Double Bond - January 1999

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Double Bond

January 1999








FEBRUARY MEETING

Topic:


Mars: The Living Planet

Speaker:

Barry E. DiGregorio
Science Journalist
Author of "Mars: The Living Planet"

Date:

Wednesday February 24, 1999

Place:

The Eagle House Restaurant

5559 Main St

Williamsville, NY


Fellowship:

6:00 - 7:00 PM Cash Bar

Dinner:

7:00 PM 3 meal choices @ a cost of
$14.00 per person
(1) Open Sliced Top Round of Beef w/ Mushroom Sauce
(2) Roast Turkey Dinner w/Stuffing
(3) Penne Pasta tossed w/olive oil
Reservations: Patty 888-2340 by Friday, February 19, 1999

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Senior Chemists


If you would be interested in serving as a co-chairman of the Senior Chemists please contact Dr. Joseph F. Bieron @ 888-2340



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Editorial



The Executive Committee of the Western New York Section of the ACS wishes the best of times and success for its members in 1999. In addition, I would like to take a moment to especially thank Mike Brewster, the 1998 chair, for his service and stewardship of the local section.

First, an update of the news from our December holiday meeting. We met at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery on December 8, and we were given a presentation by "brew master" Alec Campbell on how beer is produced and a beer tasting. This event was well-attended by some of the student members of our local section; it is my hope and desire to see continued and increased participation by this segment of our membership. Part of my agenda this year is to increase cooperation between student members and the rest of the section, and also to increase the visibility of the activities of our student members, e.g., the volunteer work at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Much of the program for the year is in the process of being arranged. In the last several years, the section has had a tradition of having speakers with subjects attractive to a broad audience. I hope you will find this yearÕs program in a similar spirit. Please mark your calendars for the following speakers. Barry E. DiGregorio, a scientific journalist, will speak on"Mars: The Living Planet" on Feb. 24, 1999 (note this is a Wednesday; for further details see this issue and the next of the Double Bond). ACS Tour speakers are slated for March and October.

On March 16, 1999, Professor George Bodner of Purdue will speak on "Why Do Some Cans of Bud Light Float in a Commode? What We Can Learn By Listening to Students." On October 19, 1999, former ACS President Dr. Helen M. Free of Bayer, Inc., in Elkhart, Indiana, will speak to us (in Batavia) on "Science and Health is More Than Taking Medicine When YouÕre Sick".

We will also hold our traditional Education Night in April and the Schoellkopf Banquet in May. I highly encourage you to attend as many of these events as possible, and I would especially be thankful for any suggestions you have for the program for the Fall. I can be contacted by email (twood@asu.buffalo.edu) and by phone at 645-6800 Ext. 2176.

On a broader perspective, the first International Chemistry Celebration (IChC) is being held this year up through National Chemistry Week in November. For local sections of ACS, events are intended to focus the community toward the world of chemistry and/or international themes in chemistry. With our geographic location at the border with Canada, we are in a special position to interact with our Canadian chemistry colleagues in IChC. Now is the time to start planning our IChC event for the Fall (possibly National Chemistry Week). If there is anyone with special interest in participating on the local IChC committee, please contact me at your earliest convenience. This event promises to provide media attention to chemistry activities on both sides of the Niagara River, and it is an opportunity on which we should capitalize.

I look forward to working with all the local section members. I hope that we will see some new faces interested in taking on a more active role in the sectionÕs activities. Please, do not hesitate to contact me with ideas and suggestions.

Troy Wood

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About the Speaker:

Barry E. DiGregorio is a science journalist and author of the book "Mars: The Living Planet" in which he examines the various tests used on the Viking mission to analyze Martian soil for life, including chemical and biological tests. Mr. DiGregorioÕs talk will assess the results and interpretations of the chemical tests (e.g., gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and biological tests (e.g., labelled release experiment). His analysis leads to the thought-provoking conclusion that Viking has already discovered microbial life on Mars. A detailed abstract of the talk and Mr. DiGregorioÕs biography will appear in next monthÕs Double Bond.



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ACS Regional Meetings Issue Calls for Papers



 The four ACS regional meetings scheduled for Fall, 1999, have issued their calls for papers. Persons interested in submitting papers in any field of chemistry to any or all of the meetings listed bellow are urged to do so. ACS regional meetings offer ACS members and others an excellent venue for sharing their research. Industrialists, academics, and graduate and undergraduate students are all welcome to participate in regional meeting programming. All abstracts (original plus two copies) should be submitted on the standard ACS abstract form, which may be accessed from http://www.acs.org/meetings/abstract/abinfo.html.

The 35th Western Regional Meeting will be held at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, CA, October 6 - 8. The theme of the meeting is "A Tribute to Past Accomplishments and A Look at Future Technologies for the New Millennium". The meeting will feature the 50th anniversary celebration of the San Gorgonio Section, which is hosting the meeting, a tour of the Beckman Heritage Foundation, and a tour of the Sunkist Research Center, in addition to other special events and symposia. Selected topics for paper or poster presentation include: Agricultural/Food Chemistry, Analytical, Applied Spectroscopy, Bioorganic/Bioinorganic, Biopolymers, Biotechnology, Ceramics, Clinical Chemistry, Conductive Polymers, Controlled Drug Release, Electrochemistry, Energetic Materials, Environmental Analysis, Flavor/Fragrance, General Chemistry, Inorganic, Langmuir-Blodgett-Kuhn Films, Microbiology, Minority Affairs, Molecular Biology, Natural Products, Nonlinear Optical Polymers, Organic, Oganometallics, Pharmacology, Physical, Polymers, Self-Assembly of Thin Films, Sensory/Olfactory Perception, Therapeutics, Thermoplastics, Thermosets, and Women in Chemistry. Abstracts are due May 15 and should be submitted to either Peter Zarras, NAWCWD, Materials Synthesis Section, Code 4B2200D, China Lake, CA 93555-6100, (760) 939-1396 (P); (760-939-1617 (F); peter_zarras@imdgw.chinalake.navy.mil or Eric D. Erickson, NAWCWD, Materials Characterization Section, Code 4B2300D, China Lake, CA 93555-6100, (760) 939-1638 (P); (760) 939-1617 (F); eric_erickson@imdgw.chinalake.navy.mil.

The 51st Southeast Regional Meeting, hosted by the East Tennessee Section, will be held at the Hyatt Regency, Knoxville, TN October 17 - 20. This return of SERMACS to East Tennessee celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the first SERMACS, which occurred here in 1949. SERMACS-99 will feature exciting science from throughout the region, including 23 topical symposia, general sessions in key divisions, and an undergraduate Meeting in Miniature. Although this is nominally a "regional" meeting, many of the symposia will provide a national and international forum for establishing and advancing the state-of-the-art in critical research areas. Along these lines, a plenary "Lind Lecture" will be provided by National Academy of Sciences member Richard Zare (Stanford) on "What Can Chemists Tell Us About the Origin of Life?" An extensive vendor exposition, attractive family programs, and a variety of educational and training workshops are planned to complement the technical program. Abstracts are due May 15.

Interested parties should contact Chuck Feigerle, University of Tennessee, Department of Chemistry, Knoxville, TN 37996; (423) 974-2129 (P); figerle@utk.edu) or Kelsey Cook, University of Tennessee, Department of Chemistry, Knoxville 37996; (423) 974- 8019 (P); kcook@utk.edu) or visit the SERMACS 99 web site, http://www.sermacs99.org/ for further information.

The Joint 55th Southwest/15th Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting, hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Section, will be held at the Paso del Norte Hotel in El Paso, TX, October 21 -23. The SWARM 1999 meeting will feature a variety of interdisciplinary symposia including Materials and Art, Interfacial Phenomena, High Temperature Superconductors, Nuclear Waste- Treatment, Storage, and Disposal, and NMR in Biology. Additional symposia are planned on New Reactions and Processes in Organic Synthesis, Heterocyclic Chemistry, Main Group Organometallic Compounds, Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Education, and Chemistry and Community Colleges. Abstracts are due by May 17 and should be directed to R. H. Hoffman, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003; (505) 646-2505 (P); (505) 646-7691 (F); rhoffman@NMSU.Edu The 34th Midwest Regional Meeting, hosted by the Mark Twain Section, will be held at the Oakley-Lindsay Convention Center in Quincy, IL, October 27 - 29. The meeting will feature eight symposia, including Chemical Education and the Web, Analytical Chemistry in the 21st Century, and Green Chemistry. A variety of special events and programs, including a Chemical Demonstration, are also being planned. General technical papers, for either oral or poster presentations, in all areas of chemistry, are solicited and encouraged. Abstracts are due by June 15 and should be directed to either H. David Wohlers, Truman State University Science Hall, 100 East Normal, Kirksville, MO 63501; (660) 785-4625 (P); (660) 785-4045 (F); wohlers@truman.edu or Dana Delaware, Truman State University, Science Hall, 100 East Normal, Kirksville, MO 63501; (660) 785-4622 (P); (660) 785-4045 (F); ddelaware@truman.edu.

We look forward to your participation in a strong and successful regional meeting season. As always, research advisors are urged to encourage their graduate students and research associates to participate.

For further information about regional meetings, please call the ACS Office of Regional Meetings at 1-800-227-5558, ext. 4608.


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R.E.A.C.T.


If you need any information please call:

Karen Arnold 884-5894 (one week prior to workshop)



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GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE



Now available from ACSÑan updated pamphlet that details the science behind global climate change. The 12-page pamphlet is written for the educated nonscientist.

Single copies of this publication are free and may be obtained by writing to American Chemical Society, Office of Legislative and Government Affairs, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Room 330, Washington, DC 20036, phoning 202/872-4386, or e-mailing govtrelations@acs.org.


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CAREER RESOURCE CENTER AT ACS NATIONAL MEETING ANAHEIM '99




Visit the ACS Career Resource Center (CRC) at the National Meeting in Anaheim (Hall C Anaheim Convention Center) open 1 - 7 PM, Sunday, March 20, and from 8 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Wednesday, March 21-24.

The Center will sponsor a myriad of professional development programs and services. A National Employment Clearing House offers employers and job seekers who have registered for the meeting an opportunity to participate in on site screening interviews for current job openings. Database searches will be available on site for employers to search profiles of job seekers and for job seekers to search job postings. Advance sign-up (deadline February 26) is accessible only through the Career Services Web site at http://www.acs.org/careers. After this date, employers and job seekers must sign-up on site.

Members can take full advantage of the National Employment Clearing House (NECH) and be steps away from free presentations on topics related to career self-management. One-hour topical sessions include Resume Writing, Interviewing Skills, Network or Not Work, Employment Trends in Chemistry, and Guidance for Foreign Born Chemists in the U.S. Many sessions will be repeated. Mock Interview Sessions and Resume Review and Career Assistance Sessions will also be offered by appointment. A resource library featuring employment resource will also be available.

Special programs for undergraduates, graduates, and younger chemists will be offered. On Monday, March 22, from 8:30 AM to Noon, Effective Job Searching For Graduate Students & Younger Chemists. (Fee: $25, pre-registration is strongly encouraged by March 12, k_dyson@acs.org). On Saturday, March 20, ACS Student Affiliates will cosponsor "ItÕs Your Career Ñ Take Charge", which focuses on skills and strategies for undergraduates preparing to enter the job market

For more information about the workshops and programs offered through the Department of Career Services, call ACS Career Services, 800-227-5558, extension 4432 or send an E-mail to: career@acs.org



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ON-LINE PROFESSIONAL DATA BANK




The ACS Department of Career Services is pleased to announce the release of the On-line Professional Data Bank (PDB). The Online PDB gives members a free and easy way to post their skills, experience, and areas of interest in a searchable database. Employers use this Internet recruiting tool when searching for candidates to fill their open positionsÑthey know theyÕll find skilled chemical professionals among the membership of the ACS. No other scientific society offers a career management service of such value to its members.

Members facing a job change or considering making a career transition should try the On-line PDBÑitÕs free, itÕs state-of-the-art, and itÕs entirely confidential. Candidates may choose to maintain an active listing (where their profile is posted immediately to a searchable database) or remain inactive for awhile (the profile is saved until the candidate wishes to switch to the active listing). All communication between employers and candidates is handled through an e-mail system created just for the PDB. Using the latest technology, candidate profiles can not be viewed by other usersÑonly qualified employers who register with the ACS may gain access to the database. And an additional confidentiality option allows members to block their contact information and creates a blind e-mail addressÑno need to worry about your boss finding you on the systemÑso even members currently employed can use the system without risk.

A new landscape is developing in todayÕs employment climate; to keep oneÕs footing, chemists need to develop their own career management plan. Lifelong employment with one organization has become a retreating reality. Employment data support the prediction that job changes will become more frequent, and more members will start their careers as temporary employees. Career self-management is a necessity for all chemists. Check out the newest addition to the menu of career management tools available from ACS and take advantage of your member benefits. Available through Chem Center at http://www.chemcenter.org



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