CGSAC Seminar with Dr. Lisa Balbes of Balbes Consultants, LLC,

About the speaker: 

" Dr. Lisa M. Balbes earned her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her undergraduate degrees in chemistry and psychology from Washington University in St Louis.  Since 1992, she has provided technical writing and editing services as Balbes Consultants, LLC, with clients including Washington University Medical School, Bausch and Lomb Surgical, the US FDA, and many others.  Prior to that, she spent several years as a computational chemist at Research Triangle Institute, conducting protein and small molecule modeling experiments in support of drug discovery.  

She has been an American Chemical Society volunteer career consultant since 1993, providing career management advice and information to literally thousands of scientists. She is the author of the book “Nontraditional Careers for Chemists:  New Formulas in Chemistry”, published by Oxford University Press, and over 300 published articles. She is an ACS certified master workshop facilitator, and an internationally invited speaker on various career topics, with over 300 presentations to date.  

 

She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2013), the American Chemical Society (ACS) (2017), and the AAAS (2023).  Dr. Balbes was elected to the national ACS Board of Directors, and served 2022 - 2024.  She has served her local ACS section as chair (2002, Outstanding Local Section), career resource coordinator, scout clinic coordinator and councilor (2007-present).  Nationally, she has served on the Women Chemists Committee (2025 - present), Committee on Committees (elected 2020 - 2021), the Committee on Nominations and Elections (elected 2014-2019) and the Committee on Economic and Professional affairs (2007–2013, chair 2011-2013). 

In 2012, she received the E. Ann Nalley Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service for the Midwest Region, and in 2015 she received the Howard and Sally Peters Award from the ACS Division of Chemistry and the Law for significant contributions to alternative careers in chemistry.  In 2016 she was named the Volunteer of the Year by the St Louis section of the ACS.  In 2024 she was honored with the Nexus Award from the ACS BMGT Division.

 

She shares her office with house rabbits Octavia and Cookie, and has volunteered weekly at the local house rabbit shelter since 2005.  "