Dr. Dorothy J. Phillips, the 2025 President of the American Chemical Society (ACS), is a trailblazer in chemistry and a champion for diversity in STEM. She was the first African American woman elected to both the ACS presidential succession and its Board of Directors, where she served three terms. A pioneering scholar, she was the first African American woman to earn a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University (1967) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati (1974). Her career spans groundbreaking research in viral RNA conformation, bioseparation, and analytical chemistry, with key contributions at Dow Chemical and Waters Corporation, where she retired as Director of Strategic Marketing. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Percy L. Julian Award and the Vanderbilt University Trailblazer distinction. Dr. Phillips has also co-authored influential works on responsible conduct in chemistry and career development. Her legacy continues to inspire the next generation of scientists.

Dr. Christine Santos, Chief Technology Officer of Manus, is a leader in industrial biotechnology, driving the development of sustainable bio-based alternatives to replace traditional plant-, animal-, and fossil fuel-derived molecules. With over two decades of expertise in biochemical engineering, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology, she has spearheaded the scale-up and commercialization of multiple bio-based solutions now sold in over 40 countries. A co-inventor on 30+ patent families and a published researcher in Science, Nature, and PNAS, Christine holds a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford and a PhD from MIT. Recognized for her groundbreaking contributions, she was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows in 2020 and serves on the board of the International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES).