Rigoberto Hernandez wants to foster a sense of togetherness

“My story tells the power of mentorship and the power of having a plan—thinking about where you want to head and being proactive and intentional about getting there,” explains Rigoberto Hernandez, the Gompf Family Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University and the 2026 president of the American Chemical Society. The idea of becoming ACS president was first planted in Hernandez’s mind 2 decades ago, when Robert L. Lichter, a longtime mentor of his, hosted then ACS CEO Madeleine Jacobs at an ACS Georgia Section meeting. “To my surprise, he introduced me to Madeline as a future president of the American Chemical Society. He made me think that it was possible,” he says. “The dream that I would be president was at that moment a realizable possibility.” In Hernandez’s presidential year, he will focus on raising ACS’s impact globally, fostering belonging in the society, and advancing an ACS membership-for-life concept. The importance of mentors in Hernandez’s early lifeHernandez was born in 1967 in Güines, Cuba. He immigrated with his parents to Madrid at age 3. “The political climate in Cuba [at that time] made it very difficult for some people to pursue their desired professions or careers,” he explains. Hernandez's father—a farm laborer—wanted his son to have more career opportunities than he had. Three years later, his parents, now separated, moved to Hialeah, Florida, and settled in a neighborhood popular with recent immigrants. This remained Hernandez’s home turf until he left for college.Hernandez is grateful to several teachers for