Eastern New York ACS Newsletter

Local Section Meeting October 14, 2009

2009-10-13T09:15:00.001-04:00

Wednesday October 14, 2009 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
257 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12205 (map)

Location: Italian American Community Center, (518) 456-0292

Speaker: Dr. James Doyle of Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Topic: "Nanotechnology: Are there any Perils?"

Agenda:
5:30 - 6:30 – Registration, networking, and appetizers
6:30 - 7:30 – Dinner
7:30 – 8:00 – Local Section Business
8:00 – 9:00 – Seminar

Register:
Make dinner reservations by NOON Monday October 12, 2009
Please contact Jeffrey Thorn, Arrangements Chair
Email: jthorn@dot.state.ny.us
Phone: 518-485-7555

Cost:
For at least he remainder of 2009 we will use the following reduced costs for dinner.

Dinner will be $20 per member or guest, $5 for full time graduate and undergraduate students. We would like Professors and everyone to encourage student attendance for our monthly meetings.

Menu:
Appetizers
TBD & Cash Bar
Dinner Buffet
Mixed Green Salad with House Dressing, Chicken Parmigiana, Baked Scrod with
Lemon Wine Sauce, Penne w/ Tomato Sauce, Sauteed Vegetable Medley, Eggplant Rollatini

Dessert
Pastry & Cookie Trays
Coffee & Tea

Directions:
Please see (map) link to Google Maps above; www.italianamerican.com

Next Local Section Meeting - September 16th

2009-09-02T09:44:00.001-04:00

Wednesday September 16, 2009 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Location: SI Group

2750 Balltown Road, Schenectady, NY 12301 (map)

Speaker: Dr. John Fortman

"America's FUNNIEST Chemical Videos: Dazzling demos and Videotaped Bloopers "

Through the years, Dr. Fortman has collected and edited many misadventures that Rubin Battino and he experienced in doing demonstration shows that were videotaped live. Difficulties encountered in the studio preparation of our three-hour set of videotaped demonstrations were also saved. These will make up one part of these showings. Gil Haight has given permission to show portions of his Haightful Perils of Teaching which are spectacular in spite of technical problems. A videotape of Hubert Alyea doing his Old Nassau demonstration will be shown along with some tapes of others such as Bassam Shakhashiri and Ron Perkins caught in live demonstrations that presented problems. Portions of demonstrations by the Weird Science group will also be shown.

Speaker Biography:

John Fortman, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Wright State University, is the recipient of the 2007 Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach. With Rubin Battino, Fortman has produced a seven DVD set which contains ten hours of chemical demonstrations for use at middle school through college levels plus a live show and blooper outtakes. For over 30 years Fortman has performed chemistry demonstration outreach shows for middle and high school students in the Dayton area. In retirement, Fortman continues to inspire and fascinate over 8000 students each year with at least 17 shows. John has been an ACS member since 1962 and was Councilor for the Dayton Local Section from 1996 to 2004. He became an ACS Tour Speaker in 1991. In 1998 he was appointed the Robert J. Kegerreis Distinguished Professor of Teaching and won seven teaching awards at Wright State University. In 1998 he received the CMA Catalyst Award for Outstanding Teaching of College Chemistry. He has published over 50 papers in chemical education in addition to his research publications.

Agenda:
5:30 - 6:30 – Registration, networking, and appetizers, cash bar
6:30 - 7:30 – Dinner
7:30 – 8:00 – Local Section Business
8:00 – 9:00 – Seminar

Register:
Make dinner reservations by Monday September 15, 2009
Please contact Jeffrey Thorn, Arrangements Chair
Email: jthorn@dot.state.ny.us
Phone: 518-485-7555

Cost:
For at least he remainder of 2009 we will use the following reduced costs for dinner.
Dinner will be $20 per member or guest, $5 for full time graduate and undergraduate students. We would like Professors and everyone to encourage student attendance for our monthly meetings.

Check Out Our New Home Page!

2009-08-27T10:21:00.003-04:00

The Eastern New York Section of ACS has a new Internet Home Page! Click here to see our new site.

Along with a new, simple domain name, the site has a number of great features. If you already have a login ID with the National ACS site, you can use the same information to log into our Local Section. Alternately, you can create new login information.

All the key information about the Local Section, including upcoming events, Officer, Councilor and Committee Chair Contact information, News and Photos are posted on the new site.

The 238th Fall National Meeting, Washington, DC, August 16-20, 2009

2009-07-20T15:35:00.000-04:00

The online technical program and the technical program summary grids are available on the Fall National Meeting website at www.acs.org > Meetings. The overarching theme for the Fall Meeting is "Chemistry and Global Security: Challenges & Opportunities." The challenges and opportunities for chemistry and global security will be explored from several perspectives as part of the Presidential Plenary Symposium. Divisions have organized 113 symposia on subthemes including: Chemistry and Global Security, Education and Careers, Emerging Technologies, Energy and Sustainability, Food Safety and Environment, and Funding Opportunities. Visit the meetings website to preview the symposia and poster sessions that the divisions are sponsoring and plan your itinerary in advance of the meeting.

While at the meeting, make plans to visit the highly anticipated Exposition from Sunday to Wednesday. The Exposition will feature more than 250 companies and 400 booths. Attendees will learn about scientific and industrial trends, discover effective technologies and services that may improve productivity, and network with chemical and industrial scientists. Visit the Exposition website at www.acs.org > Meetings to search the exhibitor directory, find information on special events and to sign up for free educational workshops.

As always, the Fall National Meeting will feature the Career Fair and offer career assistance services, professional development workshops and short courses, along with numerous social and networking opportunities. Visit www.acs.org/washingtondc2009 > “Careers & Education” and “Events & Activities” for more information.

Don’t miss the benefits of attending the ACS Fall National Meeting. Make plans to attend and visit the Fall National Meeting website for further details at www.acs.org/washingtondc2009

Grow Your Outreach – Establish Ties with an ACS High School Chemistry Club

2009-07-20T15:21:00.002-04:00

Local sections may grow their outreach in area high schools by establishing a partnership with their area ACS High School Chemistry Club and playing a tremendous role in supporting these clubs and teachers who sponsor them. The ACS High School Chemistry Clubs program provides opportunities for students to cultivate their interest in chemistry beyond the classroom. There are over 180 clubs across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The ACS Education Division provides organizational support for these clubs such as start-up handbooks and ideas for activities throughout the year. To find the ACS High School Chemistry Clubs in your area check out the ChemClub Directory at www.acs.org/chemclub.

How can your Local Section support your area High School Chemistry Club?

Invite your local High School Chemistry Club sponsors and students to participate in National Chemistry Week or Chemists Celebrate Earth Day activities.
Invite your local High School Chemistry Club to attend a Speaker Service program, Science Café, or Meeting.
Organize a symposium about the diversity of careers in chemistry
Plan and co-sponsor a community outreach event
Provide small grants for High School Chemistry Clubs in your area.
Apply for an Innovative Project Grant to provide an activity for a High School Chemistry Club.

To find out more about the out about the ACS High School Chemistry Club program please contact hschemclubs@acs.org

ACS Small & Medium Business Webinar Series August 27, 2009 at 2:00-3:00pm ET.

2009-07-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

“What You Need To Know About Changes in VC Landscape and Capital Raising Process”

A half-hour presentation followed by Q&A with speaker Josh Wolfe, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Lux Capital, a venture capital firm focused on founding, seed and early stage investments in the physical and life sciences. Tired of waiting for investors? Want to start building your company? Raising capital is by far the most unpleasant task entrepreneurs and small businesses will ever have to perform. The landscape for venture capital funding has also shifted in the last year. This is an opportunity for scientists, professionals, entrepreneurs, and small/medium businesses to learn first hand from an experienced venture capitalist and scientist on how to successfully adapt to changes to the capital raising process. Join us to learn how to find the right funding sources and the venture capitals that can be your partners to success.

To register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/715740658

Mini-Grants Awarded to Collaborative Activities

2009-05-15T10:59:00.001-04:00

The latest winners of the Equipping the 2015 Chemical Technology Workforce mini-grants were announced at the ACS 237th National Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. The $500 mini-grants help members of industry, academia, workforce development groups, and professional organizations implement activities that support the education or professional development of the over 350,000 applied chemical technology professionals in the chemical enterprise.

Equipping the 2015 Chemical Technology Workforce is proud to help support these activities:

Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants at the University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) for an all-day workshop on the latest techniques in analyzing local water for pharmaceuticals and other persistent organic contaminants. Students, technicians, and other academic and industry representatives will have the opportunity to interact and learn about these emerging hazards. Contacts made during the workshop will be used to form a Water Chemistry Alliance.

Bidwell Training Center (Pittsburgh, PA) for an all-day student retreat to focus on employability skills. The retreat will feature a panel discussion with industry representatives, resume reviews, and mock interviews. Students will have the opportunity to interact with local employers and learn about industry needs.

The deadline for the next round of mini-grants is Monday, 20 July 2009. Winners of the second round of 2009 mini-grants will be announced at the 238th ACS National Meeting in Washington, DC.

For more information on Equipping the 2015 Chemical Technology Workforce, visit www.acs.org (follow the path, Funding & Awards > Grants > Chemical Technology Partnership), call 202-872-6108, or email ChemTechLinks@acs.org.

Green Chemistry Conference Adds Special Tours to Agenda

2009-05-15T10:56:00.000-04:00

Organizers for the 13th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, June 23-25, in College Park, Md, have added two special post-conference tours to the options menu for attendees.

On Friday morning, June 26, conference attendees have a choice between two outings – a private behind-the-scenes tour of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C., and a tour of the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP), which treats water for Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland and Northern Virginia.

The engraving and printing guided tour includes presentations on plate-making, currency printing, and the wastewater treatment plant. The minimum age for the tour is 18. A photo i.d. and closed-toe shoes are required. The facility is NOT wheelchair accessible.

The Blue Plains AWTP is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility of its type in the world. The guided tour includes overviews of the basic treatment processes – including “denitrification" – from the time the water enters the plant, to the removal of biosolids, to the eventual discharge of the water.

Cost for either of the tours is $10 per person.

Earlier, the organizing committee provided another incentive for people to attend the conference by extending the deadline for early-bird registration to May 13. Early-bird registration offers attendees a saving of anywhere from $60 - $160.

The conference features seven separate tracks based around the National Academy of Sciences’ 2006 report, “Sustainability in the Chemical Industry: Grand Challenges and Research Needs.”

Visit www.gcande.org to register, reserve housing, view this year’s technical program, and register for one of the special tours.

New Website for ACS Members in Industry

2009-05-15T10:51:00.001-04:00

To focus on the specific information needs of chemists and chemical engineers working in industry, ACS Industry Member Programs has launched a new web site, Boil This Down.

Once, the challenge was getting access to information; today, we're drowning in information. Boil This Down will separate the wheat from the chaff, so you can quickly access the information you need to be successful:

Quickly grasp the Top News of the day affecting chemists and chemical engineers employed by industry (as reported by the world's top scientific and business publications)
Provide ACS industry members employed by small and mid-size companies with information targeting their specific needs.
Highlight Featured Articles published in scientific and business publications that help you become a better manager and scientist, and
Identify and access the ACS programs, products, and services of greatest value to the Society's industry members.

The site has many rich features that allow you to comment on articles, rate them, and share or post them to other sites. The interactivity of the site was purposefully designed to allow for a continuous process of improvement through readers' comments and ratings of the various articles, features and ACS programs. Please visit Boil This Down at http://boilthisdown.org and let us know what you think.

ENY ACS May Monthly Meeting and Awards Dinner

2009-05-15T10:45:00.001-04:00

Our annual awards dinner will be held on May 20th at the Surrey Williamson Inn on the Skidmore College Campus. We will present awards to our 50 and 60 year members and the winner of our high school teacher of the year award.

AGENDA:

5:30 - 6:30 – Registration, networking, and appetizers, cash bar

6:30 - 7:30 – Dinner

7:30 – 8:00 – Local Section Business

8:00 – 9:00 – Award Presentations

REGISTER:

Make dinner reservations by Monday May 18, 2009

Please contact Jeffrey Thorn, Arrangements Chair

Email: jthorn@dot.state.ny.us

Phone: 518.485.7555

COST:

Dinner will be $25 per member or guest, $15 for full time graduate and undergraduate students

April Undergraduate Research Night at Siena College

2009-04-21T10:51:00.005-04:00

ENY ACS sponsored an Undergraduate Research Poster Session on April 15th, hosted by Siena College. Almost 30 students represented RPI, Siena College, Skidmore College and Union College.

The evening was a tremendous success for promoting some fantastic work by area college researchers. It had been a number of years since the ENY ACS Local Section sponsored an Undergraduate Research Night. Thanks to everyone who presented and attended, this is sure to be an annual event.

In addition to the posters, three oral presentations were given to conclude the evening.

Taela Durst – Siena College

Kinetic Studies of the Release of Methylene Blue Dye in Water from PAH/PAA Multilayer Thin Films

Jason Marion – Siena College

Layer-by-Layer Self Assembled Thin Film Materials Using Conventional and Microwave Assisted Techniques

Stephen McCarron – Siena College

Assembled Nanoparticle Films with Disubstituted Dibenzocrown Ether Derivatives as Sensors for Metal Ions

Buck-Whitney Award – Eastern New York ACS

2009-04-21T10:34:00.002-04:00

The Eastern New York section of the American Chemical Society is soliciting nominations for the Buck-Whitney Medal to recognize original work in pure or applied chemistry. This award honors two of the section's deceased members, Johannes S. Buck, former Associate Research Director of the former Sterling-Winthrop Research Institute and, Willis R. Whitney, the first Director of the General Electric Research Laboratory.

The nominee must have made outstanding contributions to chemistry and be a resident of North America. We are interested primarily in identifying a chemist whose work has not yet received a significant national or international award, and whose career will be advanced by such recognition. A bronze medal and citation, an honorarium of $1000, and a grant toward the travel expenses of the recipient to address our local section will be offered. The nominee's work can be in either experimental or theoretical aspects of any field of pure or applied chemistry.

To nominate someone, please provide the nominee's name and affiliation and list the specific contributions of the nominee to chemistry, including a description of his or her accomplishments. Your nominations will be reviewed by the Awards Committee who will forward the name of the chosen candidate to the Chair and the Executive Committee of the Eastern New York Section for approval.

Nominations for the Buck-Whitney Medal should be mailed by May 15, 2009 to: Michael Hagerman, Buck-Whitney Award Committee Chair, Department of Chemistry, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308.

Click here for a more information on the Buck-Whitney Award and a list of previous Award Recipients.

Iota Sigma Pi Officer Elections April 30, 2009

2009-04-14T15:41:00.004-04:00

On April 30th the local Cadmium Chapter of ISP elect the new officers and install them in office. This will take place in the Boardroom of the Classroom Bldg at the Albany College of Pharmacy at 7:00pm on April 30th.

Interested in joining ISP?

Iota Sigma Pi (ISP) is a national honor society for women in chemistry. The group’s mission is:

to promote interest in chemistry among women students
to foster mutual advancement in academic, business, and social life
to stimulate personal accomplishment in chemical fields

More information on ISP can be found on their website at http://www.iotasigmapi.info/

If you are interested in joining ISP, please attend the meeting on April 30^th. Students need a one-time $40.00 check or Professionals need a one-time $75.00 check. Please respond to Sunanda Sukumar by e-mail Sunanda.Sukumar@acphs.edu to RSVP for the meeting.

Directions:

From the North: Take I-87 South to I-90 East (exit 1E). Follow I-90 to Route 85 (exit 4). Follow directions below.* From the South or West: Take the New York State Thruway to exit 24. Continue on I-90 East after the toll-booths to Route 85 (exit 4). Follow directions below.*

From the East: Take I-90 West to Route 85 (exit 4). Follow directions below.*

*Take Route 85 to the Krumkill Road exit (approximately 1.5 miles). Turn left at the light at the top of the ramp onto Krumkill Road. Turn right at the first light and take Krumkill Road to New Scotland Avenue. Turn left onto New Scotland Avenue. Travel approximately 1.5 miles on New Scotland to ACPHS and turn right into the visitors parking entrance. The visitors parking entrance is located at the west end of the O'Brien Building, immediately after the New York State Department of Health's Axelrod Institute. Follow the driveway in front of ACPHS to the designated parking area.

Directions to the ACPHS Student Center, Classroom Building and Albert M. White Gymnasium.

Follow the directions above but do not turn into the ACPHS visitors parking entrance on New Scotland Avenue. Proceed to the light immediately after ACPHS at the intersection of New Scotland Avenue and Holland Avenue. Turn right onto Holland Avenue. Travel about 1/8 of a mile and turn right onto Notre Dame Drive. Turn right on Union Drive and follow the signs for Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences parking.

Announcement: April 7 Career Panel for Undergraduates in Chemical/Biological Sciences and Iota Sigma Pi Elections

2009-04-03T11:54:00.001-04:00

Undergraduates may have many questions about pursuing their passion in this tough economic climate, such as 'How do I manage a chemistry career in a challenging job market?' or 'How can I use my degree in a job other than research?' of 'How could I plan for career moves between research, technical writing, law, and education?'

All those interested in discussing these questions and more are invited to a Panel Discussion on Careers in Chemical Sciences featuring professionals in the chemical/biological sciences within government, industry, and academia.

The panelists will include:
Ricki Lewis, Science Writer and Adjunct Professor at the Alden March Bioethics Institute
Carrie Kirkton, New York State Crime Lab
David Gascoyne, Chemist, GE Global Research
Nancy Baum Delain, Esq., Registered Patent Attorney, Delain Law Office.

7-8:30pm, Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Milano Lounge, Hale House, Union College
Complementary food and drinks will be offered.
RSVP to Amanda Misner (misnerk@union.edu) or Sunanda Sukumar
(sunanda.sukumar@acphs.edu) to receive more detailed parking info and directions.

Iota Sigma Pi Members: We will also be holding annual elections at this meeting. If you cannot attend but would like to vote, contact Sunanda Sukumar (sunanda.sukumar@acphs.edu)

Eastern New York Local Section Undergraduate Research Night

2009-03-24T20:06:00.005-04:00

The local section is pleased to announce our Undergraduate Research night on April 15th at Siena College. We'll have approximately 25 posters presented by local students and three oral presentations.

FEATURED AUTHORS:

Jason Marion – Siena College
Layer-by-Layer Self Assembled Thin Film Materials Using Conventional and Microwave Assisted Techniques

Stephen McCarron – Siena College
Assembled Nanoparticle Films with Disubstituted Dibenzocrown Ether Derivatives as Sensors for Metal Ions

Taela Durst – Siena College
Kinetic Studies of the Release of Methylene Blue Dye in Water from PAH/PAA Multilayer Thin Films

Check the Eastern New York Local Section website for details on registering for the meeting.

LOCATION:

Siena College
515 Loudon Rd
Loudonville, NY 12211-1462
West Room, Serra Dining Hall

AGENDA:

5:00 - 5:30 - Guided tours of Siena Chemistry Dept.
5:30 - 6:30 – Registration, networking, and appetizers & Poster Session
6:30 - 7:30 – Dinner
7:30 – 8:00 – Local Section Business
8:00 – 9:00 – Undergrad Research Oral Presentations

Grants Available for Green Chemistry Research

2009-03-19T15:47:00.001-04:00

Green chemistry researchers could get a boost from the recently approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“Green chemistry and engineering for drug discovery, development and production” has been identified by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences as one of the specific challenge topics for the $200 million “NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research” initiative, which is part of the recovery and reinvestment act.

Award grants of up to $1 million each are available to help quickly advance the area in significant ways.

March 27-April 27 is the submission timeline for RFAs (requests for applications).

The Challenge Grant RFA is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-003.html .

A complete list of NIGMS Challenge Topics can be found at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/ChallengeAreas.htm. The green chemistry and engineering topic area is listed as 06-GM-109.

Considering a Career in High School Chemistry Teaching?

2009-03-19T15:37:00.000-04:00

The ACS-Hach Second Career Teach Scholarship is awarded to chemists interested in pursuing a Masters degree in education or becoming certified as a chemistry/science teacher. Scholarship recipients receive $6,000 for full-time study and $3,000 for part-time. Applications are due on April 1, 2009. To learn more about this exciting scholarship program, go to www.acs.org > Funding & Awards > Scholarships.

ACS Offers Special Benefits for Unemployed Members

2009-03-19T13:24:00.003-04:00

During these tough economic times it’s more important than ever to belong to the American Chemical Society. Unemployed members can tap into a host of valuable benefits and services that help them get back in the workforce. And, members in good standing may qualify for an unemployed member dues waiver, allowing them to renew their memberships and keep their member benefits at no cost. Contact ACS at service@acs.org, 800-333-9511 or 614-447-3671 for complete details.

Other valuable benefits that help ACS member get back in the workforce include:

Free registration at ACS National Meetings and registration fees at Regional Meetings of just $25. Meetings offer ACS Career Fairs with on-site interviews.
Special discounts for ACS/Harvard courses, ACS ProSpectives and Short Courses, and the ACS Leadership Development System.
Membership in the ACS Network, your online resource to connect and communicate with friends, colleagues, and potential employers
Free Guidance from ACS Career Consultants – ACS mentors offer resume reviews, job search strategies, and interview tips that make you stand out from the rest.
Free access to InterviewStream, an online tool that will sharpen your interview skills
Members-only access to the ACS Salary comparator.
And more!

Contact ACS customer service today at service@acs.org, 800-333-9511 or 614-447-3671 today and let us know how we can help.