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ACA Early Career Scientist Spotlight-24

At the ACA, we deeply value the contributions of early-career scientists who drive innovation and inspire progress in our community. Our Communications Committee and the YSIG are dedicated to highlighting the achievements and aspirations of these outstanding members through the Early Career Scientist Spotlight series. This initiative offers a glimpse into the groundbreaking work and personal journeys of our rising stars.

Our latest feature shines a light on Alexander Paredes, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Alexander conducts research in the Smith Lab, focusing on bioinorganic chemistry. His work explores a two-component signal transduction system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that regulates biofilm formation and decay through the detection of extracytoplasmic Fe²⁺.

Born in the United States and raised in the Dominican Republic and Panama, Alexander’s first language is Spanish. Upon returning to the U.S., he overcame language barriers and excelled in mathematics and science, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Gettysburg College. 

Outside of his academic pursuits, Alexander enjoys spending time with his cat, exploring new coffee varieties, reading, engaging with music, and gaming. We’re excited to celebrate his work and invite you to learn more about his inspiring journey.

Fall 2024 RefleXions Now Available

The Fall 2024 issue of RefleXions is here! Don't miss ACA President Allen Oliver’s column, learn more about this year’s ACA election, and explore summaries from the ACA2024 sessions.

 

What's New: ACA Member Highlights

Check out the latest blog post from our ACA Executive Director, explore all our new forums, and update your settings to receive notifications whenever a new post is added. Share your thoughts in the Meeting Forum about the ACA Annual Meeting, learn about a newly available scholarship in the Early-Career Scientists Forum, and be among the first 25 to start a new thread by September 30th to receive a branded ACA tumbler!

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As we approach the celebration of our 75th meeting anniversary in 2025, we reflect on the remarkable contributions of ACA members who have shaped and advanced our community. The banner image is from the ACA’s history portal, highlighting a memorable moment from the 1977 ACA Meeting in Asilomar, California. At that meeting, Reuben Rudman, who had recently published Low-Temperature X-Ray Diffraction: Apparatus and Techniques, organized a tutorial and attended a session with Linus Pauling and Dorothy Hodgkin. He seized the opportunity to have them autograph his book, marking the beginning of his 22-year journey collecting signatures from notable crystallographers at various meetings. Discover more about the rich history of the ACA's annual meetings over the past seventy-five years.

Now accepting proposals to host the ACA Summer Course in Chemical Crystallography!

As we conclude the 2025 Summer School at Northwestern University, we are starting to plan for future years and are in search of a location to host the summer course for approximately four years.

Interested in hosting? Review the requirements and submit your proposal to the ACA, no later than January 15th!

We look forward to your submissions!