Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710

Dr. Attila E. Pavlath received his education at the Technical University of Budapest in Hungary, where he became assistant professor. In 1956, he left Hungary first for Montreal, McGillUniversity.

In 1958, he joined Stauffer Chemical Company in Richmond, California. Since 1967, he has been with the Western Regional Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Albany, California. He is leading a group involved in research on various agricultural chemical problems.

He is leading a group involved in research on various agricultural chemical problems.Dr. Pavlath's scientific career includes work on fluorine chemistry (30+ years), glow discharge chemistry (10+ years), textile chemistry (10 years), energy and biomass research (10 years) and most recently on the freshness in fruits and vegetables. He has published almost 100 scientific papers on these subjects and has presented numerous lectures in the U.S. and abroad. He also holds more than 20 patents. Dr. Pavlath is also well-known for his activities in the ACS during the past 20 years to make the ACS more responsive to the professional needs of its members.Dr. Pavlath serves as 2002 Immediate Past President of the American Chemical Society.

Art Conservation Lecture & Reception

During National Chemistry Week, the MSU Kresge Art Museum and the MSU local section sponsored a lecture “Preserving the Past: Art and Science at the Detroit Institute of Arts” given by Dr. Karen Trentelman, Research Scientist in the Conservation Laboratory at the Detroit Institute of Arts.Dr. Trentelman discussed the role of analytical chemical techniques in the study, authentication, and preservation of works of art.The lecture was held in an art gallery at the Kresge Art Museum and was attended by approximately 60 people, including local section members; students and faculty members from both the art and the chemistry departments; and museum patrons. A wine and cheese reception preceded the lecture. More information about this event is available online at: http://www.cem.msu.edu/~msuacs/report01/trentelman.html

Poster Contest: “Celebrating Chemistry: Then and Now”

Chemistry! – it’s part of everything that you see, touch, taste, or smell.In celebration of National Chemistry Week 2001 and the 125^th Anniversary of the American Chemical Society, students were invited to draw a poster illustrating how chemistry has contributed to positive changes in our lives over the past 125 years.Approximately 50 students from St. Gerard’s School in Lansing entered the local contest.Winners were awarded NCW tee shirts and their posters were entered into the national competition.See the winning posters online at: http://www.cem.msu.edu/~msuacs/postercontest.html

MSU Local Section National Chemistry Week Activities:

The MSU local section’s 15^th annual NCW “Chemistry Day” was held from 11 am – 3 pm on Saturday, October 20, 2001 at Impression 5 Science Center.Impression 5 is a Lansing hands-on science museum, and thanks to a generous donation by MBI International, a Lansing biotechnology firm, admission to the museum was free that day.The total attendance was approximately 1500 people, including the 400 pre-registered scouts.Scouts that participated in the event earned patches for their badge sashes.The patches were designed for this year’s event and illustrated the NCW theme “Celebrating Chemistry & Art.”In addition, 10 Cadette and Senior girl scouts helped with registration and distributed of patches.

In keeping with this year’s theme, most of the hands-on activities were art-related including chromatography butterflies, crystal stencil stars, sculpture clay, paper marbling, and silver-plating on glass.Presenters included students from local schools: Mount Hope Elementary School and Holt, Perry, and Stockbridge High Schools; students from Michigan State University in Chemistry Club, NOBBChE, ACS Women in Chemistry, and Science Theatre; the Alma College Chemistry Club; and employees of MBI International.

A free raffle was held.Cool chemistry items including periodic table mugs, NCW tee shirts, element pins, Milli Moles, and ACS Moles were raffled off each hour.In addition, we gave away over 500 helium balloons and hundreds of “Be a Michigan State Chemist” buttons, copies of “Celebrating Chemistry & Art”, NCW lapel stickers, periodic tables, and Nan O Moles.To emphasize the need for safety, all demonstrators received goggles with the MSU Spartan logo to use during the event and to take home as a “thank you” for their participation.

We publicized Chemistry Day by sending out a total of 1300 flyers to the 300 elementary and middle schools in the Greater Lansing area (Ingham, Ionia, Shiawasse, Eaton, and Clinton counties).We also sent press releases to all of the local television stations, local radio stations, and to the newspapers in the area notifying them of the event.We received excellent coverage from the news media including a full article in the Lansing State Journal the day before the event and one reporting on the event in the State News on the following Monday.

More information about this event, including pictures and newspaper articles, is available online at: http://www.cem.msu.edu/~msuacs/report01/chemday01.html

ACS Women in Chemistry (WiC)

Heather Bullen is the 2001-2 WCC chairman.Other members of the steering committee are Erin Paske, Maggie Witek, Shannon Haymond, Prerna Sonathalia, Leslie Passeno, Anne Fischer, Amanda Smeigh, and Kathy Severin.To find out more about ACSWIC, visit our website at http://www.cem.msu.edu/~acswic/acswic.html.

Women Chemists Committee to Celebrate 75^th Anniversary

In commemoration of the WCC Diamond Jubilee, the committee will celebrate in high style at the ACS regional meetings and at both ACS national meetings next year.The theme for the 75^th Jubilee is “Diversity in the 21^st Century – Advancing Women in Science”, and will be highlighted in Presidential Plenary Events and multiple symposia in Orlando and Boston.Meeting highlights will be featured in the January 22, 2002, publication of Chemical & Engineering News or check the WCC website:http://membership.acs.org/W/WCC.

For sections planning a local event to celebrate this commemorative occasion, special podium banners are available for purchase @ $20.00 each.Contact CherylBrown, WCC Staff Liaison at 800/227-5558 ext. 6123 or wcc@acs.org for details.

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