The Richland Section
The Richland Section of the American Chemical Society was founded in 1948.
Our vision is to energize members and engage community to advance the broader chemistry enterprise. Our mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise by providing resources, programs, and outreach for the benefit of our communities
Geographically, the Section covers southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. It is primarily an agricultural area, with a few universities and specialty chemical companies sprinkled in. The primary employers for chemists and other scientists are the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and other government contractors providing services for DOE’s Hanford Site.
The Section was formed in 1948, as production of plutonium at the Hanford Site entered the post-war era. One of the individuals responsible for organizing the Section was Robert Moore. Quoting from Moore’s autobiography, As I Knew Him, “There was a club for almost any hobby or activity… There was one group though that was missing, a local chapter of the American Chemical Society. I had joined the ACS while a student at the University of Texas, … and was shocked that there wasn’t a local section in Richland, particularly considering the large number of chemists and chemical engineers on site.” Moore organized the chemists, filed the paperwork, and in 1948 the Richland Section was born. The members promptly elected Moore as the Section’s first Chairman.
The Richland Section is named for one of the major towns in the area, Richland, Washington. The mayor of Richland has signed a proclamation declaring November in honor of the Section’s anniversary.
The Richland ACS Section is quite active for its size. It was named a finalist for seven ChemLuminary awards, presented at the Fall 2008 National ACS Meeting in Philadelphia. The Section received three of those.
Learn more about the Richland Section’s interesting history.
Every member of the ACS Richland Section benefits from the talents and experiences of our peers, from the mutual respect we exercise and from the growing and diverse scientific community we serve.
Our members are committed to create an environment that respects the dignity and civil rights of all persons, particularly those from groups that have experienced discrimination and persecution.
We condemn racism, discrimination and harassment in all forms and are committed to embrace long-lasting, transformational change. Recent events have reminded us that much work needs to be done to achieve racial equity. We encourage every member of our section to commit to work towards this goal.
If you are interested in helping the section develop programs that promote diversity and inclusion and eradicate racism in our community, please contact the Section Chair Elect or any member of the Executive Committee.