Adelina Voutchkova
Adelina Voutchkova is the Director of Sustainable Development at the American Chemical Society and leads the ACS Green Chemistry Institute®. Adelina joined the ACS from George Washington University where her research program spans the two frontiers of green chemistry: the development of green synthetic methods through supported catalysis, and the development of predictive methods for identifying chemicals of toxicological concern. She is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the 2020 Early Career Researcher Award from GWU, and the 2021 Thieme Chemistry Journals Award, among others. Adelina was previously a Research Associate and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. She completed her Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry at Yale with Bob Crabtree, focusing on atom-economical catalytic transformations facilitated by NHC complexes. She earned her BA from Middlebury College, where she worked with Prof. Sunhee Choi on the chemistry of Pt anticancer complexes.
Monday December 8
Sustainability & Product Stewardship Council Program
Innovating for the Climate and Safer Products: Driving Carbon Reductions and Safety Through Chemistry
As companies work toward ambitious climate goals, chemistry plays a pivotal role in lowering emissions and ensuring product safety across the product lifecycle. This session will highlight how green chemistry innovations – from the use of bio-based raw materials to energy-efficient formulations and manufacturing practices – are enabling both meaningful carbon reductions and the design of inherently safer products in the household and commercial products industry. Building on the Mid-Year Meeting panel, Monetizing Carbon Reductions, speakers will discuss how chemistry-enabled innovations can deliver climate impact and safety gains simultaneously, creating brand value, operational efficiencies, and measurable progress on sustainability objectives. This session will also underscore how green chemistry is not only about minimizing environmental burdens, but also inventing new products that maximize human and environmental safety. Attendees will gain insights into practical strategies, real-world applications, and future opportunities where green chemistry, climate priorities, and safety innovation intersect.
Speakers:
Greg Adamson, Senior Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs, Product Safety, & Sustainability, Givaudan
Nivatha Balendra, CEO & Founder, Dispersa
Ross Ellis, Senior Scientist, Borregaard
Adelina Voutchkova, Director of Sustainable Development, American Chemical Society
Monday December 8
Sustainability & Product Stewardship Council & Young Professionals Committee Education Session
Skills for the Future: Preparing Chemists for Sustainable Chemistry Innovation in the Household and Commercial Products Industry
As the demand for sustainable and safer products continues to grow, the household and commercial products industry faces increasing pressure to innovate with better chemistry – delivering solutions that are not only high-performing and cost-effective, but also safer and more sustainable. This session, co-sponsored by the Sustainability & Product Stewardship Council and HCPA’s Young Professionals Committee, will explore the evolving chemistry skillsets and tools required to meet these challenges head-on and what the next generation of chemists should look like.
Through a dynamic panel discussion, industry leaders and green chemistry advocates will address key questions, including:
- What technical and cross-functional skills are most valuable for chemists working in sustainability-related roles today?
- How are companies redefining product development goals to meet performance, cost, and sustainability targets – and what does that mean for talent development?
- What professional development resources currently exist for formulation chemists, and where are the gaps in preparing the next generation of innovators?
- Are the tools for greener formulation, such as LCA platforms, predictive toxicology models, and safer chemistry databases, keeping pace with industry needs?
Panelists will draw on real-world experience to illustrate how hybrid skills (technical expertise, communication, and regulatory awareness) are critical to driving sustainable chemistry innovation. Participants will also learn about current resources available through the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute (e.g., GChELP, Summer School, workshops) and have the opportunity to shape future offerings by sharing their needs and insights.
Whether you're a new professional navigating your career path or a leader shaping your organization's sustainability strategy, this session will offer practical guidance, tools, and inspiration for the journey ahead.
Moderator:
Adelina Voutchkova, Director of Sustainable Development, American Chemical Society
Speakers:
Lisa Dreilinger, Global Head of Regulatory, Arxada
Meghan Lieb, Vice President, Global Research & Development, WD-40 Company
Adam Warren, Vice President, Global Development, Henkel