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UPCOMING EVENTS:
The ACS Web Page
PLEASE E-MAIL CARL slater@cem.msu.edu ASAP
Max T. Rogers Lectureship
LOCAL SECTION MEETING, Tuesday April 7.
ACS Strategic Plan 1998-2000 and Vision Statement
Chemistry Olympiad
National Chemistry Week
Office of Intellectual Property Web site, and more on Patents
Minority Mini-Grants
Career Programs
ChemCenter, The Society's Internet Presence
ChemMatters, Help for High School Chemistry Students
Great Lakes College Chemistry Conference
International Chemistry Celebration 1999 ,watch their Web site!
Travel Awards
ACS Women in Chemistry Michigan State University Section
New from Chem. Abstracts
New addition ACS Style Guide
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Science Policy Fellowship
SERMACS 99 Southeast Regional Meeting Web Address
PLEASE E-MAIL CARL slater@cem.msu.edu
NOW
Thanks
The Max Rogers lectures shaped up really well. Alex Pines was a student in the Waugh lab at MIT in the late sixties and early seventies and instrumental in the early development of FT-NMR. He went on to a distinguished career at the University of California, Berkeley pioneering the methods of multi-quantum NMR, "Zero-field NMR" and dual axis spinning for quadrupolar nuclei. He is a gifted teacher which will become apparent in his lectures. Lectures were Monday afternoon, April 6 (general chemistry audience); Tuesday evening (general science audience) and Wednesday afternoon (chemical physics). The fact that Pines designated the audience type for these talks in his letter tells you something about the care that he takes when presenting. He routinely teaches Honors General Chem. at Berkeley with an enrollment of about 300!
He is currently Faculty Senior Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Chancellor's Research Professor in Chemistry at the University of California. Among his many Lectureships, Pines has been Joliot-Curie Professor at the Ecole Superieure de Physique et Chemie in Paris, Hinshelwood Lecturer at Oxford University, Centenary Lecturer of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Loeb Lecturer in Physics at Harvard University.
Awards and honors include the ACS Baekeland Award in Pure Chemistry, the ACS Nobel Signature Award for Graduate Education, the Bourke Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the ACS Langmuir Award, the Distinguished Teaching Award of the University of California, and the Robert Foster Cherry Great Teacher Award of Baylor University. Two of his patents received R & D-100 Awards.
LOCAL SECTION MEETING
The meeting will immediately precede the second Rogers Lecture beginning at 7:30 pm with announcements and undergraduate awards followed by the departmental awards. Section Councilor Evy Jackson wants to let people know what we are doing with awards, and there are some general announcements - Fall meeting, call for officer nominations, etc. Refreshments will be provided and the proceedings should be relatively informal. We plan to introduce Professor Pines around 8:00 p.m.
ACS was chartered by The United States Congress in 1876 and is now the world's largest scientific society with a membership of more than 155,000. The mission of ACS is to encourage in the broadest and most liberal manner the advancement of the chemical enterprise and its practitioners.
ACS advances knowledge and research through scholarly publishing, scientific conferences, information resources for education and business, and professional development efforts. ACS also plays a leadership role in educating and communicating with public audiences - citizens groups, public leaders, and others - about the important role chemistry plays in identifying new solutions, improving public health, protecting the environment, and contributing to the economy.
The 1998-2000 ACS Strategic Plan:
The 1998-2000 Strategic Plan was recently adopted by The ACS Board of Directors . Chairman of the Board, Joan Shields believes "The plan outlines a well-defined course for the Society as we approach the next century and our own 125 th anniversary in 2001". A Vision Statement focused on membership, literacy, and information was drafted with the plan providing a clear framework for the documents twelve strategic thrusts.
The Vision Statement: The American Chemical Society will be the premier membership organization for chemists, chemical engineers, and allied professionals worldwide, number one chemical information provider, and leader in advancing the scientific literacy of students and the public's appreciation of chemistry.
The new Strategic Plan encourages strengthened membership participation
through initiatives such as the varied programs of the Divisions and Local
Sections, the Membership 2001 Campaign, the International Chemistry Celebration
1999, and the Society’s new Internet presence. Collectively and individually,
there are numerous opportunities to achieve goals laid out in the new plan.
Copies: 1-800-227-5558.
Local Section Hosts Prospective Chemistry Olympians
On Tuesday, March 10, forty-nine high school chemistry students from Charlotte, Durand, East Lansing, Holt, Lansing Everett, Lansing Sexton, Okemos, St. Johns, and Stockbridge participated in the local section Chemistry Olympiad qualifying exam held in the MSU Chemistry Building. Students took a written multiple choice test and worked two lab practical problems. Eight students qualified to write the United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO ) test on April 24 also being held at the MSU Chemistry Building. The eight qualifiers are Jonathan Brown and William Green of Durand Area High School, Brian Schroeder and Aaron Koller of Okemos High School, Matthew Orians of East Lansing High School, Michael Andrick and Benjamin Greathouse of Holt Senior High School and Jason Hancock of Lansing's J. W. Sexton High School. Each high school is allowed to qualify two students.
Sheldon Knoespel organized and coordinated this event with the assistance of John McCracken, Carl Slater, Terry Hallock , Steve Poulios, and Brandon Oaks. Volunteers are essential for events like this and the time they shared was greatly appreciated!
1998 National Chemistry Week
It is time to plan for National Chemistry Week 1998 activities.
We need someone to serve as the local section's coordinator. Sheldon
Knoespel, the coordinator for the past two years, and member of the
mall event planning committee for ten years, prefers to assume a
less active role for the coming year. Our local section mall show
was started with the help of Dr. John Funkhouser and is the longest continuous
running mall event in the country. Sheldon will be available to offer
assistance as needed but he just does not want to type all the letters,
make all the phone calls, and coordinate all the activities in addition
to the other duties associated with the show by himself. This is
a truly worthwhile and rewarding event that would be even better if you
can share a little time occasionally.
The MSU Office of Intellectual Property
by Professor Mark Worden, MSU Department of Chemical Engineering
Several years ago, the MSU Office of Intellectual Property (OIP) ramped
up its efforts to inform MSU faculty in science and engineering departments
about how and why to patent their inventions. After participating
in a workshop put on the Dr. Fred Erbisch, Director of OIP, I tried patenting
some of my group's research. My colleagues and I now own two patents
and have two applications pending.
The patent application process involves several steps. An Invention
Disclosure form must first be filled out and submitted to the OIP.
The OIP staff then evaluates the suitability of the invention for patenting.
Funds to cover US patent applications come primarily from patent royalties
MSU already receives. MSU actually ranks near the top nationally
in patent royalties. Because of the high cost of foreign patent applications,
the OIP will generally file them only if an industrial partner covers the
expense. The OIP will often ask faculty to suggest companies
potentially interested in the invention before patent applications are
prepared. They may even send non-confidential disclosures to these
companies to help estimate the economic potential.
My experience in preparing patent applications has taught me several lessons. First, it is important to train persons carrying out the experiments to properly record and handle research results. The OIP handout "Suggested form and contents of a research notebook" is essential reading for graduate and postdoctoral students. This is Appendix 1 of the OIP brochure "Handling your Invention" and details the proper way to document research methods and results in a lab notebook. Students should also be trained in what not to disclose. International patents cannot be filed once the invention has been disclosed, and US. patents cannot be filed more than one year after disclosure. Disclosure can occur unintentionally through discussions with peers at professional conferences or during campus visits. Researchers need to remember what seems merely an interesting experimental result today may be a carelessly disclosed valuable invention tomorrow. "Handling Your Invention " is available from OIP (http://pilot.msu.edu/unit/oip/hyi/index.html).
Second, the OIP is an excellent resource in evaluating whether an invention should be patented and how to protect the invention before the patent is submitted. The OIP brochures entitled, "Handling Your Invention," "Protecting Your Invention," "Inventorship," and "Should We Patent" summarize much of the important information and are available in hard copy or through the Internet : http://pilot.msu.edu/unit/oip/.
Third, patent lawyers write in their own jargon which is often hard for others to interpret. As a result, it can be difficult for scientists and engineers to fully understand what the claims of the patent application are really saying and whether they fully cover the essential features of the invention. In some cases, the wording may be deliberately vague to give broader coverage or the lawyer may not understand the subtleties and the inventions potential applications. Hence, it may be necessary to clarify the writing to strengthen the application technically. Satisfy these issues with the lawyer before the application is sent.
The additional planning, time, and work required to file patent applications
significantly add to the research effort and moreover, most patented inventions
are never commercialized. Nevertheless, the satisfaction of receiving
patents, the credibility they lend to the research program, and the educational
value to students assisting in patent preparation, frequently make
the extra work well worthwhile.
Dr. Mark Worden joined the MSU Chemical Engineering Department faculty
in 1986 and specializes in biochemical engineering. He has numerous
ongoing research projects and also advises the newly established MSU student
chapter of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers.
WHAT EVERY CHEMIST SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PATENTS
New legislation introduced major changes in the US. patent laws and The ACS Committee on Patents and Related Matters (CP&RM) has revised their patent handbook in response. What Every Chemist Should Know About Patents is written in an easily understood form for chemists in industry, small businesses, and academic settings. The handbook introduces the essentials of patents and patenting procedures and presents an overview of the obtainment, use, and value of patents.
Copies: $2.00 prepaid. ACS, PO. Box 57136, West End Station, Washington, DC 20037
Local Section Mini-Grants
Mini-grants for programs to encourage participation of underrepresented
minority scientists are being offered by ACS. Local sections can receive
$500 to support program implementation.
contact: Stephanie Butler, Department of Minority Affairs 800.227.5558,
ext. 6262, s_butler@acs.org.
The Local Section Career Program
LSCP was established by ACS to facilitate development of local employment and career service programs by providing local section volunteers with training and resource materials. Volunteers attend an ACS sponsored weekend workshop and receive templates for career programs that can be started immediately, printed resources for distribution to local members, and ideas to create future action plan programming.
Benefits: Members gain access to workshops on employment issues, networking opportunities with other chemical professionals and employers, and receive resource materials. Program Coordinators gain experience managing a program from its inception, expansion of their own personal network, and increased knowledge of employment trends and career management issues. The local section gains a convenient and valuable program for helping members and potential new members with career-related questions.
ACS sponsored weekend workshops are: May 15-17 or October 16-18. We would like to send someone from our section. contact: Dr. Carl Slater, MSU Chemistry Dept. or Tanya Fogg, ACS.
Career Management Programs For Local Sections
ACS Career Services also offers the following programs for Local Section sponsorship:
• Conducting an Effective Job Search Workshop
• Strategies for Job/Career Transitioning Workshop
• Resume Preparation Presentation (90 minutes)
• Resume Review and Career Assistance (Half or Full Day)
• Job Security and Employment Outlook (1 Hour)
ACS Career Services provides materials and handles most of the operating
cost.
contact: Dr. Carl Slater or Frank Walworth, 800-227-5558,
ext. 6076, e-mail: f_walworth@acs.org.
ChemCenter: THE SOCIETY'S INTERNET PRESENCE
ChemCenter is a world-class web site providing an Internet community for the chemical-related sciences. ChemCenter is a resource for chemical professionals in industry, academic, and government settings providing educators, students, and individuals with reliable, accurate information about chemistry and ACS.
ChemCenter was created by ACS to help users organize the vast electronic resources available today. ChemCenter provides easy access to the existing Web resources of the Society including ACS Publications Division, Chemical Abstracts Services, and ACS Web. ChemCenter also has unique features such as hourly updated chemistry news from ACS and other credible sources, Web cards, and "This Week in Chemical History." ChemCenter contains other important information such as professional services, conferences, publications, databases, education resources, and even shopping. Participate in an interactive, virtual community remaining aware of important scientific issues, engaging in collaborative discussions with fellow specialists, and debating research and other issues of interest.
The Washington-based ChemCenter development team is guided by a senior-level steering committee, and is working to expand the content and features available on the site. Please visit ChemCenter and share your comments and suggestions. Contact: Louise Voress (202-872-4563); fax (202-776-8253); e-mail: l_voress@acs.org, (American Chemical Society, Room 525, 1155 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036).
1998 GLCCC Research Program
The 1998 Great Lakes College Chemistry Conference Research Program was recently held at Michigan State University in the Chemistry Department. Attended by students and faculty from more than 30 Great Lakes area colleges and universities, the program featured outstanding research presentations by undergraduate students and a stellar plenary lecture by Professor Isiah M. Warner, Professor of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, entitled Achiral and Chiral Separations Using Polymerized Surfactants. The day also included workshops on a variety of topics, both hands-on experiences and tours of facilities; group discussion sessions on Life in Industry and What About Graduate School?; networking opportunities for both the students and faculty; and the ever-popular gala lunch. Next year's GLCCC Research Program is tentatively scheduled for March 27, 1999: we hope to see you there!
Also be sure to watch for information about the upcoming GLCCC Career Day, scheduled for October 24, 1998, which will give potential employers and future employees opportunities to meet!
ChemMatters: A Magazine of Everyday Chemistry
ChemMatters is an award-winning magazine for high school chemistry students presenting articles on the chemistry around us and many interesting stories of how it effects our lives. Published by the Education Division of the American Chemical Society, ChemMatters shows introductory chemistry students how studying chemistry is fun and interesting through articles targeted at their interests. Stories on the chemistry behind automobile air bags, Lava Lamps, and skunks, just to name a few, help students see the relevance of what they are learning in their chemistry class.
ChemMatters is published quarterly and modestly priced making it more affordable to schools. Paid circulation is over 40,000 and readership is estimated at close to 150,000.
ChemMatters is interesting, informative, and accurate. In 1994, the Society for Technical Communication presented ChemMatters with an international award for Distinguished Technical Communication. (Two entries tied for First Place?both ChemMatters articles!) For the past twelve years running, the Educational Press Association of America has presented ChemMatters magazine with awards for excellence in educational journalism including Feature Article, Learned Article, Series, News Story, One Theme Issue, Graphic Treatment, Cover Design, and Golden Lamp Honors.
A great way to support local chemistry teachers is to purchase them a subscription to ChemMatters magazine. Classroom sets can also be purchased at a reduced price.
contact: Michael Shea, Editor, ChemMatters, Office of High School Chemistry, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC 20036-4892, 202.872.6341, e-mail: chemmatters@acs.org.
International Chemistry Celebration 1999
Beginning in November 1998 and lasting until November 1999, scientists from many different organizations are planning a worldwide celebration of chemistry. The 1999 International Chemistry Celebration is being spearheaded by ACS and the IChC steering committee is seeking innovative, easy-to-use activities and materials that highlight the achievements of chemistry. http://www.acs.org/memgen/meetings/ichc/ichc.htm
The IChC Mission Statement: Enhance public appreciation of chemistry and its positive contributions to everyday life throughout the world, and enhance communication among the chemical societies and organizations worldwide.
The section was pleased to provide travel awards to Ina Terstiege and
Feng Geng. Ina and Feng both presented research talks at the Spring
National Meeting of the ACS. Ina discussed the "Development of a
One Pot Palladium Catalyzed Hydrostannylation/ Stille Coupling Protocol
with Catalytic Amounts of Tin" (ORGN 145), while Feng talked about
the "Stereospecificity of the [1,2]-Wittig Rearrangement: How Chelation
Effects Influence Stereochemical Outcome" (ORGN 336). Both
Ina and Feng work with Professor Maleczka in the MSU Department of Chemistry.
The MSU local section of ACS Women in Chemistry (ACS-WIC) was formed in September and had a very active fall term. We've had about 30 graduate students, postdocs, and faculty members attending
Monthly brown bag lunches have been held throughout this semester. We've discussed topics such as: balancing a family and a career; expectations of and preconceived ideas about women in chemistry (personal views as well as those of families, friends, advisors, and employers) and how one deals with them; what happens to the women? (why are there many female graduate students and yet so few female postdocs and faculty members?); and how is woman's graduate school and professional career experience different from a man's?
We also arrange to meet with women chemists visiting the chemistry department. Thus far, we've talked with Prof. Janet E. Del Bene of Youngstown State University, Prof. Sarah A. Green of Michigan Technological University, and Prof. Janet Lester of the University of Pennsylvania.
In March our brown bag luncheon was Grants and Fellowship Opportunities for Students and Post-docs. Professor Richard H. Schwendeman, Associate Chair of the Graduate Program described funding information available through the departmental graduate office. We also talked about Internet resources for funding. The group is currently assembling a Web page which will contain information from and about meetings and links to useful web sites.
We are planning our next brown bag luncheon for the third week of April.
Information about the date and meeting topic will be finalized soon. Additionally,
members of our group are attending the national ACS meeting in Dallas
to discuss local Women Chemists Committee activities.
New Products from Chemical Abstracts Service
CHEMPORT
A new Internet site - ChemPort - will allow researchers to access scientific on-line journals and the CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS (CA) database. A free ChemPort demonstration is located at http://www.chemport.org. CAS and ACS will work to expand ChemPort's coverage
SCIFINDER POINT-AND-CLICK SUBSTRUCTURE ACCESS TO CAS DATABASES
SciFinder Substructure Module (SSM),gives customers substructure access to current chemical databases, including CA, which contains both chemistry-related literature and patents.
SCIFINDER SCHOLAR BRINGS EXPLORATION TOOLS TO CAMPUS
SciFinder Scholar a specially tailored version of SciFinder technology will provide campus-wide access from 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM and during special weekend hours.
CAS INDEX CD-ROM
CAS's 13th Collective Index to CA (13CI on CD), is now available. Convenient search interface can access CA references from 1992 through 1996
NEW EDITION OF ACS STYLE GUIDE AVAILABLE
The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors second edition, gives guidelines for format, grammar, and usage as well as the use and preparation of illustrations, chemical structures, and tables in scientific papers. It also provides an overview of copyright as it relates to publishing and reviews the basics of planning and preparing poster and oral presentations.
Editorial style has been expanded into a full chapter and there are
also new chapters on numbers and math, references, chemical compounds,
conventions in chemistry, and the peer review process. This book will help
authors, editors, and reviewers through the publication process. Published
in 1997, it is 460 pages.
Clothbound Catalog No. 419-34612, $36.95: (paperbound)
Catalog No. 419-34620 $26.95
Nominations Requested for the National
Inventors Hall of Fame
The ACS Committee on Patents and Related Matters (CP&RM) is seeking candidates for induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The inventor is not required to be a US. citizen, but the invention must be covered by a US. patent, have contributed greatly to the national welfare and significantly promoted progress in science and the useful arts. Call 202/872-8725, e-mail: d_fillinich@acs.org, or write to Debbie Fillinich, American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036.
ACS Science Policy Fellowship
• gain first-hand experience with operations of the federal
legislative and executive branches of government
• develop nonpartisan Capitol Hill briefings and assist
ACS committees
• complete a special science policy project for presentation
The one or two year Fellowship has an annual salary in the low $40Ks, an ACS benefits package, and a relocation allowance. ACS members at any point in their careers may apply, and a Ph.D. is not required.Apply by January 8, 1999 to Deitra L. Jackson (202) 452-8917, e-mail: d_jackson@acs.org
Mark Worden, John McCracken, Sheldon Knoespel, Rob Maleczka, Evy Jackson, and Kathryn Severin contributed material. I want to personally thank them for sharing their time and experience with the rest of the local section membership and as it turns out, the world. Carl Slater has once again helped tremendously with publishing and mailing. The newsletter you've come to expect simply would not be possible without their involvement. Material was also downloaded from the ACS web site. Cathi Buzalsky and her ACS team are unsung heroes in providing local sections with newsletter assistance. I've edited everything and am responsible for the typos. E-mail me if you find any.
Managing a society with a mobile membership of over 150,000 is a prodigious task. Problems are bound to arise from time to time. Several of us are privileged to know ACS staff members and we may be able to help you resolve issues which seem unreasonably complicated on the surface. Dr. Carl Slater can direct you to the appropriate people in our section. (slater@cem.msu.edu).
If you are interested in attending the Local Section Career Program
weekend workshop, please contact Carl
ASAP! We really want to send someone and get a local program started.
You belong to the world's premier membership organization for chemists,
chemical engineers, and allied professionals. We've touched on a
few member opportunities and benefits. There are many more.
Providing these services requires membership participation. The local
section is always looking for people to share a little time. The
operative word is little. We aren't asking for huge commitments of
time and effort, and every little bit really does help.
National Chemistry Week and the International Chemistry Celebration 1999 are kicking- off in early November. While IChC had been considered for some time at international conferences, it took a concerted ACS effort to get things moving. Support is really growing worldwide and you can be part of the combined celebrations this fall. "Bookmark" the Web site and visit often to find out more.
SERMACS 99: The 50th anniversary Southeast Regional Meeting of ACS will be hosted by the East Tennessee Section, October 18-20, 1999. Their Web address for information is(www.sermacs99.org).
E-mail: We need to cinfirm your e-mail address! There are many interesting and exciting events happening this year. We are also planning with other local sections nearby - trying to schedule great speakers, arrange tours, trips and combined section events. E-mail is a convenient way to share information with you quickly and economically. Please E-MAIL us. Just say hello! We'll then be able to tell you when these opportunities get scheduled. There are e-mail providers who don't charge for the service if you don't already have convenient access. You will still need a computer, and a modem. Contact Carl.
Our local section Web site can be accessed from the outreach navigation button on the MSU Chemistry Department Home Page. Send us your comments, we appreciate feedback. http://www.cem.msu.edu
Ed Bryant, e-mail: bryanted@pilot.msu.edu
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