) online platform, I think we’re going to bring even more educators into the community. We’re going to see a lot of growth, not just driven by us but driven by the community. That’s very much where this needs to go. 

I do feel like we’re at a tipping point at the moment. We’re definitely seeing some good growth, and I think we have good momentum.