In this year that we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy we find ourselves on a very different planet. Carbon dioxide, a favorite of many molecular spectroscopy studies over these years, is a major contributor to the rising global temperature and climate change as its concentration in the atmosphere continues to rise. We all, and especially scientists like ourselves, can play a role in slowing and hopefully reversing these rising temperature trends. In this session I will talk about what we are doing at the Department of Energy to support all who want to contribute to helping in this critical task at hand, and how my career in molecular spectroscopy helps me every day in this new role.

The International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and the National Science Foundation recently celebrated its 70th. The two organizations have many confluences, and support from the NSF has enabled the research of many ISMS contributors. Both the Foundation and the Symposium have evolved over the years while adhering to a their organizing principles. From the perspective of a former leader of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate of NSF (2013-2017) and a former Chief Operating Officer of NSF (2018-2021), I will discuss some of that history, the current state, and speculate on the future.