Hello PMSE Community, and Happy New Year!
It is my honor to welcome 2026 by bringing you the news about three major happenings in the Division: outgoing and incoming PMSE Executive Coordinators, the creation of a PMSE member portal, and PMSE’s presence at regional meetings.
A major change is underway on the administrative side of PMSE. Eileen Ernst, PMSE Executive Coordinator, has served the Division for more than 30 years and is looking forward to retiring at the end of 2026. This year Eileen will train Lisa Baugh, the 2022 PMSE Chair, who has recently retired from ExxonMobil, to take on the PMSE Executive Coordinator functions. Please send messages to both Eileen (eernst61@gmail.com) and Lisa (pmse.xcrd@gmail.com) when communicating with the PMSE Executive Coordinator.
PMSE desk at the 2023 ACS Fall Meeting with Dr. Lisa Baugh, 2022 PMSE Chair, and Eileen Ernst, PMSE Executive Coordinator
Eileen will be at her usual spot at the PMSE Desk at the Spring Meeting in Atlanta! She will also be recognized with the 2026 PMSE Distinguished Service Award at the Spring Meeting, a well-deserved accolade for her outstanding and sustained service to the PMSE Division.
Secondly, behind the scenes, an update to our website is underway. A PMSE member portal is being added to enable job postings, resume postings, submission of news highlights and announcements, award nomination submissions, and other functions. Be on the lookout for the PMSE member portal opening announcement this spring!
Finally, as the cost of travel continues to rise, PMSE is increasingly engaging with regional meetings to bring in-person scientific exchange closer to more members. If you have never been to a regional meeting, consider this option! We hope that PMSE-themed symposia will occur for the following ACS meetings in 2026 (check online closer to the events for more information):
- ACS Spring: March 22-26 in Atlanta, GA
- MARM: May 17-19 in Hershey, PA (abstract deadline February 18, 2026
- NORM: June 28-July 1 in Boise, ID
- ACS Fall: August 23-27 in Chicago, IL
- MWRM: October 25-27 in Manhattan, KS
- SERMACS: November 4-7 in Memphis, TN
- CERM: November 15-17 in Covington, KY
- SWRM: Fall 2026 in Fort Worth, TX
- NERM: Fall 2026 in the Northeast
- WRM: Fall 2026 in the West
A PMSE Regional Meeting Ambassador (RMA) is still being sought for the Southeastern Region (SERMACS) and the Great Lakes Region (GLRM) meetings.
In closing, as the 2026 PMSE Chair, I am so thankful to be a part of the PMSE community. Thank you PMSE members for supporting our field, polymeric materials science and engineering, that offers so much to our world. Thank you to the many volunteers that organize symposia, serve as session chairs, judge posters, and take on much less glamorous behind-the-scenes responsibilities. Thank you to Eileen for her longstanding contagious enthusiasm and extraordinary dedication, and thank you to Lisa for the selfless decision to take on the Executive Coordinator functions.
If you are on LinkedIn, make sure to connect with us there (ACS PMSE Division) for more content distinct from PMSE Corner.
Jennifer L. Schaefer
PMSE Division Chair