Member
Dr. Laura L. McConnell is a champion for diversity in science. She works to build bridges between science organizations to strengthen networks to support the success of women and girls in STEM careers.
Dr. McConnell is a Science Fellow in the Regulatory Scientific Affairs team at Bayer Crop Science in the United States. Her role at Bayer is University and Scientific Society Engagement Lead for Regulatory Science where she works on topics around data transparency and sustainability in agriculture.
Her expertise is in the field of analytical and environmental chemistry. Within International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Dr. McConnell is a Past President of the Division of Chemistry and the Environment. She has served as Chair of the IUPAC US National Committee. In 2019 she served as the co-chair for the IUPAC Centenary Celebration during the International Year of the Periodic Table. Since then, she has continued to serve as co-chair the IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast series. Most recently she was elected to the IUPAC Bureau and Executive Committee.
Prior to coming to Bayer, Dr. McConnell was a Lead Scientist and Research Chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service for more than twenty years. She specialized in the investigation of the chemical and physical processes controlling the environmental fate of agriculturally-relevant pollutants. A primary focus of her research was the development of improved conservation practices to mitigate pollutant transport and to provide ecosystem services; innovative approaches to assess and reduce the bioavailability of pollutants in soil and water; development of sustainable farming systems to address challenges at the agriculture-urban interface.
Dr. McConnell has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. She has served on science-related advisory panels for the US Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Authority. She is a former Division Chair of the Division of Agrochemicals (AGRO) of the American Chemical Society (ACS); was named ACS Fellow in 2014; is currently an Associate Member of the ACS Committee on Science (COMSCI); and serves as Deputy Editor of the new journal, ACS Agricultural Science and Technology.
