On May 14, 2020, the ECS Board of Directors approved a proposal by the Individual Membership Committee to grant student members full voting rights.

Student Membership Expands

Student members are the fastest growing segment of The Electrochemical Society. From 2010 to 2019, student membership grew by nearly 30 percent. Since 2016, ECS Student Chapters doubled to more than 100 chapters. Excellent and highly active student chapters are located around the globe. News about these chapters and their activities is chronicled in recent issues of Interface. In the period from 2010 to 2019, student members showed tremendous passion for ECS and supporting its key missions. Students are an invaluable part of the Society’s membership and community. (more…)

One of The Electrochemical Society’s most important missions is to build a strong community of scientists and engineers working on electrochemical technologies. To help a critical component of our community—early career professionals after their graduate work or coming from non-traditional fields—transition smoothly into careers and ECS membership, the Individual Membership Committee approved the launch of a pilot membership program for Early Career Members. In this program, Early Career Membership is available at only $70, a 46 percent savings over the regular membership rate of $130.

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Marion Jones Reflects on Community in a Time of Crisis

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Marion Jones describes the caring and concern characterizing her lockdown experience. She reports feeling supported by her North Carolina-based employer and the ECS community, allowing her to pay it forward by helping customers and caring for her family during this period of disruption. Marion also reflects on the multitude of opportunities that ECS offers to students, young professionals, and others in the electrochemical community.

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The Electrochemical Society acknowledges the grief, anger, and pain stirred by recent events, but also joins the call to action for positive change necessitated by the persistent racial injustice and inequalities plaguing society, as tragically exemplified by the killing of George Floyd.

In this time of division and unrest, The Electrochemical Society reaffirms its commitment to being an inclusive organization that promotes and values diversity. We recognize and respect the rights of all, and are committed to building and maintaining a culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the unique backgrounds and experiences of our members, volunteers, employees, and constituents. (more…)

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Netzahualcóyotl (Netz) Arroyo-Currás talks about his lab’s challenge as part of the pandemic response of Johns Hopkins Medicine, which is at the forefront of COVID-19 research. Soon after classes went online and labs were shuttered, his team shifted gears to quickly design a COVID-19 diagnostic device to help meet the urgent need to re-open work and study environments. Netz also reports that despite drawbacks, he finds that online teaching and learning has created good opportunities for developing, sharpening, and showcasing knowledge and skills.

Netz Arroyo Addresses Urgent Needs

“We were in full lockdown when the Provost’s Office called for internal applications to develop COVID-19 diagnostic tools. We had a week to develop an idea, form a team, put a proposal together, and submit it. Then came revisions and presentations. Within two weeks…my lab, in collaboration with two other labs, was awarded the funding to pursue the development of a diagnostic device that is electrochemical in nature. We’re in very early stages but…made a commitment to finish it in three months, in light of the pressing need.”

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ECS congratulates the 2020 Outstanding Student Chapter winner, the ECS Yamagata University Student Chapter, for their dedication and commitment to the advancement of electrochemical and solid state science and engineering education.

The Outstanding Student Chapter Award was established in 2012 to recognize distinguished ECS student chapters that demonstrate active participation in The Society’s technical activities, establish community and outreach activities in the areas of electrochemical and solid state science and engineering education, and create and maintain a robust membership base. (more…)

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Venkat Viswanathan shares stories of unexpected opportunities and inspiration. To help early career researchers make progress while labs are shuttered and new lab work isn’t possible, he is creating opportunities to showcase their latest work to academic and industry.

Online Battery Symposium Inspires Action

Venkat Viswanathan is a Faculty Fellow at the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He was scheduled to speak at the second Oxford Battery Modelling Symposium (OBMS) on March 16-17, 2020, just two days after CMU officially went remote. Most speakers could not travel—but they all participated when the event format switched to an interactive, real time webinar. Online participation included over 150 previously registered attendees. (more…)

In just a few months, everything has changed—and will continue changing in the months ahead. ECS reached out to our members to understand how this unprecedented crisis affects our community. We will share their observations and insights in a series of stories so our shared experiences help us navigate this period.

There will be bumps in the road, unexpected opportunities, and newly discovered inspirations.  What is clear: everyone longs to return to their labs; and research, collaboration, teaching, and learning continue in new ways. We hope you stay connected to your colleagues and the broader ECS community for support.

Elizabeth Biddinger on Being Sensitive to our Academic Community’s Needs

Elizabeth Biddinger Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, City College, The City University of New York (CUNY), shares how she and her CUNY community are adapting to—and planning to move beyond—the the current situation. (more…)