The first ACS symposium on Microwave-Assisted Chemistry: Organic and Polymer Synthesis was held as part of the ACS National meeting in Philadelphia, in August 2008. The symposium brought together scientists interested in the use of microwave irradiation from a variety of disciplines such as organic chemistry, green chemistry, polymer science, and nanoscience. The papers presented in this Research Front provide just a glance of the multitude of opportunities and advantages that can be achieved by the use of microwave irradiation in chemistry.