Hear from our CAS Future Leaders
Read inspiring stories from previous participants about how the program opened new doors, enhanced their careers, and gave them an unforgettable experience.
CAS Future Leaders™
Introducing the 2025 CAS Future Leaders. This group of exceptional Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars from around the world will take the next steps in their leadership journeys this August in Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.
2025 CAS Future Leaders
This year's participants were selected from among hundreds of highly qualified applicants, representing a wide array of scientific disciplines and organizations from around the world. Congratulations to our 2025 class:
Farbod Amirghasemi
University of Southern California
Carla Arnau del Valle
Universitat Politècnica de València
Ridwan T. Ayinla
Mississippi State University
Kazuho Ban
Osaka University
Shivali Banerjee
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Alexandra Barth
North Carolina State University
Hudson de Aguiar Bicalho
Concordia University
Dorothea Böken
University of Cambridge
Fábio Godoy Delolo
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Jingshan S. Du
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Dmitry Eremin
California Institute of Technology
Alexis Gabbey
University of Toronto
Wenhao Gao
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Reginaldo J. Gomes
University of Chicago
Jesse Gordon
Harvard University
Sophie Gutenthaler-Tietze
Heinrich Heine University
Nia Harmon
Yale University
Sejun Kim
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Tamra (Blue) Mbeuh Lahom Lot
Pennsylvania State University
Yuanwei Li
Stanford University
Zhi Lin
University of California, San Francisco
Raul A. Marquez-Montes
University of Texas at Austin
Eva J. Meeus
ETH Zürich
Daniel Reddy
Queen’s University at Kingston
Meg Shieh
Brown University
Great C. Umenweke
University of Kentucky
M. Iqbal Bakti Utama
Northwestern University
Vyshnavi Vennelakanti
Princeton University
M. Shaharyar Wani
Princeton University
Allison Wong
University of Minnesota
Zuping Xiong
Zhejiang University
Francisco Yarur Villanueva
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
Max Yavitt
University of Otago
Yan Zhang
California Institute of Technology
Karen de la Vega Hernandez
Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ)
What is CAS Future Leaders?
The CAS Future Leaders program supports the growth of science leadership among early-career scientists. Since 2010, the program has awarded Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars opportunities to learn leadership skills, engage in scientific discourse, and connect with peer scientists and innovators from around the world.
Learn
Get exclusive leadership training from industry experts and learn how CAS connects the world’s scientific knowledge.
Engage
Share your latest discoveries to advance scientific knowledge at the American Chemical Society fall meeting.
Connect
Network to make meaningful connections with peer scientists and innovators from around the world.
Frequently asked questions
Am I eligible to apply?
How do you define “postdoctoral scholar”?
What are the program dates?
What are the primary application requirements?
What should my essay include?
What should the letter of recommendation include?
Who should I select for my letter of recommendation?
How will I be contacted if I am selected?
How are CAS Future Leaders selected?
What travel-related expenses are covered by CAS?
Who should I contact with questions about the program?
2025 Program benefits
Expense-paid trip to CAS Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio
August 11-16, 2025
- $1,000 USD
- 3-year ACS membership
- Profile featured in C&EN (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 articles)
- Complimentary registration for the ACS meeting
- Opportunity to present your research at the ACS meeting
- Complimentary registration for an ACS Professional and Leadership Development course at the ACS meeting
- Lifetime membership in the CAS Future Leaders Community
Expense-paid trip to ACS Fall 2025 in Washington, D.C.
August 17-21, 2025
CAS Future Leaders Top 100
The CAS Future Leaders Top 100 program recognizes additional outstanding applicants. This new initiative honors their accomplishments and provides exclusive benefits to support their science leadership growth.
- Exclusive virtual leadership training and networking opportunities
- Lifetime membership in the CAS Future Leaders Community
- 1-year ACS membership
Past CAS Future Leaders
Meet our exceptional alumni who shaped their personal and professional journeys through our program.
Insights from CAS Future Leaders
Explore the unique insights and perspectives of our program alumni in this collection of publications, videos, and journal articles.
Testimonials
Contact us
Questions about the CAS Future Leaders program? See our FAQ and Terms & Conditions or email the CAS Future Leaders team. Not a Ph.D. student or postdoctoral scholar? Download our printable flyer to share with someone you know!
Connect with us on X (Twitter)
Stay connected with our CAS Future Leaders community on X (formerly Twitter), where we share updates, insights, and opportunities to engage with our program and alumni.
Join our global network of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral scholars in chemistry and related sciences.
334 Alumni
38 countries/regions
