With less than a month until ACCESSE26, we asked the ACCESSE26 Program Committee to look beyond individual organizations and consider the broader question: How can STEM societies create meaningful, purpose-driven impact at a global level? 

Across the responses, one idea stands out.  

Global impact is not simply a matter of scale.  

Global impact comes from how societies share knowledge, set standards, build partnerships, and shape professional culture across borders and disciplines. 

Below are perspectives from STEM society professionals across roles and organizations, whose insights inform the third installment of our blog series exploring the ACCESSE26 conference theme: Rooted in Purpose. 

Note: The responses below are reproduced as submitted. Minor grammar and style variations reflect each author’s voice. 

1) Global impact grows through cross-border collaboration and access to learning 

“They do this by collaborating across borders to address shared workforce, safety, and sustainability challenges. By sharing knowledge, setting standards, and leveraging technology to expand access to learning and credentials, STEM societies can scale purpose beyond their own membership and help strengthen the global ecosystem.” 

Toni Kervina, Director of Content and Learning, American Society for Nondestructive Testing 

Knowledge and standards travel. The question is whether societies design intentionally for responsible access and shared progress. 

2) Global impact includes advancing research that benefits humanity 

“Facilitating awareness of and helping to advance research that benefits humanity” 

Frank Krause, Former CEO, FASEB 

STEM societies have a unique role in accelerating awareness, credibility, and adoption of research with broad societal benefit. 

3) Global impact includes shaping professional culture and principled practice 

“Tau Beta Pi and many other STEM societies influence how future leaders think about ethics, service, collaboration, and the role organizations should play in addressing the world’s challenges. We are in a unique position because we do more than bring people together. We help shape professional culture. At a global level, purpose-driven impact means providing opportunities for our members to build connections across institutions, disciplines, and borders. It means sharing knowledge and creating communities where people are encouraged to use their expertise in ways that benefit society. To me, the real opportunity for STEM societies is not just to advance professions, but to help ensure those professions are advancing in ways that are thoughtful, principled, and genuinely useful to the world.” 

Curt Gomulinski, Executive Director, Tau Beta Pi - The Engineering Honor Society 

Global impact is not only technical. It is cultural. Societies help shape what professionals value, how they lead, and how they serve. 

4) Global impact requires innovation in learning, while keeping experts central 

“Continue to be experts and drive innovation in what and how people learn and advance. Be the go to and continue to promote human subject matter experts as the go-to source.” 

Robert Morowczynski, Director of Professional Development, Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers 

As delivery models evolve, societies can scale access while reinforcing credibility and expert oversight. 

5) Global impact expands when societies convene across disciplines and countries 

“STEM societies create meaningful global impact when they focus on connection and collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and countries. Through large gatherings like the Joint Mathematics Meetings, and through international partnerships, societies create spaces where ideas, research, and mentorship can reach far beyond one organization. JMM in particular brings together many partner societies across different areas of mathematics and related disciplines, which helps broaden the conversations happening at the meeting and expands its impact across the global community. When societies use their platforms to bring people together in this way, their influence extends well beyond their own membership and helps strengthen the global STEM community.” 

Dezmarie Doyle, Senior Meeting Specialist, American Mathematical Society 

Convening is not simply a benefit of membership. When designed well, convening becomes a mechanism for global knowledge exchange and mentorship. 

A shared takeaway: Global purpose is collective, not isolated 

Across these perspectives, STEM societies create meaningful global impact when they: 

If your organization is thinking about global partnerships, knowledge exchange, standards, workforce alignment, or long-term impact, we invite you to register for ACCESSE26. You have an invaluable opportunity to participate in peer-driven conversations with leaders who understand the common trials and tribulations for STEM societies on a global scale. 

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