Angela Wilson elected American Chemical Society National Councilor
Angela Wilson, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of computational chemistry at MSU, was elected an American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Physical Chemistry National Councilor.
Founded over 140 years ago in 1876, the ACS is the world’s largest scientific society with over 150,000 members. Their aim is to advance chemistry, elevate career potential, expand networks, inspire future generations of scientists and collaborate globally to provide scientific solutions that improve people’s lives.
Wilson was elected to be a voice on the council on behalf of physical chemists, a role she has embraced before. She was a national councilor from 2004 through 2016 when she left the role to serve as head of the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation. It is a position she says she is pleased to fill again.
“ACS has been a great resource to me throughout my career, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to be engaged in the governance of the society,” said Wilson, a professor in the Department of Chemistry in the MSU College of Natural Science. “I served as a national councilor for the Dallas-Ft. Worth ACS section for over ten years, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to be engaged in ACS again.”
Wilson’s research explores theoretical and computational chemistry. In theoretical chemistry, her research focuses on the development of quantum mechanical methods for thermochemical and spectroscopic predictions, while her computational chemistry research includes the design of new drugs, catalysts and metal organic frameworks. Wilson has stated that one of the great features of theoretical and computational chemistry is that they can be utilized to investigate a broad array of challenges.
“On behalf of the chemistry department, I congratulate Professor Wilson on being elected by her peers as a national councilor for the Physical Chemistry Division of the ACS," said Rob Maleczka, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry. "The division offices are where ACS programming and grass-roots initiatives really happen, and it is always great when national leaders emerge from MSU."
Wilson’s term, which began January 2020, will extend for three years until 2022.
