Monthly Mind - Dr. Edmond Lam

This month, our Monthly Mind Initiative is delighted to feature Dr. Edmond Lam, Assistant Director of the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) and Office of Sustainability. Discover how Edmond's impactful journey, from gaining early practical experience and mastering chemical fundamentals to initiating interdisciplinary research and leading the Sustainable Futures Initiative. These showcase his dedication to driving sustainable solutions and fostering collaborative progress. His work perfectly embodies the spirit of innovation and environmental stewardship we champion at Q-ACS. We extend our sincere thanks to Edmond Lam for sharing his truly inspiring story.

I am the Assistant Director of the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) and Office of Sustainability, leading the Sustainable Futures Initiative Grant Program as part of the ACS Campaign for a Sustainable Future to advance chemistry innovations in addressing the challenges articulated in the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. This multifaceted campaign will have lasting impacts on how we conduct research, how we teach chemistry, and how we collaborate globally. 

Originally from Vancouver, BC (BSc Honours, University of British Columbia, 2001), I knew I liked chemistry from high school, but I wasn’t sure which chemical field I would be interested in pursuing as an actual career. Fortunately, the Science Co-op program at UBC had just launched a year before I started my undergraduate education, and I was able to gain practical experience through a couple of job placements in analytical chemistry and materials chemistry. What was important in those co-op job placements was not only the experience of working in a commercial laboratory, but also first-hand observation of business operations and occupational lab safety best practices that have remained with me to this day. After completing my fourth-year undergraduate project with Chris Orvig, I continued to explore inorganic chemistry at the University of Toronto (PhD 2007) under the supervision of David Farrar, where I learned the importance of understanding the fundamentals of chemistry (i.e. know your 1^st and 2^nd year chemistry!) and public communication. 

My interest in green chemistry and sustainability emerged during my time at the National Research Council Canada in Montreal, QC, where I focused on terrestrial and marine biomass valorization. Academic collaborations enabled me to think more critically of the chemical reactions I was performing, initially in terms of energy consumption and waste generation, and more broadly through life cycle analyses and hazards prevention & elimination. With evolving government mandates, I had to pivot into new research directions and work with scientists and engineers across disciplines to address national priorities and industry requirements. I do not think I would know much about fermentation, vaccine adjuvants, or carbon capture, utilization & storage (CCUS) as I do today if it weren’t for these opportunities to be open to unfamiliar research areas. These cumulative experiences have enabled me to transition seamlessly to my current role at the ACS GCI, where I support the advancement of research, scholarship and innovation of green chemistry and engineering.  

Mentorship is critical to professional development in leadership for both decision-making and team supervision. I would say that it is important to find mentors both within and outside your job circle to get different perspectives. Lastly, being a mentor to someone else can be as valuable an experience as you can learn from your mentees as well because they often have unique experiences and great ideas that can augment your own personal learning.