Hernandez delivering the keynote luncheon lecture of the Committee on Minority Affairs at an ACS National Meeting.

In recent years, we have leaned on the power of the ACS to improve chemical safety through the promotion of a safety culture embedded within everything we do. Safety is not just something we talk about in a yearly training class, but rather it is something that must be ingrained through intentionality. Similarly, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) is not a practice that we can do through one-time events or training. As the OXIDE Director, I have advocated for the power of creating and fostering a diversity culture. We can ensure that chemistry thrives in our academic and industrial communities only if we invite every chemist to join us. I will champion ACS for All in support of ACS’s DEIR core value to promote a culture that welcomes the next generation of chemists.