VIRGINIA
SECTION
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING |
VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF
SCIENCE MEETING |
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Friday, May 15 - 7:00 p.m. |
May
27 - 29 |
|
Parham Road Campus,
The Gallery |
Virginia Commonwealth University |
|
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College |
Richmond, Virginia |
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Meeting Notice |
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The 87th Annual Meeting of the Virginia
Academy of Science will be held at Virginia Commonwealth University in
Richmond on May 27-29, 2009. Chemistry Papers will be scheduled for
presentation on May 28. There will be a Poster Session that will run from
May 27 through May 28. Persons interested in the Chemistry Section program
should contact Dr. Thomas DeVore, Chemistry Department, MSC 4501,
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807; (540) 568-6672; devoretc @
jmu.edu. More information on the VAS meeting and on Academy membership can
be found at http://www.vacadsci.org/.
The Virginia Section will hold its annual poster
session at the April 24 meeting at the University of Virginia in
Charlottesville. The emphasis is on student research, especially work done
by undergraduates. This is an excellent informal, low-stress environment for
students to make research presentations. If you have a student who wishes to
present a poster, please contact Cindy Knight at (434) 924-7995;
csk3a @ virginia.edu. More information can be found on this website:
http://people.virginia.edu/~jnd/ACS2009.htm. The
deadline for registering a poster is April 17.
We invite everyone to come early for the UVA meeting
and to support these young researchers. Outstanding college and university
chemistry majors will also be recognized at this meeting.
The second Executive Committee Meeting of the year
will be held at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Parham Road Campus,
at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 15. Heavy hors d=oeuvres will be served at 6:00
p.m. The meeting will be in The Gallery in the basement of Georgianous Hall
(coming from I-95, take the second entrance off Parham RoadBthe drive goes
directly to Georgianous Hall and there are signs to direct you to The
Gallery). Officers and committee chairpersons should prepare 40 copies of
their reports to bring or send to the meeting. Persons interested in joining
the Executive Committee or persons who have items for discussion at the
meeting should contact Ken Chapman, Virginia Section Chair - (804)
448-4852; kmc97 @ aol.com.
Outstanding senior chemistry majors from colleges and
universities in the Virginia Section will be honored at the April 24 Section
meeting in Charlottesville. Each school has been asked to select a student
to receive the Virginia Section award for undergraduate achievement. The
awardees will be the guests of the Section at the meeting on April 24 and
will receive a free membership in the ACS and a certificate of recognition.
Chemistry departments must inform Chair Ken Chapman of their nominees
and an ACS membership application form must be completed by each nominee. If
you have not submitted the name of your outstanding senior chemistry
student, please contact Mr. Ken Chapman at (804) 448-4852; kmc97 @ aol.com.
The Virginia Section is soliciting nominations for
these awards: Distinguished Service Award, Outstanding High School Chemistry
Teacher Award, Outstanding Middle School Science Teacher Award, Outstanding
Industrial Innovator Award. Names of candidates should be forwarded to
Yezdi Pithawalla or Sheryl Baldwin, Chairs of the Awards Committee:
Sheryl Baldwin, (804) 353-5805, sdbaldwin @ earthlink.net; Yezdi Pithawalla,
(804) 274-4587, yezdi.b.pithawalla @ altria.com.
Judges and meeting chairs are needed for the annual
meeting of the Virginia Junior Academy of Science (VJAS), to be held at
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, May 26-28, 2009. About 750
students from grades seven through twelve will present papers and report on
original research work. If you would like to contribute to this celebration
of science by young persons, please contact Susan Booth, VAS
Director, at susanscience @ msc.com or (757) 874-3349. Judges are needed in
Agriculture & Animal Science, Animal Behavior, Botany, Chemistry, Computer
Science, Consumer Science, Design Technology, Earth & Space Science,
Engineering, Environmental Science, Genetics & Cellular Biology,
Mathematics, Medicine & Health, Microbiology, Physical Science, Physics,
Psychology, Statistics, and Zoology.
 Leadership
Opportunities
Leadership development for Society service and for ACS members in the work
place has long been of concern to the national ACS. One of the latest
leadership development offerings has been described by student Katie Hunt,
Past-President of ACS, "In 24 years I've taken a
lot of leadership courses, and I'll tell you, this is, not just among the
best, but the best course I've ever taken."
Earning such an endorsement did not come easily. In the late 1970s, ACS
started a long period of frequent leadership training activities for the ACS
Washington staff. Some early activities were a waste of time; some were
good. Quality of the activities improved over time. ACS leaders decided the
most effective activities should be incorporated into the training and
information programs designed for new leaders and officers of the Society
and long-standing programs were modified. Over the past couple of years, ACS
has tested a broader leadership program to offer to the membership.
ACS has now launched the ACS Leadership Development System at the Salt Lake
City National Meeting with a Presidential Symposium titled
"Leadership: Facing the Challenges of Today and
Tomorrow" and five (5) scheduled courses. A
brochure is available to describe both on-site and on-line courses available
in 2009. Further, ACS offers scholarships for the on-site courses. (Some
scholarships should be available through the local section chair; however, I
have not yet received information about this program.)
Protect or enhance your career by taking advantage of this new ACS program.
For more information, email leaders@acs.org.
Ken Chapman
2009 Virginia Section Chair
Virginia Section Chemists Celebrate Earth Day
April 18, 2009
 Volunteers
are needed to help with the Virginia Section's
annual Chemists Celebrate Earth Day
program which will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at John Tyler Community College in
Chester, Virginia. The theme of this year's celebration is
"Air - The Sky's the Limit."
 ACS
members, club affiliate groups and high school students who
would like to volunteer are encouraged to be part of this
exciting day!! For more information, please contact Dr. Kristine
Smetana at (804) 706-5143 or by email: ksmetana @ jtcc.edu.
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| April 2 - |
MARY KAPP LECTURE
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| April 3 -
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CHEMICAL BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM
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| April 9 -
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Dr. Richard Crooks, University of Texas
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| April 16 -
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Dr. Steve Weber, University of Pittsburgh
"Single Cell Electroporation - A Window on the
Cell?"
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| April 23 -
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Dr. William Ducker,
Virginia Tech,
"Fluid Flow in Confined Films: Lubrication Forces and Nanobubble
Generation" |
The seminars are held at 3:30 p.m. in the Kapp Lecture Hall,
Room 1024, in the Mary E. Kapp wing of Oliver Hall, 1001 West Main Street in
Richmond. The public is invited. For more information, call (804) 828-1298.
| April 3 -
|
HECHT SYMPOSIUM,
"Protein Synthesis with Tandemly Activated
Transfer RNAs"
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| April 10 - |
Professor Christopher J. Chang,
University of California, Berkeley,
"Chemical Approaches
to Understanding Copper and Peroxide Biology in the Brain"
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| April 17 -
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Professor Tamar Seideman,
Northwestern University
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| April 24 -
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Professor Sarah Woodson,
Johns Hopkins University,
How RNA Folds, from Ribozymes to Ribosomes" |
Seminars are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Room 304 of the
Chemistry Building. The complete colloquium schedule can be found at
http://www.virginia.edu/chem/newsandevents/seminars/.
 This
question was asked in the March
Bulletin: Between 1988, when the Powell Lectureship began at the
University of Richmond, and 1992, the Virginia Section sponsored a separate
speaker at the U of R meeting. The Powell Lecture was given in the
afternoon, followed by dinner, and then a talk by the Virginia Section
speaker. The two-speaker arrangement ended
in February, 1993 when Dr. Nicholas J. Turro was the only speaker. Who
was the Virginia Section speaker on February 21, 1992 when Dr. Mark Stephen
Wrighton spoke at the Powell Lectureship? Dr. Frederick M. Hawkridge
spoke on "Heme Protein Electron Transfer and
Ligand Binding Reactions."
A new question from the past: Dr. Hawkridge spoke to the Virginia Section
a second time. When and where was his second presentation and what was
his topic then?
Hosted by the Virginia Section
of the American Chemical Society
11:00 A.M., Saturday, August 1, 2009
What’s in our Food,
and Where Does It Come From?
Recently several interrelated issues in
food and agricultural science have been debated in regional and
national contexts: organic farming, the production and
consumption of local foods and “food miles”, soil conservation,
the fate of the family farm, and our national food safety
policy. Interest in this topic has been high recently because of
the a recall of peanut products and the ever-growing interest in
organic foods.
Please join us to learn what scientists are doing to protect our
food supply and encourage healthy and sustainable eating habits.
Our discussion will be accompanied by a delicious complimentary
lunch at the Edible Garden.
Discussion Leaders: Brian Moores, Professor of Chemistry
Emeritus, Randolph-Macon College, and Bruce Dubee, Soil
Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Edible Garden
Restaurant
12506 River Road
Richmond, VA 23238
Edible Garden serves hearty soups,
seasonal salads and fresh sandwiches to customers seeking
something a little different. The approach has been simple: use
the freshest ingredients, provided by local farmers, to create a
combination with delectable results. The true essence of the
food seeps through with each mouthful.
Please let us know you’re coming by
Tuesday, July 28, 2009. Contact Trey Gregory at
TreyGregory03 @
gmail.com or 804-873-2307.
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The University of Virginia Department of
Chemistry is of medium size, combining outstanding physical facilities with
a close-knit community of scholars. With a faculty size of 25, a graduate
student body of about 95, and about 30 research associates, a stimulating
atmosphere strongly encouraging interactive association has been created.
Faculty research areas span a wide range offering a varied program of
courses and research problems. Our 25 faculty members include professors who
are nationally and internationally recognized in their fields. The list of
recent honors received by faculty members includes the Distinguished
Achievement Award in Proteomics from the Human Proteome Organization, the
American Chemical Society's Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic
Chemistry; Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards for excellence in both teaching
and research; Virginia Scientist of the Year awards, a Sloan Foundation
Award, Alexander von Humboldt Research Prizes, an Analytical Chemistry Award
in Chemical Instrumentation, a Presidential Early Career Award for
Scientists and Engineers, a Coblentz Award, and a MacArthur Genius Award.
Recent graduate student national fellowship awards include the Cognis
Corporation Research Fellowship in Colloid and Surface Chemistry, the ACS
Division of Medicinal Chemistry Predoctoral Fellowship Award, The Lilly
Foundation Graduate Fellowship, The Science Application International
Corporation Award and the Achievement Reward for College Scientists.
The goal of graduate study in chemistry
is to develop outstanding young scientists able to make significant
contributions in their chosen fields. A graduate student can expect to have
considerable input in both the design of his or her own degree program as
well as in matters pertaining to the operation of the Department as a whole.
Emphasis is placed on research that contributes to our fundamental body of
knowledge. Also important is the exceptional opportunity to interact not
only with fellow graduate students, research associates and faculty, but
also with outstanding scientists from all parts of the country and world.
This participation in the forefront of scientific discovery prepares the
student for the role of independent contributor to the scientific community.
 Teaching
and research in the Department of Chemistry have been considerably
strengthened in recent years by a number interdisciplinary centers and
programs including Molecular Biophysics, Structural Genomics, Chemical
Physics, Membrane Bound Proteins, Microfluidics, Biomedical Engineering,
Neurosciences and Chemistry of the Universe. These programs, along with
ongoing research in analytical methods, synthetic inorganic and organic
chemistry, spectroscopy and other areas of physical chemistry, provide the
student with a choice of strong research areas over a broad range of the
chemical sciences. The faculty attracts more than $7.5 million yearly in
outside funding to support these programs, an indicator of the vigor of
research being carried out in the Department.
The graduate program is further supported
by an extensive library system. The Barksdale Chemistry Library, established
by private gifts provides fundamental references and resources. Most major
journals and data bases are available on line. Graduate students are
entitled to keys to the building and to the library for research and
reading. Alderman Library has more than 1.6 million books as well as
extensive collections of manuscripts, maps, prints, and microfilms. The
Science and Engineering Library, the large library of the Medical School,
and the Physics Library contain numerous additional books and journals in
chemistry and allied fields.
ChemEd 2009 will be held at
Radford University in Radford, Virginia, August 2-6. This biennial
conference is aimed at improving the teaching of chemistry at all levels.
There will be presentations ranging from hands-on activities for preschool
children through laboratory and classroom activities for AP students in high
school and university research on the teaching of chemistry. Registration
for the conference will be available March 15 - May 15. Dr. Christine
Hermann of Radford University is the Conference Chair (chermann @
radford.edu). For more information, please see the ChemEd 2009 website:
http://www.radford.edu/chemed2009. To
be placed on the conference e-mail list, send an e-mail to chemed2009 @
radford.edu.
Dr. Shelton Bank, Professor Emeritus at
the State University of New York at Albany, died on January 12, 2009. He was
a graduate of Brooklyn College and earned a Ph.D. at Purdue University. His
research interests were varied, ranging from reaction mechanisms to
neurotoxins, environmental pollutants, clays, and NMR spectroscopy. He
authored or coauthored nearly 100 research papers. Dr. Bank spoke to the
Virginia Section on March 10, 1993 in a meeting at the College of William &
Mary in Williamsburg. His topic was "Serendipity
in Chemistry - Was the World Really Flat Before
Columbus?"
Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals Inc. Has
opened a new manufacturing facility in Petersburg. The Synthesis 5 building
is a $150 million investment and has created 150 new jobs. It produces
telmisartan, the active ingredient in the hypertension drug Micardis. The
five-story, 96,000-square-foot plant includes production space,
laboratories, and support space. BI plans
to
 invest
another $110 million in its extensive Petersburg complex. The company is
based in Ingelheim, Germany and has affiliates in 47 countries with a total
of about 39,800 employees.
Three persons who have made presentations
at Virginia Section meetings will receive national awards from the American
Chemical Society:
Sister Mary Virginia Orna is to receive the 2009 ACS Award for
Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society. She spoke to the
Virginia Section on November 17, 1995 at Mary Washington College in
Fredericksburg. Her topic was "The Chemist as
Detective in Examining Art and Artifacts."
Dr. Roald Hoffmann has been named as the recipient of the James T.
Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public. He
addressed the Virginia Section at the University of Richmond's
Powell Lectureship on February 8, 2008, speaking on Antoine and Marie Anne
Lavoisier.
Dr. Glenn Crosby and his wife Jane L. Crosby have received the
Charles Lathrop Parsons Award, the Society=s most prestigious service award.
Dr. Crosby spoke at the University of Richmond on March 19, 1988 on
"All Things Great and Small: Avogadro's
Number and the Concept of the Mole."
 The
photograph is from 2004 when the persons shown were the speakers at the
December 3 meeting of the Virginia Section. At the time they were both
members of the Chemistry Department faculty at Randolph-Macon College. Since
then, one of them has retired (but still teaches part-time). Their
"Evening of Chemical Diversions"
entertained and enlightened the audience with "a
miscellany of startling and amazing chemical phenomena!"
Over 100 persons filled the auditorium at the Copley Science
 Center
for the program.
The "mystery
persons" in the
March issue were Dr. Kristine
Smetana (John Tyler Community College), Dr. Lidia Vallarino (Virginia
Commonwealth University), and Dr. Raymond Dominey (University of Richmond).
The Virginia Academy of Science is
searching for a new Executive Officer. Dr. Jerry Bass is retiring after many
years of service to the Academy. The Executive Officer is the chief
spokesman for the Academy. He or she assists the President , the Executive
Committee, Section officers, and Academy committees with their work. The
Academy is also looking for a new Administrative Assistant and an Editor for
the publication Virginia Scientists. Information on the Academy and the
positions available can be found on their website:
http://www.vaacadsci.org
or call (804) 864-1451.
The Virginia Section gave $5,000 to the
Science Museum of Virginia to support their chemistry exhibits and
demonstrations. In his thank you letter, Mr. Richard C. Conti, Director/CEO
of the Museum, said "The funds will be used for
equipment, supplies, graphics and staffing for our diffusion cloud chamber
and Radical Reactions demonstration. Please pass on our thanks to all the
society members. We will really put this to great use! Thanks so very much!"
The Division of the History of Chemistry
(HIST) presents Citation for Chemical Breakthrough awards. This awards
program was founded by Jeffrey I. Seeman, past HIST chair. The awards
recognize publications, books, and patents in the chemical sciences whose
advances are revolutionary in concept, broad in scope, and long-term in
impact. The photograph shows Dr. Seeman presenting a Breakthrough award to
Dr.
 John
D. Roberts.
left-to-right: Dr. Timothy Swager, Dr. John Roberts,
Dr. Jeffrey Seeman, Dr. Frederick Greene
Editor's Note: Dr. Swager is Chair of the
Chemistry Department at MIT and was the speaker at the Powell Lectureship at
the University of Richmond on Feb. 6, 2009; Dr. Seeman has addressed the
Virginia Section four times and received the Distinguished Service Award in
2007.
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