The Pittsburgh Award was established in 1932 by the Pittsburgh Section of ACS to recognize outstanding leadership in chemical affairs in the local and larger professional community. This Award symbolizes the honor and appreciation accorded to those who have rendered distinguished service to the field of chemistry. The Award, consisting of a plaque, is presented annually at a Section dinner open to the public.

Members of the Pittsburgh Section, or in exceptional cases, nonmembers, who have done work worthy of recognition toward increasing chemical knowledge, promoting the chemical industry, benefiting humanity, or advancing the Pittsburgh Section, are eligible for consideration. Nominations for the Pittsburgh Award are solicited from the membership of the Pittsburgh Section.

Nominations Requested
for the

2008 Pittsburgh Award

Click here for nomination form

2007 Pittsburgh Award

Richard D. McCullough

Department of Chemistry
& Vice President Research
Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh Athletic Association
4215 Fifth Ave
Pittsburgh, PA

23 October 2007

Social-------------------	6:00 PM
Dinner------------------	7:00 PM
Award Presentation--	7:45 PM

The Award Presentation is open to the public,
free of charge

See below for the fee for Dinner.

Cash Bar

Professor Richard D. McCullough has been selected to receive the 2007 Pittsburgh Award. The award, established in 1933, recognizes chemical knowledge, promoting industry, benefiting humanity or advancing the Pittsburgh Section. A full list of past award winners can be found on the section website (http://membership.acs.org/P/Pitt/). An award dinner will be held latter in the Fall, at a time and place to be announced in a forthcoming Crucible.

His contributions to chemistry through academic research, teaching and administration and through innovative entrepreneur accomplishments provide strong support for this nomination. McCullough is the Vice President of Research of Carnegie Mellon University (appointed 2007) and Professor of Chemistry. He earned his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1982 from the University of Texas at Dallas, completed his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Johns Hopkins University in 1988 and went on to work as a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University. He joined Carnegie Mellon University in 1990 and was Head of Chemistry from 1998 to 2001 and Dean of the Mellon College of Science from 2001 to 2007.

Since his arrival at Carnegie Mellon, McCullough has devised and implemented an efficient method for the synthesis of a wide-range of substituted polythiophenes and their copolymers with well-defined structure. This includes especially regioregular structures that facilitate molecular organization in the solid state, in research that has also produced eight Ph.D. dissertations for his graduate students. These materials are excellent electrical conductors due to their neat alignment into organized structures (nanowires), thus overcoming problems due to conductivity-limiting impurities and random orientation of polymer strands exhibited by other inherently conductive polymers. McCullough developed the “McCullough synthesis" and then later the more efficient “GRIM synthesis” to make what are recognized worldwide as the most cost-effective, highly regioregular materials with conductivities hundreds of thousands of times greater than other conducting polymers. Based just on that, it is not surprising that his four seminal papers have collectively been cited over 1200 times. In research since the publication of those papers, he has used these methods to prepare a wide range of polythiophenes designed to “self assemble” into supramolecular structures, which are ideal for electronic applications, such as, integrated circuits, flat-screen displays, and solar cells. This work was recognized by the 2002 American Chemical Society Akron Section Award, given to scientists or engineers under 45 years of age who "demonstrate exceptional promise for making significant contributions to chemical science."

By 2001, the research summarized above was sufficiently advanced to allow McCullough to create a start-up company, Plextronics, as a spinout of his developments at Carnegie Mellon. In 2004, Plextronics was the only Pennsylvania company that was named to Innovation World's Innovation21 -a list of "21 companies poised for growth in the 21st Century.” A company founder, McCullough recently became Chief Scientific Officer of Plextronics. The Plextronics core technology Plexcore™ enables highly-conductive and stable systems with superior physical properties an ease of processing at a cost that facilitates broad market opportunities. The company, now with 40 employees (15 Ph.D.s) has successfully scaled up production to amounts unmatched in the industry. The tremendous potential impact of this work in a wide-range of markets can be measured in part by the $16.4M in capital raised in support of Plextronics and the development grants received; see the listing below. Due to McCullough’s research and leadership, Plextronics is pioneering inherently conducting polymer design for leading-edge printed electronics, such as, photovoltaics, organic light emitting diodes, radio frequency identification tags/smart labels, and touch panels (an overview of Plextronics and its products may be found at the url: http://www.plextronics.com/). McCullough was recognized in 2006 by Carnegie Science Center Award for Excellence for a Start-Up Entrepreneur, and Plextronics has been recognized by a number of awards.

Submitted by Guy C. Berry

1933	Ralph E. Hall	1934	Charles E. Nesbit	1935	No Award
1936	Andrew W. Mellon	1936	Richard B. Mellon	1937	Francis C. Frary
1938	George H. Clapp	1939	Edward R. Weidlein	1940	Alexander Silverman
1941	Webster N. Jones	1942	Charles G. King	1943	Junius D. Edwards
1944	Leonard H. Cretcher	1945	John C. Warner	1946	William P. Yant
1947	Chester G. Fisher	1948	Henry H. Storch	1949	Harry V. Churchill
1950	William A. Hamor	1951	William A. Gruse	1952	Homer H. Lowry
1953	Paul H. Emmett	1954	Paul D. Foote	1955	George D. Beal
1956	Robert F. Mehl	1957	Alfred R. Powell	1958	Max A. Lauffer
1959	Frederick D. Rossini	1960	Robert B. Anderson	1961	Earl A. Gulbransen
1962	Klaus H. Hoffman	1963	Harold P. Klug	1964	Henry S. Frank
1965	Foil A. Miller	1966	Earl K. Wallace	1967	R. R. Friedel
1968	Irving Wender	1969	W. Conard Fernelius	1970	Tobias H. Dunkelberger
1971	Paul C. Cross	1972	Edmund O. Rhodes	1973	W. Edward Wallace
1974	Bernard Lewis	1975	John A. Pople	1976	Edward M. Arnett
1977	Frederick Kaufman	1978	George Jeffrey	1979	Ronald Bentley
1980	G. Arthur Webb	1981	Robert B. Carlin	1982	Ivy McManus
1983	Robert Feller	1984	Gerald L. Carlson	1984	Leonidas Petrakis
1985	Kurt C. Schreiber	1986	W. Keith Hall	1987	Jerome L. Rosenberg
1988	Aksel A. Bothner-by	1989	Johannes F. Coetzee	1990	Herbert L. Retcofsky
1991	Bodie E. Douglas	1991	Bruce M. LaRue	1992	Andrew G. Sharkey Jr.
1993	Konrad M. Weis	1994	Guy C. Berry	1995	Gerd Leston
1997	Virginia Fisher	1997	David M. Hercules	1998	John T. Yates, Jr.
1999	Theodore J. Weismann	2000	Kenneth D. Jordan	2001	Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
2002	Sanford A. Asher	2003	C. Gordon McCarty	2004	Terrence J. Collins
2005	David W. Pratt	2006	Dennis F. Curran	2007	Richard D. McCullough

The Distinguished Service Award was established in 2007 by the Pittsburgh Section of ACS to expand and replace the predessor Chairman's Award of the Section. Both recognize outstanding volunteer service to the Section. The Award, consisting of a plaque, is presented annually at a Section dinner open to the public.

Members of the Pittsburgh Section, past or present, who have provided outstanding service in advancing the Pittsburgh Section are eligible for consideration. Nominations for the Pittsburgh Award are solicited from the membership of the Pittsburgh Section.

The Tripartite Symposium is a joint activity of the Pittsburgh Section of the ACS, the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh and the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh.

Title	Name	Telephone	FAX	E-mail
Coordinator	V. Michael Mautino	[412]-777-4792	[412]-777-7864	michael.mautino@bayerbms.com

NCW Poster Contest Winners

As part of the 2007 National Chemistry Week (NCW) celebration, the Pittsburgh Section ACS sponsored a poster contest for students in four grade categories: K-2nd, 3rd-4th, 5th-8th, and 9th-12th. Students were invited to create a poster that celebrated the theme “The Many Faces of Chemistry.” Posters were judged on artistic merit (use of color, quality of drawing, poster design & layout), poster message (should be fun, motivational and inspire students to pursue a career with emphasis on the chemistry in the career), originality and creativity (unique, clever and/or creative design), and neatness.
1st and 2nd place were awarded, with $50 and $25 prizes. In addition, each winner and their families were offered free admission to the Carnegie Science Center on October 27th to celebrate National Chemistry Week, where the winning posters were on display! All 1st place winners of the Pittsburgh contest were entered into a national NCW poster contest sponsored by the ACS’s Office of Community Activities and Committee on Community Activities.
And the winners of the Pittsburgh Section’s 2007 NCW poster contest:

K-2nd Grade Annabel Haberberger Grade 2 - Washington Elementary School	3rd-4th Grade No entries received.
5th-8th Grade Li Li Grade 8 - Mellon Middle School	9th-12th Grade Lu Li Grade 10 - Mt. Lebanon High School

Congratulations Annabel, Li, and Lu!
Additional congratulations go to Annabel for winning the National ACS's NCW poster contest!
The Pittsburgh Section ACS wishes to thank all of the schools who participated in this year’s contest. Special thanks also go to Susan Meer for organizing the contest.

Submitted by
V. Michael Mautino
NCW Coordinator

National Chemistry Week 2007

"The Many Faces of Chemistry"

October 26-27, 2007
Carnegie Science Center

For the 9th consecutive year, the Pittsburgh Section’s National Chemistry Week (NCW) celebration was held at the Carnegie Science Center (CSC). For 2007, the event was conducted on Friday and Saturday, October 26-27 and featured the theme “The Many Faces of Chemistry.” A total of 296 volunteers, from 33 groups and organizations, conducted hands-on experiments, activities, and demonstrations. In addition to the hands-on activities, a career fair was held in conjunction with the NCW event, with participating groups providing information on careers in science and chemistry. Including PPG Industries Inc.’s demonstration titled “Reaction in Action,” there were 8 theater-style shows presented 17 times over the two-day period, in the various CSC stages. Of the 296 volunteers, 149 (50%) were ACS members or affiliates (students, teachers, technicians, etc.). Total attendance for the two-day event was approximately 4760 (2897 on Friday, 1863 on Saturday), an increase of 1000 compared to the Section’s 2006 NCW event and the 2nd highest attendance for the Section’s NCW event over the past 9 years.

For the 2007 NCW celebration, the Pittsburgh Section reached out to underrepresented “at-risk” minorities in the Southwestern Pennsylvania area to promote science education and literacy. Through financial support provided by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP) and the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP), 1575 students and 131 chaperones from 23 schools were provided an opportunity to participate in the NCW celebration at the Carnegie Science Center (10 more schools and 652 more students than were reached with the 2006 NCW program!). Without the generous support from the SACP and SSP, these students would not have participated in a science-related school field trip during the 2007-08 school year due to financial hardship. In all, over 1844 students attended the NCW event.

The Pittsburgh Section wishes to extend its gratitude to the 2007 NCW sponsors, including the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, Bayer Corporation and the Carnegie Science Center. Without the continued support from these organizations, the Pittsburgh Section would not be able to reach so many in our communities with a positive message about science and chemistry, while promoting science education and literacy. The Pittsburgh Section also wishes to thank the 296 dedicated volunteers! Special thanks also go to Steve Valasek from PPG Industries, Inc. for his demonstrations in the Science Stage Theater.

Mark Your Calendar: NCW 2008

The Carnegie Science Center has been reserved for Friday and Saturday, October 24-25, 2008 for the Pittsburgh Section’s 10th consecutive NCW event. The 2008 NCW theme is “Having a Ball with Chemistry,” focusing on the chemistry of sports and tying into the 2008 Olympics.

Thank You!
Thanks to the following organizations for participating in and supporting the 2007 NCW event:

Primary Sponsors
Bayer Corporation; Carnegie Science Center; Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh; Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh;

Table Sponsors
Alpha Chi Sigma of Duquesne University; American Institute of Chemical Engineers; American Society for Metals (ASM) International – Pittsburgh Golden Triangle Chapter*; Bidwell Training Center; Blackburn Study Center*; Carlow University ACS Student Affiliate Chapter; Carnegie Mellon University Department of Chemistry; Carnegie Mellon University Department of Chemical Engineering – CPS Program; Chatham College Chemistry Society; Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh; Communities in Schools Academy; Clarion University ACS Student Affiliate Chapter; Duquesne University ACS Student Affiliate Chapter; essential 2 Pittsburgh/American Chemistry Council; Fisher Science Education; Geneva College Chemistry Society; Girls, Math & Science Partnership*; healthyworks of Pennsylvania*; IUP ACS Student Affiliate Chapter; LANXESS Corporation; La Roche College ACS Student Affiliate Group*; McGuffey High School; PPG Industries, Inc.; Seton Hill University Chemistry Club; The Children's Institute - Amazing Kids Station; The Electrochemical Society; U.S. Dept. of Interior, Office of Surface Mining*; University of Pittsburgh ACS Student Affiliate Chapter; Waynesburg University ACS Student Affiliate Group*/ SACP Student Affiliates; Western Pennsylvania Technician Affiliate Group
* New to the annual NCW event

V. Michael Mautino, NCW Coordinator

V. Michael Mautino
Bayer MaterialScience LLC
Business Development--Technical Insulation
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Phone: 412-777-4792
Fax: 412-777-7864
E-mail: michael.mautino@bayerbms.com

Photo credits: Chandra Jayakody, Michael Mautino

National Chemistry Week 2006
Pittsburgh Section Wins Eighth Consecutive NCW Award

This past August, during the 234th American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting held in Boston, Massachusetts, the Pittsburgh Section was the recipient of an ACS ChemLuminary Award for its 2006 National Chemistry Week (NCW) program. The Section received an award in the “Outstanding Event for the Public using the Yearly Theme” category. Through partnerships with area professional societies, non-profit organizations, corporations and local businesses, universities and student affiliate chapters, secondary schools, and local media, the Pittsburgh Section was able to offer unique hands-on experiments, activities, and theater-style demonstrations that focused on the 2006 NCW theme “Your Home – It’s All Built on Chemistry.”

This was the Pittsburgh Section’s eighth consecutive NCW related ChemLuminary award and twelfth award since the NCW program’s inception in 1987. Previously, the Pittsburgh Section has been recognized for its NCW community outreach efforts by the ACS’s Committee on Community Activities with ChemLuminary Awards in the following categories; “Greatest Increase in Membership Involvement” in 1999, “Greatest Community Involvement” in 2000 and 2004, “Outstandingly Creative and/or Unique Event” in 2001, "Best Event with Underrepresented Minority Groups” in 2002 and 2003, and “Outstanding Event for a Specific Audience” in 2005.

The Pittsburgh Section’s 2006 National Chemistry Week (NCW) event was held at the Carnegie Science Center on Friday and Saturday, October 27-28, 2006. There were 278 volunteers from 29 groups and organizations, conducting hands-on experiments, activities, and demonstrations. There were also several theater-style shows presented in the various Science Center stages, including PPG Industries’ demonstration titled “Reaction in Action.” Total attendance for the two-day event was 3655.

The Pittsburgh Section would like to thank its sponsors including the Bayer Corporation, the Carnegie Science Center, the Society For Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, and The Spectroscopy Society, for their generous and on-going support of the Section’s NCW program. Thanks also go to the over 278 volunteers who participated in the 2006 NCW celebration. Without the support and commitment by the sponsors, the many dedicated volunteers, and the community, the Pittsburgh Section’s annual NCW activities would not be possible.

V. Michael Mautino, NCW Coordinator

Title	Name	Telephone	FAX	E-mail
Coordinator	V. Michael Mautino	[412]-777-4792	[412]-777-7864	michael.mautino@bayerbms.com

Title	Name	Telephone	FAX	E-mail
Coordinator	Paul G. Johnson	[412]-396-6615	none	johnson1@duq.edu

The Pittsburgh Annual Secondary School Chemistry Contest is a major activity of the Chemical Education Committee.

Beginning in 1945, the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society has sponsored a annual contest for secondary schools to recognize outstanding achievement by the students and their teachers as well as encouraging interest in chemistry among school students. The contest is also used to qualify students interested in participating in the International Chemistry Olympics and to identify students for scholarships. The exam is administered to students from schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Awards were presented to the winners at the Annual Awards Dinner attended by students, parents, and chemistry teachers. Awards will include scholarships from the Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP), Duquesne University.

The Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will be holding its 64th Annual SECONDARY SCHOOL CHEMISTRY CONTEST on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at one of the following test centers listed below.

General $20,000 and $12,000 scholarships will be awarded by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, and other scholarships are offered by Duquesne and Pitt. Additionally, cash prizes will be awarded by the A.C.S. at the annual banquet in May. Also the March 29th examination is the preliminary qualifier for the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad competition.

TEST CENTERS in 2008

Duquesne University

University of Pittsburgh, Oakland

University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

St. Vincent College

Franciscan Univerity of Steubenville

Wheeling Jesuit University

California University of Pennsylvania

Title	Name	Telephone	FAX	E-mail
Coordinator	Regina Mahouski	[412] 624-8202	none	mahouski@pitt.edu

The Pittsburgh Chemistry Olympics is a joint activity of the Pittsburgh Section and the Department of Chemistry of the University of Pittsburgh in which teams of students from area schools compete to perform experiments, and present their results in a written report to be judged for excellence. Teams compete in one of three categories, dependent on the years of chemistry studied. First, second and third place and honorable mention awards are presented. The Pittsburgh Chemistry Olympics was organized 17 years ago to promote chemistry among high school students in the tri-state area as well as in the community. The first Chemistry Olympics had 10 schools and 40 students participated, while in 1996, the Olympics had 60 schools and 312 students participating. The Pittsburgh Chemistry Olympics is sponsored by the Chemical Education Group of the Pittsburgh Local Section and the Chemistry Department of the University of Pittsburgh. Funding is provided by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Title	Name	Telephone	FAX	E-mail
Editor	Traci Johnsen	[724]-378-9334	...	s.johnsen@attbi.com
Advertising Editor	Vince Gale; MBO Services	(781)-837-0424	(781)-837-8782)	vincegale@adelphia.net