WCC Open Meeting

At the 2008 ACS National Meeting in Philadelphia, the Women Chemists Committee (WCC) hosted an Open Meeting, which also included a reception for local WCC networking.  We were pleased to have several cosponsors for this event including the ACS Philadelphia Local Section, the Chemical Heritage Foundation as well as Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. As part of the theme of the meeting, “Celebrating Women in Chemistry”, there were two main programming events.

First, Kathy Shaginaw, ACS Philadelphia Local Section WCC Chair, presented a highlight of their current local section events. It was with great sorrow that we noted the recent passing of Deborah E. Kilmartin, a strong supporter of the WCC and past chair of the Philadelphia Section. Kathy gave a very poignant reflection of Deborah’s devotion to encouraging young women into the field of science. Deborah often participated in the Chemist in the Classroom Program at many schools in the area as well as volunteering each year for the local Expanding Your Horizons workshops. It was also special to have Deborah’s sister and niece with us during the meeting to celebrate her life.

For the second half of the meeting, Hilary Domush from the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) gave a presentation on their new oral history project, “Women in Chemistry".  CHF's mission is to preserve and promote science - particularly the chemical sciences.  This is carried out through a variety of means including collections, rare books, artwork, personal papers, and oral histories. As part of the evening, Hilary provided posters describing this project and a blank poster for people to make suggestions for future interviewees.

The WCC is planning a similar event on Saturday evening in Salt Lake City, so be sure to check the WCC website for details. While visiting the WCC website, check to see that we have current e-mail addresses for the leadership of your local WCC and inform Judith Cohen, jcohen@crdus.jnj.com, of any updates.

-Judy Cohen

 
WCC Open Meeting

Photo courtesy of Janet Bryant

Kathy Shaginaw

Photo courtesy of Janet Bryant