The American Chemical Society has elected Bruce E. Bursten, UT's dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to serve a one-year term as its president. The ACS is the world's largest scientific society with over 160,000 members.

Bursten, who is also a distinguished professor of chemistry at UT, has outlined three areas in which the ACS can enhance its ideal to improve people's lives through the power of chemistry. They are: education, communication and the ACS structure.

The ACS could do more to address issues like a falling number of U.S. science students and a lack of students' critical thinking skills that contributes to initiatives, he said on his Web site.
Frankly, the ACS needs to transform the ways in which it conducts business  -Bruce Bursten, UT dean and one-year president of the ACS
"Chemistry is central to nearly all new scientific discoveries," he wrote on his site. "As chemists, we need to convey that centrality to our students so as to stimulate their interest in the chemical sciences."

The society must also become more effective at communicating to its stakeholders at all levels, he noted. This ranges from elementary school students and teachers to legislators.

In addition, a fundamental restructuring of the ACS is needed, according to Bursten.

"Frankly, the ACS needs to transform the ways in which it conducts business," he wrote on his site. "We need to look critically at our governance to make sure that we can transform ourselves appropriately as chemistry itself transforms.  I will work with the Council and the Board to make positive changes in our evolving society."

Bursten's research interests focus primarily on inorganic chemistry. He was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2005.