Honoring Women and Girls in Science in 2025: A Celebration of Research and Innovation

Feb 11, 2025
3 min read

In celebration of the remarkable women who continue to break barriers and drive innovation in the chemical sciences, ACS Publications presents a curated selection of Special Issues, Collections, articles, interviews, and more.

A group of women scientists in lab coats interspersed with scientific items and lab equipment.

Together with the many women who serve as editors, authors, reviewers, and readers, ACS Publications remains committed to promoting full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. We salute the hard work and tremendous accomplishments of women and girls in the chemistry community—your discoveries and innovations continue to strengthen the American Chemical Society’s mission to "advance scientific knowledge, empower a global community, and champion scientific integrity.”

In celebration of women and girls at the forefront of chemistry who continue to drive discovery and break boundaries, we are proud to share a curated selection of Special Issues, Collections, news articles, interviews, and more. We will update this post periodically with new content throughout the year, so be sure to revisit this page for the latest updates!

Notable national and global celebrations this year include:

February 11, 2025: International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS)
In 2015, the United Nations established IDWGS as a global effort to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment across the sciences. February 11, 2025 will mark IDWGS’s 10th anniversary. This year’s theme, “Building a Future for Women in Science,” addresses the ongoing gender gap in science and the ongoing need for fostering inclusive environments through policies and actions that promote inclusion, diversity, and equity.
March 8, 2025: International Women’s Day
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, considered to be the most progressive and widely endorsed blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights worldwide. This year’s theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” encourages action that can unlock equal opportunities for all where no one is left behind.
March 2025: Women’s History Month
Celebrate with us all throughout March as we showcase and honor the vital contributions of women and girls to scientific advancement.

Curated Content From ACS Journals

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International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025, this Collection contains articles from more than 45 ACS journals, highlighting the latest achievements in research designed, performed, and published by women in chemistry. These papers were selected by the Managing Editors of each participating journal.

Silhouettes of people on a purple background.

Women Scientists at the Forefront of Energy Research (Parts 1-7)

This seven-part Collection series celebrates the contribution of female energy researchers who have published new advances from their laboratories in ACS Energy Letters. From early career researchers to well-established senior scientists, the successful career paths they have taken to become leaders in the community have impacted energy research in a significant way.

silhouettes of a diverse array of women's profiles in shades of pink, purple, yellow, orange, and brown.

Celebrating Women’s Authorship in ACS Infectious Diseases

ACS Infectious Diseases is proud to acknowledge a cohort of women corresponding authors who have consistently published their impactful research in the journal since its launch in 2015.

Read the Editorial, published as part of this Collection.

An image of Professor Dame Carol Robinson in a laboratory

Special Issue in Honor of 2023 Fenn Award Winner Prof. Dame Carol Robinson

This Special Issue was created in honor of Professor Dame Carol Robinson, recipient of the 2023 ASMS John B. Fenn Award for a Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry. Prof. Robinson is recognized for her contributions to the development of mass spectrometry methods for the analysis and characterization of membrane proteins. This Special Issue exemplifies her impacts on native and structural mass spectrometry.

Read a Q&A with Prof. Robinson, published as part of this Special Issue.

An illustration of two women scientists in lab coats on a dark purple background

Women in Toxicology

This Special Issue in Chemical Research in Toxicology is aimed at promoting the participation and accomplishments of women in the field of chemical toxicology. We are proud to feature 16 research Articles on a broad range of timely topics, representing the diverse interests and expertise of women in the field.

Read the Editorial, published as part of this Special Issue.

Diane Bunce Festschrift

This Festschrift contains 37 articles from leading authors in Chemistry Education that touch on themes in the teaching and learning of chemistry that have been advanced by the scholarship of Professor Diane Bunce of Catholic University of America and the United States Naval Academy.

Read the Editorial, published as part of this Festschrift.

a female scientist wearing lab goggles, examining liquid in a flask

Women Scientists in China

In recent decades, the fields of physical chemistry and related disciplines have experienced significant expansion in China. The research landscape has been significantly enriched and diversified by the increasing participation of women. This Collection from The Journal of Physical Chemistry A/B/C features 75 articles by nationally and internationally recognized female Chinese scholars.

Read the Editorial, published as part of this Collection.

an abstract floral illustration in shades of pink and purple.

Women’s Health: Call for Action

In this Collection, the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry showcases 17 articles that address the ongoing research dedicated to the unmet medical needs in women’s healthcare. This Collection supports a greater understanding of the diseases and issues that affect mostly women, and acknowledges the barriers faced by those who research in this field.

Read the Editorial, published as part of this Collection.

an abstract graphic depicting intersecting lines and icons depicting science, communication, and global connections

Esther Sans Takeuchi Festschrift

Distinguished Professor Esther Sans Takeuchi, the William and Jane Knapp Chair in Energy and the Environment at Stony Brook University and Chief Scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, is an international leader in electrochemical energy storage systems (batteries). The articles in this Festschrift honor Esther Takeuchi’s ongoing research achievements and her leadership in the field of electrochemistry and electrochemical energy storage.

Read Prof. Takeuchi's autobiography, published as part of this Festschrift.

A collage of women scientists in the Proteomics and Metabolomics fields

Women in Proteomics and Metabolomics

This Special Issue in the Journal of Proteome Research celebrates the essential contributions that women scientists have made and are making in the fields of Proteomics and Metabolomics. Featuring 47 papers from women scientists around the world, this Special Issue highlights both current and future women leaders in these fields who continue to pave the way for future innovations.

Read the Editorial, published as part of this Special Issue.

Article Highlights from ACS Journals

Navigating Barriers and Mentoring Support: The Career Goals of Women Doctoral Students in Chemistry
Qiyue Zhang*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00197

Alice Ball: An African-American Woman to Foster Education in Chemistry
Stephanie Silva Weigel Gomes and Wilmo Ernesto Francisco Junior*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00611

Gender Gap in Chemistry, Still?!
Hsiu-Yi Chao, John J. H. Lin, Mark Cesa, and Mei-Hung Chiu*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00650

Breaking the Gender Imbalance: Female Presence in the Computational Chemistry Group at Viva Biotech
Yue Qian*, Le Li, Yanning Liu, Piaopiao Zhao, and Zhuwei Xie
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00456

Graduate Student Women’s Perceptions of Faculty Careers: The Critical Role of Departmental Values and Support in Career Choice
Morgan E. Howe*, Melony M. Kim, and Samuel Pazicni*
DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00175

Faces of Mass Spectrometry/Aleksandra Nita-Lazar
Anne Brenner and J. D. Brookbank
DOI: 10.1021/jasms.4c00419

Faces of Mass Spectrometry/Ljiljana Paša-Tolić
Anne Brenner and J. D. Brookbank
DOI: 10.1021/jasms.4c00513

Impact of Selected Schemes of SERB: Empowering Indian Women in R&D Spectrum
Monika Agarwal and Perminder Jit Kaur
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c03826

Advancing Women in Chemistry: A Step Toward Gender Parity
Neetu Tripathi and Manoj Kumar Goshisht*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00535

The Chemistry Women Mentorship Network (ChemWMN): A Tool for Creating Critical Mass in Academic Chemistry (Editorial)
Brandi M. Cossairt*, Jillian L. Dempsey*, and Elizabeth R. Young*
DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b00926

Empowering Women in Organic Chemistry (EWOC) at Five Years: Giving Back and Getting Back (Editorial)
Elinor H. Cantor, Margaret M. Faul, Donna M. Huryn, Lara Kallander, Rebecca T. Ruck, and Mary P. Watson
DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01136

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