Professor Charles Casey of the University of Wisconson-Madison presented his answer to this intriguing question at the 42nd annual Dreyfus Lecture on Wednesday, September 29th. Casey was the head of a National Research Council that aimed to assess where U.S. chemistry stands relative to other countries and whether the U.S. can continue to be competitive in this essential science.
The council evaluated statistics and trends regarding scientific publications, citations, and Nobel prizes for various countries and regions around the world. Overall, it found that the U.S. is “doing well,” according to Casey, “but competition is increasing.” He noted that while the U.S. is steadfastly among the leaders in chemistry, Asian countries have a very high growth rate in this field and their contributions are expanding dramatically.
Success in the U.S. is due to a number of reasons, the study said. Among them are mobility, industrial interactions, and collaborations between researchers. However, Casey also stressed the need for increased funding for chemistry and a sustainable supply of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
In order to bolster chemistry in the U.S., Casey said scientists need to focus on several key issues. One of these is to work on more important problems. He suggested societal problems like disease, energy, and the environment; and new opportunities such as computational science and nanoscience.
Additionally, the research council emphasized the need to encourage students to pursue careers in chemistry and to develop creativity in chemistry graduate students. A crucial element to being a successful scientist, Casey observed, is to have an “attitude of looking for new ideas everywhere.”
Students, too, can get involved. Reaching out to younger students and encouraging them to be enthusiastic about the sciences is an important way undergraduates can make an impact on the future of the scientific community.
In general, the lecture advocated a continued effort to support chemistry and the sciences. But despite challenges and competition, Casey remained optimistic. “I see a pretty good future for U.S. chemistry,” he said. “I hope you do too.”