Chair's Message
Ronald Castellano, 2007 Chair
Department of Chemistry
University of
Phone: (352) 392-2752
E-mail: castellano@chem.ufl.edu
Greetings everyone!
I am pleased to be sending you this update as the new Chair of FLACS. First off, join me in extending a hearty “thank you” to Dr. Jeff Keaffaber who served in this capacity during 2006.
I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the mission that many of us share to educate and mentor the younger generations in the chemical sciences. The opportunities couldn’t be greater, and the stakes in a global economy higher. Our students will not only be responsible for pushing back the frontiers of science, but also for using chemical approaches to solve important problems in the health, environmental, and energy sciences. Academicians, contributing at the earliest grade levels, need the resources and infrastructure to best turn our youth onto chemistry, and prepare them for current and emergent challenges. Finally, more than ever, we need to effectively communicate to the public and policy makers why scientific research and education must be a top priority.
The Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (FAME) plays a role in this enterprise and planning for the 2007 event is well underway. Our goal is to capitalize on the momentum generated from last year’s very successful event. FAME will again be held at the Renaissance Orlando Hotel - Airport (May 10-12th, 2007). The hotel and their staff served our needs perfectly in 2006, and they have promised to do so again, this time with completely renovated meeting space!
I am also happy to report that the local section will be promoting Earth Day, National Chemistry Week, the Chemistry Olympiad, and various local outreach events. If there are other activities that you or your organizations feel that we could participate or advocate, please let me know. The current officer information is available on this website.
Finally, I would like to welcome Dr. Wei Yang from Florida State University as our Section’s Chair-Elect Designate. Wei began his four-year term in January 2007.
I look forward to your comments and dialogue. Please feel free to contact me at castellano@chem.ufl.edu.
Best wishes for a happy and productive 2007!
Ronald K. Castellano, Chair, Florida Section of the ACS