Ashley Ringer McDonald is a Professor of Chemistry at

California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. She received her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College and her Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on using multiscale modeling to study molecular interactions in complex chemical contexts.  Prof. McDonald is on the board of directors at the Molecular Sciences Software Institute (the MolSSI) where she serves as the director for education, training, and faculty development.  She is the current chair of the American Chemical Society Division of Computers in Chemistry. Prof. McDonald is passionate about making computing a more accessible and integrated part of the STEM curriculum for all students.  She is the editor for the book “Teaching Programming across the Chemistry Curriculum”, which was published by the American Chemical Society in 2021.