For District III Director: Pat N. Confalone

Delaware Section. DuPont, Wilmington, Del.

Academic record: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., 1967; Harvard University, M.S., 1968; Harvard University, Ph.D. (R. B. Woodward), 1970

Honors: American Association for the Advancement of Science, fellow, 2001; Harvard Graduate Society Prize, 1968; Alpha Chi Sigma Award, 1967; Robert A. Welch Foundation Lecturer, 1988–89; Esther Humphrey Lecturer, 1990; Samuel M. McElvain Industrial Speaker, 1982

Professional positions (for past 10 years): DuPont, Global Research & Development, Crop Protection, vice president, 2003– ; Adaptive Therapeutics, Research & Development, vice president, 2003; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Process Research & Development, senior director, 2001–02; DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Chemical Process Research & Development, senior vice president, 1995–2001; DuPont-Merck, Medicinal Chemistry, executive director, 1988–95

Service in ACS national offices: Board of Directors, District III, director, 2009–11; councilor ex officio, 2009–11; Committee on Budget & Finance, 2010–12, chair, 2011; Committee on Public Affairs & Public Relations, 2009–11; Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs, 1995–2004, chair, 1997–98, committee associate, 1994, consultant, 2005–07; Green Chemistry Institute Governing Board, 2010–12; Presidential Task Force on Innovation in the Chemical Enterprise, 2010; Task Force on National Institutes of Health, 1992–93

Service in ACS offices: Member of ACS since 1970. Division of Organic Chemistry: chair, 1988–89; chair-elect, 1987–88; Executive Committee, 1985–90, chair, 1988; ACS Workshop on Chemistry, 1977

Member: Alpha Chi Sigma, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Sigma Xi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Educational Council, New York Academy of Sciences, International Society of Heterocyclic Chemists, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Drug Information Association, International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Harvard Association of Chemists, American Association for the Advancement of Science. ACS Divisions: Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry

Related activities: Governing Board, Council for Chemical Research (CCR), 2009– ; U.S. National Committee, IUPAC, 2008– ; Board of Directors, Delaware Technology Park, 2006– ; Scientific Advisory Boards of Development Stage Biopharmaceutical Companies, 2003– ; Editorial Advisory Boards of Current Drugs, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Synlett, Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry Research, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Current Opinion on Drug Discovery & Development, Drug Design & Discovery, and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. FACS-4, International Conference, chair, 1992–94; International Society of Chemical Ecology, councilor, 1990; Drew University, adjunct professor, 1990–97; French-American Chemical Society, cofounder, 1989; Gordon Research Conference, Natural Products, elected chair, 1982–83; Rutgers University, adjunct professor, 1977–79; ACS Workshop, invitee, 1977

CONFALONE’S STATEMENT

I have been honored to serve ACS members on the board of directors as the District III representative (2009–11) and now seek your support for a second term. We have weathered the turbulence of the Great Recession and are hopeful for a sustainable recovery despite the substantial headwinds facing the global economy at this time. Many difficult decisions have been made to ensure the financial vitality of the society in the past three years. Throughout the crisis, the board continued to implement all elements of our strategic plan and is now able to bring even greater intensity to the many challenges and opportunities that ACS faces in the next decade.

During the course of my career, I have accepted academic invitations to chemistry departments, giving seminars and meeting with faculty and students. These interactions over the years have deepened my understanding of the critical importance of R&D funding and the disastrous effects of budget cuts on research programs and science education. I have consulted for and worked with start-up companies and appreciate the opportunities as well as the entrepreneurial challenges they face.

Finally, I believe that my 40 years of experience in leading industrial R&D groups in the chemical sciences, enjoying adjunct professorships, serving on various boards of directors and scientific advisory boards, along with participation in ACS governance and other society activities, have provided the management and leadership skills that are critical to meeting the challenges our society faces. In a rapidly evolving world in which the only constant is change, I will place a high priority on the following issues in my second term on the board of directors:

American Competitiveness and Innovation. Although the new millennium began as the second “American Century,” I am very concerned that it will not end that way. The science gap of the Sputnik era has been replaced by a “quiet crisis” pointing to a future noncompetitive workforce. Last year, I worked on the Presidential Task Force on Innovation in the Chemical Enterprise. Our report identified many actionable programs ACS should undertake to enable innovation, including the development and training of entrepreneurs, leading ultimately to the creation of STEM-based jobs.

Further Enhance and Communicate Member Benefits. The mission of ACS is “to advance the profession of chemistry and the careers of its practitioners.” The society continues to develop programs aimed at enhancing member benefits in areas as wide-ranging as leadership training, job opportunities, virtual interviews, and the ACS Network. I will champion the continued rapid adoption of new technology platforms such as smartphones and tablet computing, along with social networking applications such as Facebook and Twitter. The board will take a more active role in ensuring that a portfolio approach is applied to society programs, prioritizing them so the most important programs are resourced to win. Communication of the value proposition to current and potential members is critically important.

Employment in the Chemical Enterprise. ACS must be more responsive to the turmoil that continues to engulf so many of our members. Our society must take further steps to provide for retraining, networking, outplacement services, continuing education, and portable pensions designed for total career management. The “brain drain” in academia, in which top talent is relocating to overseas opportunities and U.S. universities are establishing branch campuses outside the country, has serious negative implications for our global leadership in science and technology.

Expand the Global Presence of ACS. As the world’s largest chemical society, we must define an expanded role in the global chemical enterprise and establish ACS as the leader on the international stage. This effort will further enhance the value to our domestic membership as the threats and challenges of globalization are put into perspective, potentially becoming opportunities.

Science and Math Education. The economic superpowers of the future will boast an ambitious, energetic, highly skilled technical workforce and populace. ACS must continue to play a leadership role in all aspects of science and math education, from K–12 through undergraduate and graduate programs. We must ensure that this next generation of instructors and mentors are truly world-class, with science majors teaching science in our schools.

Federal R&D Funding and Government Affairs. We must demand competitive funding flows into NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, and other agencies where basic research in the chemical and physical sciences will lead to high-tech job creation. Our energetic programs in government affairs, public relations, sponsorship of ACS congressional fellows, and frequent visits to federal agencies and Capitol Hill will ensure that federal funding of R&D and graduate education remains a top priority.