Todd Miller 319-659-4476 (PH)

tmiller@cornell-iowa.edu

January 2001

For the latest information about upcoming events, visit our web site at http://membership.acs.org/I/ILIA/

Wednesday, January 17^th, 2001

Errata: The names of three members who had reached Membership Milestones in 2000 were accidentally left off of the December 2000 newsletter. Congratulations to:

Linda Shearer (25-year member)

Mr. Henry Burzlaff (50-year member)

Dr. Lynn Wiedenmann (50-year member)

Over 100 scholarships of $2500 each are to be awarded to African-American, Hispanic, and Native American undergraduate students and high school seniors who intend to pursue careers in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or environmental science.  Application deadline is February 15, 2001.  Call ACS at 1-800-227-5558 (Ext. 6250) or email scholars@acs.org for more information.  Contact Randall Wanke (309-794-3473 or chwanke@augustana.edu) for an application form or download an application form at http://www.acs.org/affairs/scholars/html.

Wednesday, March 7, 2001 Springfield, IL

State Capitol Day is an opportunity for ACS members from Illinois to meet with state policymakers. This is a chance to build relationships and introduce the resources and expertise of ACS members to Illinois’ officials. The event will focus on state government affairs and will provide participants with an opportunity to learn more about the ACS Office of Legislative and Government Affairs and ways they can become involved in government relations. The afternoon will focus solely Illinois’ K-12 science education policies.

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss such issues as the quality of science education, professional development for science teachers, and certification requirements. ACS national staff will set appointments with key committee members for participants. Staff will also send information to participants about ACS Public Policy Priorities, your state legislators, and how to make appointments to visit with them.

This State Capitol Day is spearheaded by National ACS, which asserts that the ability of ACS, its local sections, and members to ensure that state laws and regulations are based on sound science and are supportive of chemists and chemistry is key to the development of quality state policy. For more information, the IL-IA Section contact is Sally Rigeman, Augustana College Chemistry, 639 Thirty-eighth Street, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296, (309) 794-3469, email chrigeman@augustana.edu. Nationally, contact Debora J. Fillinich, Office of Legislative and Government Affairs, American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036, (800) 227-5558 ext. 4476, email d_fillinich@acs.org. Currently, no Iowa State Capitol Day is planned.

A call goes out to IL-IA section members who typically attend the Great Lakes Regional Meeting (GLRM) and would like to have a larger impact on this annual meeting. Our Section is searching for a representative to sit on the Steering Committee for this meeting. This Committee meets once annually, at the GLRM.

Such a representative can benefit the Section both by promoting the meeting to Section members and by playing a role in defining future meetings so that they best meet the needs and interests of Section members.

As GLRM Steering Committee Representative, your responsibilities include the following:

• Attend the annual GLRM Steering Committee meeting, held at the GLRM, and submit a brief (one page) written report of highlights of this meeting to the IL-IA section Executive Committee upon your return
• Represent the interests of the Section, to the best of your ability
• Submit items, such as upcoming GLRM meeting announcements, to the section Secretary for inclusion in the section newsletter
• Plan for a three-year commitment to this position

There is opportunity for additional involvement by taking a more active role, but that is at your discretion.

Support from the local Section includes reimbursement for the cost of Advance Registration for the meeting (typically about $75) if you desire this. The Section cannot pay for your travel expenses for this trip.

The GLRM is typically held in early June of each year, at various locations. The 2001 meeting will be June 11-13 in Grand Rapids, MI. For more information on ACS Regional Meetings and Steering Committees, go to http://www.acs.org/meetings/regional/index.html

If you would like to serve as the Section's representative or you have any questions, contact Lisa Fields, (319) 264-6039, lmfields@muscanet.com

The 2001 Chemistry Olympiad for our section will be held at Clinton Community College on Saturday, March 31, 2001.  The annual Chemistry Olympiad aims to stimulate interest and achievement among high school students. As part of the Olympiad program, professional chemists are available to talk to students and their teachers, to explore developments in the world of chemistry and encourage career planning in fields that utilize chemistry. The Olympiad also provides an opportunity for high school chemistry teachers to share ideas with one another and with college chemistry professors. Our goal is to have 125 students competing. We hope to attract students and their teachers from 12 high schools. Ways for members of the section to help are:

• Financial support from industry and business.
• Laboratory equipment for high school laboratories.
• Ideas on how we can help high school chemistry teachers.
• Help in promoting the event and attracting more schools to participate.

For more information contact:

Dick Kissack
731 North 13th Street
Clinton, Iowa 52732-4812
Phone:  (319) 242-9951
email: rkissack@clinton.net

Sally Rigeman for attaining her Ph.D.

Randall Wanke for being granted tenure and for gaining the grant from the ACS to fund ChemKids.