“With support from the WIC+ travel grant, I was fortunate to be able to attend the ACS Spring 2026 Meeting in Atlanta, GA. There, I presented a poster on my work on developing novel porous poly(aryl pyrazolium) polyelectrolytes for application as anion exchange membranes for alkaline water electrolyzers and H2 fuel cells. Having focused most of my efforts so far on developing the synthetic route to my monomer and polymers, it was extremely valuable to discuss methods for testing the materials and evaluating their performance with experts in the field. I also met several potential collaborators at the poster sessions, whose expertise ranged from electrochemical techniques for polyelectrolyte testing to NMR methods for tracking ion conduction in polymers. It was encouraging to see other scientists interested in my work and to make connections that may help further the project and expand its impact. In addition to presenting my own work, I was very grateful for the opportunity to learn from talks that were adjacent to my project, as well as those in other topics in materials chemistry that generally interest me, including supramolecular assemblies and semiconducting polymers. Finally, I was happy to meet several undergraduate students at the poster sessions and encourage them to pursue further training as researchers. Many thanks to WIC+ and the travel grant sponsors for enabling this opportunity!”
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary | Suong Tran, ACS Spring 2026 Conference
“I am grateful to the WIC+ Travel Grant for supporting my attendance at the ACS Spring 2026 Conference in Atlanta, GA. This was an incredibly meaningful experience that pushed me both professionally and personally. I presented an oral talk, in which I shared our recent work analyzing where and why current computer-aided retrosynthesis models fail to reproduce literature-reported route. The presentation went wonderfully, and I received thoughtful and constructive feedback from researchers in both academia and industry, which gave me new angles to consider as I move forward with my research. Engaging directly with experts who asked probing questions about our methodology and findings was both exciting and affirming.
Beyond my own talk, one of the most inspiring aspects of the conference was witnessing firsthand the passion and momentum behind the field I am working in. I had the privilege of hearing pioneers of AI for chemistry share not just their latest results, but their broader vision for where the field is heading, the kinds of candid, forward-looking perspectives. Sitting in those talks, I found myself scribbling notes not only on the science but on the way these researchers framed open problems and articulated what remains unsolved. I was also struck by the growing presence of startups and industry players at the conference, many of whom are actively deploying the types of retrosynthesis and reaction prediction models that my research aims to improve. Generally, it is always great seeing the collective energy of the conference, the curiosity, the ambition, and the genuine excitement people had for their work.
As someone who is still developing expertise in this field, immersing myself in the broader research community at ACS was invaluable in ways that go beyond any single conversation or talk. I left Atlanta with sharper scientific instincts, a stronger network, and a renewed sense of purpose in my PhD work. Once again, I am sincerely thankful to the WIC+ program for making this experience possible, and I encourage other students in the department to apply.”
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary |Nadia Berndt, Ultrafast Optics XIV Conference
“I am very grateful for the WIC+ Professional Development grant supporting my attendance at the Ultrafast Optics XIV conference held October 5-10th 2025 in Furnas, Portugal. I gave an oral presentation titled “Integrated terahertz generation with high spectral brightness”, in which I discussed my recent work on developing on-chip narrowband THz sources and using them to demonstrate fully integrated nonlinear two-dimensional spectroscopy. The experience was incredible! The conference was highly specialized with only ~200 attendees, which allowed for a single-session conference format. Being able to attend every talk helped me gain a deeper understanding of the current state of the art for ultrafast laser sources, particularly the sources I don’t work with. There is a strong emphasis in the field to develop high average power mid-infrared laser sources, and I had the chance to discuss with several attendees how such sources would advance strong light-matter interaction experiments. I made connections with researchers from all over the world, and have had several follow up conversations and ideas for collaborations. My talk also ended up winning the first-place student oral presentation award! Overall, attending UFOXIV was a great opportunity to present my research and build connections.”
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary | Angela Lee, 2025 Photochemistry Gordon Research Conference
“The 2025 Photochemistry GRS and GRC was held on the last week of July at Bates College in Maine. I attended both and presented my poster “Characterization of Vibrationally-facilitated Energy Relaxation Pathways in Osmium-based Photocatalysts using Ultrafast 2D Electronic Spectroscopy,” where I discussed my most recent work on identifying oscillations and vibrations underlying triplet MLCT manifold relaxation pathways. The poster sessions at the GRS and GRC were both quite rewarding – I was able to have extensive conversations both on my work and of other topics of interest to me. In particular, I was able to meet the scientist who conducted extensive stark spectroscopy analysis on my photocatalysts and we had a fruitful conversation about the limits of stark spectroscopy and TD-DFT in determining the order of electronic excited states in osmium polypyridyls. I was also able to learn about recent work identifying polaron formation/hopping in alpha-hematite, a material that is of major interest for applications in solar energy conversion. At the end of the conference, I also had the great honor of sharing my results in the form of a short talk, which spawned more discussions, specifically about the amount of spin-orbit coupling in osmium-based complexes. In all, both the GRS and GRC were a great experience for me to interact with the broader photochemistry community and share my results.”
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary | Kaelyn McFarlane-Connelly, 2025 Spring Materials Research Society Meeting
With support from the WIC+ professional development travel grant, I was able to attend the 2025 Spring Materials Research Society Meeting in Seattle, WA. This was my first time attending and participating in a week-long conference out of state and it was an incredible opportunity. Getting to spend a full week immersed in cutting edge research and focused on my own professional development was extremely rewarding. I was able to make valuable connections and start collaborations within my field. Additionally, I was able to learn about adjacent fields and get introduced to new topics in a way that would not be possible outside of large conference setting. I made several connections with other researchers around the world that I hope to use as I build my career. Lastly, I presented my research in a seminar which lead to fruitful discussions and ideas with leaders in my field. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and appreciate WIC+ and the Dow Professional Development Grant for making this valuable experience possible!
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary – Dimuthu Thanippuli Arachchi, ACS Spring 2025 Conference
“I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2025 Conference in San Diego, made possible by the WIC+ Professional Development Grant. The conference featured an exciting lineup of talks across many areas of chemistry, and I was specifically drawn to sessions focused on light–matter interactions in molecular systems and emerging semiconductors, which closely align with my research interests. It was a valuable experience to learn from both established leaders and emerging voices in the field, many of whom shared recent and unpublished work that sparked engaging discussions.
This was my first time attending the ACS Spring Meeting, and it provided a meaningful opportunity to connect with a broader scientific community. I was fortunate to present my research on light-harvesting supramolecular assemblies through both an oral talk and a poster. Sharing my research in these formats allowed me to reach a wide audience, engage in meaningful scientific discussions, and receive insightful feedback from researchers and professionals in the field. The professional development workshops and networking events I attended were also incredibly helpful for career growth and provided a strong sense of community within the chemistry field. Overall, ACS Spring 2025 was an unforgettable experience that significantly contributed to both my professional development and personal growth. I am sincerely grateful to the WIC+ program for supporting my participation. I hope others in the department will also take advantage of this incredible opportunity in the future.”
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary – Linsey Nowack, 2025 American Chemical Society March Meeting
“The WIC+ professional development travel grant allowed me to attend the 2025 American Chemical Society March Meeting in San Diego, CA. This was my first time attending a conference with a week-long session dedicated to studying metal-electrolyte interfaces. Through listening to these talks and being able to discuss problems with other experimentalists and computational chemists in the field, I learned a tremendous amount of information in a short amount of time. I was also able to present my research in this session and received helpful feedback. In addition to my current research, I am interested in computational chemistry applications to pharmaceutical research, and given the breadth of topics covered at the ACS March Meeting, I was able to attend talks on fascinating medicinal chemistry fields, such as molecular chameleonicity, macrocycles, and peptide therapeutics. I sincerely appreciate WIC+ for making this experience possible. Attending this conference was a valuable experience that contributed to my academic and professional growth.”
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary – Maddie Hoffmann, 2023 Gordon Research Conference on Photosynthesis
The WIC+ professional development travel grant enabled me to attend the Photosynthesis Gordon Seminar and Conference in July 2023 in Newry, Maine. At the conference I learned about new and unpublished research being done in all areas of photosynthesis. As a physical chemist, it was particularly useful to learn from theorists and biologists that work on similar problems as me, but with different techniques and approaches. I also really appreciated the opportunity to meet international collaborators in person. Discussing projects we have been working on together for years in person was so much more exciting than on zoom! I presented a poster at both the seminar and the conference on research I recently submitted for publication. This was the perfect time to present this work because I could advertise the new manuscript to scientists in the field and I received insightful feedback for the next steps in the project.
I would like to thank WIC+ for the opportunity to attend this conference. It was a great time and helped me grow academically and professionally. I am grateful for WIC+’s support and all that the group does year-round for the department.
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary – Sarah Quinn, 2023 International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science
Thanks to the WIC+ Professional Development grant, I was able to attend the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Brisbane, Australia this summer. This was my first time attending an academic conference, and it was fulfilling in many ways. I had the opportunity to network with a ton of scientists, including many international researchers and collaborators I had never met in person before. I also spoke with representatives from companies that work on HIV diagnostics and treatment, further confirming my interest in a career in biotech or pharma. Presenting my poster also led to a lot of constructive conversations on my work. In addition to the basic science area I presented in, this conference also included researchers in clinical science and public health, as well as members of the community living with HIV. Getting to learn from and present to people of such diverse perspectives was an incredibly valuable experience and gave me a more wholistic understanding of the field across the entire care continuum.
WIC+ Travel Grant Summary – Yana Petri, 2023 Gordon Research Conference on Bioorganic Chemistry
I had a great time at the 2023 Bioorganic Chemistry Graduate Research Seminar and Conference. I made several new friends, networked, solidified my interests in pursuing a postdoc in chemical immunology, and left with new ideas. Overall, I experienced a general sense of inspiration and gratitude for being a part of the chemical biology field and its wonderful community of scientists.