AKRON—Diane Grob Schmidt, president of the American Chemical Society, will serve as the keynote speaker at the ACS Rubber Division's International Elastomer Conference, to be held Oct. 12-15 at the Cleveland Convention Center.
Schmidt, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, will deliver the keynote, titled, “Disruptive Innovation's Role in Economic Development,” on Oct. 13 at 9 a.m.
Her speech will address how innovation can be transformative from the perspective of improving people's lives, creating new career opportunities and growing vibrant economies. She will examine whether a connection exists between disruptive innovations—new products or services that create new market demand—and recessions. She will discuss whether the chemical industry can revive its reputation and become recognized as a world-renown innovator.
Schmidt holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and received a master's from the University of Tennessee.
She formerly worked with the Procter & Gamble Co., where she served as section head with responsibility for safety and regulatory affairs before retiring earlier this year.
Grob has been a member of ACS since her first days in graduate school. She is a past chair of the Cincinnati local section and has held leadership positions at the regional and national level. She is a past chair of the Division of Professional Relations and the Division of Chemical Health and Safety.
Grob served three consecutive terms on the ACS Board of Directors as director from District II from 2002-10. She served as chair of the board committee on professional and member relations; public affairs and public relations; and of several task forces and working groups.