How young chemists mobilized for the International Year of the Periodic Table 2019
The Periodic Table of Younger Chemists (PTYC) arose from a group of aspiring scientists in attendance at the 2017 World Chemistry Leadership Meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This project was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of IUPAC and the International Year of the Periodic Table.
IUPAC and the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) joined forces to create the PTYC and honor rising stars in chemistry from around the world. Beginning in July 2018 and ending in July 2019 at the World Chemistry Congress, we unveiled and honored a diverse group of 118 outstanding younger chemists who embody the mission and core values of IUPAC. The resulting Periodic Table highlights the diversity of careers, outreach participation, and dedication to the chemistry community of those leading us into the next century of IUPAC.
The ambition of the younger chemists
Each month for a year, there was immense collaboration and discussion regarding the achievements of the hundreds of nominees. To say this was a challenging task would not be giving it the true credit all the elements deserve.
Everyone who was nominated was exceptional, including those who were nominated and not awarded an element. We were, and continue to be, impressed by the depth, breadth, and ambition of the younger chemists within the chemistry community.
Spearheading development and leadership
This project was designed to open a line of communication to cross borders, tackle sustainability issues, and collaborate across labs, cultures, and professions. We are only as strong and capable as those we surround ourselves with and this group of 118 younger chemists is primed and ready to uphold the task of spearheading the development and leadership for the future of their respective chemical societies, and the one we all share together: IUPAC.
The celebration of the PTYC through its collaboration with IYCN and IUPAC, was so important to highlight the strength of the young chemists around the world. We quite literally bonded over this shared connection which crossed international borders. The strong network fostered by the close-knit collaboration of IUPAC and IYCN, under this unifying project, has done an impeccable job in connecting like-minded leaders to unite and shape our futures together.
Empowering younger chemists
This project is just the beginning of not only empowering younger chemists within the IUPAC community but also a continued collaboration between IUPAC and IYCN. The bonds made throughout 2019 will continue to grow and we intend to nurture this network of outstanding younger chemists with several initiatives.
We are working to develop a webinar series, featuring presentations from the awardees of the periodic table. We want to give the outstanding younger chemists an opportunity to talk about their research and contributions to the chemical science community. This series would then culminate in a face-to-face meeting at the IUPAC congress in 2021.
The legacy of the PTYC
The collaboration and in-person leadership development at the IUPAC World Chemistry Congresses will continue to be cultivated in the years to come. The IUPAC 2021 WCC in Montreal, Canada will be the fi rst opportunity for the legacy of the PTYC to continue.
We hope to provide a platform in which the awardees can share their research, career developments, and future outlook for the IUPAC community. By continuing to honor these outstanding chemists we will be able to show how the power of a diverse community, in collaboration with IYCN, can impact not only IUPAC, but also the greater scientific community.
A new IUPAC project
Our crystals are just beginning to form, and we are so excited to see them grow. In April 2020, a new IUPAC project highlighting the activity and engagement of the Periodic Table of Younger Chemist awardees with the IYCN and IUPAC has been initiated.
Congratulations to all the elements, and welcome to the IUPAC family!
Lori Ferrins, Christine Dunne, João Borges and Fun Man Fung
2020 IUPAC & De Gruyter CC BY-NC-ND
This article has first been published in Chemistry International. It features 10 young chemists from this Periodic Table. We will dedicate a post to each one along the next weeks.