President's Message
John Malin, 2007 CSW President

It's a pleasure to share this perspective on CSW activities during the first half of 2007. So far this year we have held five stimulating dinner meetings, beginning with January's experimental "Science Café" event at the Chemistry Department of the University of Maryland. Our speaker was Dr. Howard Peters whose talk on "Chocolate: Food of the Gods" had everyone coming back for more. February's speaker was National Geographic Society's Dr. Spencer Wells describing the DNA Ancestry Project - in which we all were invited to participate. In March, Dr. Robert Tycko of NIH, CSW's Hillebrand Award Recipient, told us about his award-winning research on "Molecular Structure of Amyloid Fibrils (Why I Like Solid-State NMR)." In April, CSW hosted ACS President Dr. Katie Hunt who challenged us to begin "Reigniting our Commitment to Science and Technology: Education, Collaboration and Innovation." In May, Dr. Joseph Coates, Consulting Futurist and CSW member, gave his reflections on "The Future of Chemistry as seen in 1970-93: Can We Predict Scientific Advances?" My forecast is that future dinner meetings this year will be equally stimulating. Watch for announcements in the Capital Chemist!

CSW has continued its fine Awards Program, recognizing excellence in scientific research, education and service by seeking nominations for its Hillebrand, Leo Schubert, Gordon and Community Service Awards. Names of recipients will be announced later this year. Our Section also submits nominations for the E. Emmet Reid Award presented annually by the Middle Atlantic Region.

Of course, CSW is amply represented in regional and national ACS affairs. We send an active contingent of Councilors to each ACS National Meeting and we participate in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM). This October, Chemical Society of Washington and the Western Maryland Section will partner with the Maryland Section which is organizing a symposium on alternative energy sources. Please see elsewhere in this issue of the Capital Chemist for details. Be sure to watch future issues for information about a springtime 2008 all-day symposium on careers in Chemical Toxicology, organized by the CSW team that produced last year's highly successful event "Forensic Chemistry in Action."

Special mention must be made of CSW's activities in education and public outreach. Project Seed, which helps economically disadvantaged high school students to experience scientific research first-hand by creating summer job opportunities in research labs, is having a great year. In 2007 the Project Seed Committee has placed three students in local laboratories for the summer. Our Section sent judges to at least five local science fairs and participated in Earth Day, Chemagination and Chemathon programs.

Chemical Society of Washington maintains contact with the public through National Chemistry Week activities and its committees on public relations and public affairs. We stay in touch with our members through a Website http://membership.acs.org/W/WashDC/ or www.csw-acs.org and by publication of the Capital Chemist. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with the dedicated individuals who carry out these activities, of which all CSW members can be proud.