Anne Kornahrens, Hertz Foundation Director of Community, selected as delegate to International Younger Chemists Network Assembly

Kornahrens will attend the 52nd International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) General Assembly and World Chemistry Congress, to be held in The Hague, Netherlands, August 18–25, 2023. 

The IUPAC Young Observer Program strives to introduce the work of IUPAC to a new generation of distinguished researchers and to provide them with an opportunity to address international science policy issues. IYCN, an affiliated organization of IUPAC, connects chemists in the early stages of their careers and strives to spread knowledge, mentorship, and encourage a passion for chemistry within their members and the wider community. 

“I am honored to have been selected as a delegate to the IYCN Assembly,” said Kornahrens, who joined the Hertz Foundation in 2021. “This is an incredible opportunity to network with chemists from around the world, learn about the work IUPAC does through their committees and bring back additional opportunities for connection to the Hertz community.”

Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation has granted doctoral fellowships empowering the nation’s most promising young minds in science and technology to pursue research that best advances our nation’s security and economic vitality. The Hertz Fellowship experience continues beyond the initial award to include permanent membership in a multigenerational, intellectual community of peers that includes some of the nation’s most noted science and technology leaders, offering a unique engine for professional development and collaboration. Hertz Fellows have received countless awards and accolades, including the Nobel Prize, MacArthur Fellowships, the Breakthrough Prize, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science, and the National Medal of Technology.

Kornahrens is responsible for strengthening connectivity within the Hertz community, fueling new relationships and supporting the pursuit of game-changing research and technology development. Through her leadership, Hertz Fellows have access to lifelong programming, such as mentoring, events and networking, which has led them to form research collaborations, commercialize technology and create and invest in early-stage companies together, among other opportunities. Working with a committee of Hertz Fellows, Anne relaunched the annual summer workshop, a signature community event, in July 2022 after a hiatus due to COVID-19. She also spearheaded a new program for geographically located community representatives, recruiting 25 representatives from 22 different locations around the US.

“Under Anne’s leadership, the Hertz community has significantly expanded opportunities for Hertz Fellows to engage and connect around our nation’s most pressing issues,” said John Ohab, Senior Director and Chief Strategist at the Hertz Foundation. “We are thrilled for Anne to have this opportunity as a U.S. delegate to the IYCNA and excited for additional opportunities to strengthen our Hertz community.” 

Prior to joining the foundation, she was the external programs manager at the American Physical Society and served as an investigator on a number of National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects, including one focused on the recruitment of undergraduate women in physics. 

She is a member of the American Chemical Society Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Advisory Board, an at-Large Member of the Board for the Washington Academy of Sciences, served as a NSF reviewer for 2022 and 2023 and has published five articles in collaboration with the Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community Engagement. Kornahrens received her BS in chemistry from Boston College and a joint DPhil/PhD in biochemistry/chemistry from the University of Oxford and The Scripps Research Institute.

Founded in 1957, the John and Fannie Hertz Foundation accelerates solutions to the world's most pressing challenges, from enhancing national security to improving human health. Through the Hertz Fellowship, the Foundation identifies the nation's most promising young innovators and disruptors in science and technology, empowering them to become the future leaders who keep our country safe and secure. Today, a community of more than 1200 Hertz Fellows are a powerful, solution-oriented network of our nation's top scientific minds, working to address complex problems and contributing to the economic vitality of our country. More information can be found online at www.HertzFoundation.org.

Established by the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 1977 to foster interactions with internationally acclaimed scientists in various fields, the IUPAC Young Observer Program strives to introduce the work of IUPAC to a new generation of distinguished researchers and to provide them with an opportunity to address international science policy issues.

The USNC supports the participation of U.S. Observers (citizens or permanent residents) under the age of 45 from industry, academia, and national laboratories in the IUPAC World Chemistry Congress and General Assembly, held every two years. To date, the program has supported more than 230 scientists, many of whom have served on IUPAC committees, technical divisions, and projects, and continue to participate in a variety of international activities in chemistry and allied fields.

Officially launched in 2017, the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) is an affiliated organization of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), connecting chemists in the early stages of their careers – specifically less than 35 years old, or within 5 years of completing their chemistry-related training. IYCN strives to spread knowledge, mentorship, and encourage a passion for chemistry within their members and the wider community by building a network of support across the globe. The core objective is to enable a platform for scientific and professional exchange, specifically focused on the needs of early-career chemists. The 2021 IYCN General Assembly aims to have delegates from at least 50 countries from five continents to shape the future of the organization.