This award recognizes the volunteer efforts of an individual who has served the American Chemical Society and contributed significantly to the goals and objectives of the Society through their regional activities. The ACS Citation can be found here.
Dr. Strong has been an active member of ACS for over 40 years, serving as the Chair or as a member for multiple committees and founding two of her own at the local section. She has been the Chair of the local section two times (1992, 2014) and she served as the Education Committee Chair for three years. Strong initiated the Senior Chemists Committee (SCC, 2017) and the Women Chemists Committee (WCC, 2020) where she is currently serving as the first Chair for both. She organizes events to engage members and to promote networking. Strong is a founding member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect committee and leads the Diversity Book Discussion Group. In 2021, Strong participated in the revision of the section’s bylaws making significant contributions during the process. At the Regional level Strong participated in the Northwest Regional (NORM) meetings organizing and /or participating in symposia and events on behalf of the SCC and the WCC. At the National level, Strong is in her third 3-year term as a councilor for the Puget Sound Section, and she is currently an active member (8 years) on the national WCC. As a member of WCC, she leads one of the three major goal areas of the committee and serves on the WCC leadership team. Strong volunteered and chaired the District VI Caucus twice and served as its secretary twice. She participates actively at the National level where she forged relationships with members of the Minority Affairs Committee, WCC and SCC as well as with ACS staff and leadership.
Strong retired in January 2017 after a 30-year career with the State Department of Ecology and King County. She began her career with the Department of Ecology where she worked at the state’s environmental laboratory, first as a chemist and later as a supervisor. From 1992 – 2006, she worked in various capacities as a supervisor for analytical units in the Metro/King County Environmental Laboratory. Between 2006 – 2017, Strong was a Program Manager responsible for the County’s Pretreatment Program, overseeing the administration of federal, state, and local environmental regulations for over 600 industrial facilities with permits to discharge to the county’s sanitary system.
Strong lives in Seattle with her husband, Brian, of 39 years and has two adult children, ‘Ryan, and Lia. She holds a Master’s (‘84) and a PhD (’86) in Analytical Chemistry from Washington State University. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Wales, UK, 1981.
Congratulations, Despina!