PMSE 2003 Fall Meeting Preface

It is a special pleasure and an honor to present the proceedings for the Fall 2003 meeting of the ACS Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE). The preprints of papers to be presented at oral and poster sessions during the New York City meeting are contained in these Proceedings. The Proceedings also provide information on future meetings and proposed symposia, awards and grants sponsored by PMSE, membership information and PMSE committee structure. The PMSE program for this ACS Meeting is comprised of 10 Symposia, several of which are cosponsored with other ACS Divisions and other organizations. In addition, PMSE will host two award symposia. Together, PMSE will offer 499 oral and poster presentations at this meeting. Below is a brief description of the PMSE hosted symposia:

• Polymeric Drug Delivery: Science and Application: is a ten session symposium highlighting recent advances in many aspects of this field including design, synthesis, preparation, processing and performance of polymeric drug delivery systems.
• Memorial Symposium in Honor of Vivian T. Stannett: will feature presentations from radiation chemistry, transport phenomena, and polymer chemistry, areas in which Professor Stannett was very active and highly influential during is 40+ year career.
• Smart Nano-Assemblies: provides an 8 session symposium on self-assembly; specifically, on layer-by-layer polyion assembly via alternate adsorption of oppositely charged components (polymers, nanoparticles, enzymes and DNA), DNA-assisted assembly and DNA chips as a platform for sensor systems, and self-assembly of mesocrystals (opal-like nanostructures) and two-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles.
• Nanostructured Liquid Crystal/Polymeric Materials, Applications and Devices: will explore, in two sessions, nanostructured liquid crystals, polymers, and composite materials as well as device applications. Presentations on the use of light and liquid crystal templating to control polymer architectures, holographic light to generate photonic bandgap materials, and lasing in liquid crystal/polymer composites highlight the uniqueness of this symposium.
• Branching in Polyolefins: features tutorials and several oral sessions, and it is cosponsored with the POLY division.
• Assembly and Applications of Soft Interfaces: has 4 sessions focused on the use of layers of assembled or adsorbed polymers to tailor interfacial properties for applications such as colloid stabilization, adhesion, preparation of biocompatible coatings, and molecularly imprinted polymers. This symposium focuses specifically on structure and dynamics of copolymer thin films and blends; responsive polymer layers; and nanoparticle-modified polymer systems.
• Polymers as Additives: is a two session symposium based on the observation that a variety of polymeric materials, added in small quantities, can dramatically improve the properties of other bulk solids or liquids. These improvements may affect rheology, compatibility, mechanical or transport properties, etc., and create cost/performance benefits. This symposium provides an update of recent developments in the science and application of polymers as additives.
• Advances in Epoxide and Polyurethane Coatings: provides a state-of-the-art snapshot of recent advances in this area. Sessions will cover "Surface and Functional Modification" and "Curing of New Epoxide and Polyurethanes."
• General Papers/New Concepts in Polymeric Materials: There will be nine oral sessions covering "Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Polymers", "Biosensors and Biomaterials", "Polymer-Based Composites and Nanocomposites", "Advances in Polyolefins" ,"Spectroscopic and Luminescent Properties", "Structure, Processing, and Rheology", and "Sorption, Diffusion, and Transport Phenomena in Polymers".

  PMSE is proud to host two award symposia:

• ICI Student Award Symposium: presents graduate student papers. The best paper from this competition will receive the 2003 ICI Student Award.
• Tess Award: The Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings is being presented to Rose Ryntz. The award presentation is entitled "Attaining durable painted plastic components" and will be presented at the end of the second half-day session. This symposium comprises 8 invited presentations by prominent members of the polymer coating community plus the award presentation, presented by the recipient.

  Together with the POLY division, we will co-host the Unilever Award Symposium honoring Christopher Bielawski. There will be a large PMSE presence at Sci-Mix and at the PMSE-POLY joint poster session.

  I wish to thank and acknowledge Richard Roesler and Vladimir Tsukruk, the current Program Committee Chairs, and our Symposium Organizers for their contributions to this meeting program. A special thank you goes to Eileen Ernst, PMSE Administrative Assistant, for her perseverance in compiling the PMSE Preprint Proceedings.

  Benny D. Freeman
  PMSE Vice-Chair