WCC-Lilly Travel Awards

The Lilly Research Labs F.A.M.I.L.Y. committee designated the American Chemical Society (ACS) as one of five organizations that would receive funding to support the travel of women students at the undergraduate or graduate level to present their scientific results at their first professional meeting. I had the privilege to offer this funding to the Women’s Chemists Committee (WCC) of the ACS.

Working closely with Dr. Margaret Cavenaugh, the WCC staff liaison and committee members, we developed an objective and competitive adjudication process, independent of Lilly input, and focused on identifying high-performing women students with outstanding research results. The first travel awards were given in 1989, and thanks to the amazing dedication and commitment of the WCC over all these years, the program is in its 36th year, having supported >800 young women students (undergrad, grad, and even a few high school) travel to their first professional scientific meeting to present their research.