40th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting

THE 40TH Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM 2008), hosted by the ACS New York Local Section, will be held at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, Bayside, from Saturday, May 17, through Wednesday, May 21. The meeting theme, "Chemistry and Health," reflects the importance and impact of the health sciences in the region.

Visit the meeting website, www.marm acs.org, for more details and up-to-date information on the technical program, special events, and sponsors. Information on travel, lodging, and local attractions can also be found on the website.

TECHNICAL PROGRAM. MARM 2008 will feature 56 technical sessions and more than 600 papers. Ronald Breslow, Columbia University chemistry professor and ACS past-president, will deliver the opening plenary lecture on Sunday, May 18: "The Invention of SAHA [syberanilohydroxamic acid], an Approved Anticancer Medicine with a Novel Mechanism of Action." Roald Hoffmann, a chemistry professor at Cornell University, will speak Monday on "The Chemical Imagination at Work in Very Tight Places." Tuesday will feature a Cope Scholar Award Symposium in honor of Colin Nuckolls, a chemistry professor at Columbia University, who will deliver the lecture, "Reaction Chemistry Meets Lithography."

MARM 2008 will also feature symposia on analytical chemistry, biomimetic catalysis and biocatalysis, chemical education, green chemistry, HIV/AIDS, organometallic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, clinical chemistry, photochemistry, physical chemistry, the spectroscopy of biological systems, and infrared spectroscopy.

In addition, novel symposia such as "Chemistry & the Arts" will explore how to teach science and the arts together and describe the analysis of copper-alloy artifacts from a Moche burial site in Peru. A symposium on industrial chemistry will describe innovations in the cosmetics industry. Meanwhile, a forensic chemistry symposium will feature two speakers from the office of the chief medical examiner, who will offer an overview of DNA testing in New York City. An environmental chemistry symposium will offer measurements of pharmaceutically active contaminants in the Hudson Basin, perchlorate in Arctic snow, hydroperoxide in Mexico City, and mercury vapor in Brooklyn. In addition, a biotherapeutics symposium will report the use of transition-state theory to develop new therapeutics and the design of an organoruthenium kinase inhibitor. Other special-topic symposia include ionic liquids, computational chemistry, and frontiers of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. MARM 2008 offers programming for undergraduates, high school students, and chemical educators. Opening day on Saturday, May 17, begins with the 56th NY-ACS Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will feature a keynote address by JaimeLee Rizzo, professor at Pace University, on "Antimicrobial & Antiviral Surfaces," oral presentations on student research, a luncheon, and an award reception. Student research posters are incorporated into all technical poster sessions for students to present their research and to network with potential mentors and employers.

The regional Chemagination poster competition for high school students will be held on Saturday afternoon, along with the top posters from Project SEED students in the New York Section.

The St. John's University Student Affiliates, who have organized the undergraduate program, are hosting "Making the Most of Being a Student Affiliate" on Saturday. The workshop examines the tangible and intangible benefits of being an ACS student affiliate member. On Sunday, students can learn about the process of establishing or reactivating a student affiliates chapter in "Tapping into the Excitement: Strategies for Building, or Rebuilding, a Student Affiliates Chapter."

The Delaware Valley Chromatography Forum 2008 Student Award symposium will close out Monday afternoon, providing graduate and undergraduate students with an opportunity to present their research in the field of separation science.

A free full-day workshop on the philosophy and methodology of Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (POGIL) will be of interest to educators on Saturday. The chemical education program on Sunday will feature presentations on implementations of POGIL and other recent innovations in teaching chemistry. Sunday will also offer a full day of programs including the New York Section Nichols Teacher Forum where recent awardees will speak about their experiences and views on the future of chemistry education. This will be followed by an open forum with questions and discussion from the floor. Two afternoon sessions will focus on innovative curriculum materials and instructional strategies: the Probeware workshop for precollege educators and a session on chemical demonstrations. A Probeware workshop for undergraduate educators is scheduled for Monday, May 19.

CAREER PROGRAM. On Monday, ACS will offer career workshops, one-on-one résumé reviews, and career assistance sessions. These services are open to both ACS members and to national and student affiliates.

The following workshops will be offered on Monday morning, beginning at 9 AM: "Résumé Preparation & Targeting the Job Market for Undergraduates," "Interviewing Skills," and "Managing an Effective Job Search." "Résumé Preparation for Experienced Chemists" will be offered at 1 PM, followed by individual 30-minute résumé reviews beginning at 2 PM. Interested participants should bring two copies of their current résumé and sign up at the workshop.

Also that afternoon, students may participate in an interactive short course entitled, "Professional Analytical Chemists in Industry: What Does an Analytical Chemist Do?" On Tuesday, more career programming follows with a panel discussion on "Traditional & Nontraditional Careers in Chemistry," which will present real case histories on the many different career options available.

WORKSHOPS. The ACS Leadership Institute will offer two workshops on Sunday: "Involving Volunteers" from 8 AM to noon and "Leading Change" from 1 to 5 PM. These workshops are designed to help build critical leadership skills applicable in ACS leadership roles and in the workplace.

On Monday, the ACS Division of Small Chemical Businesses will host two free workshops. "Tools for Entrepreneurs," from 8:30 AM to noon, will assist aspiring and existing entrepreneurs in building innovative and creative companies. From 1:30 to 5 PM, "Best Practices for the Chemical Entrepreneur" will feature a panel of experienced professionals leading a discussion on assets, finances, and factors leading to enterprise success. Interested attendees may sign up for these workshops on the meeting registration form.

SPECIAL EVENTS. On Saturday, May 17, MARM will host the spring meeting of the U.S. Section of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 6 to 10 PM. A presentation, "What's New in Astrochemistry?" by Yorke E. Rhodes, a retired New York University professor, will follow dinner. Tickets for this event are $50, and attendees do not have to be registered for MARM. For more details, visit the website of the Royal Society's U.S. section, www.RSC-USA.org.

The popular MARM barbecue dinners will take place on Sunday and Monday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 PM outside the student union building. Tickets are $15 each day and may be purchased when registering for MARM. These dinners follow the plenary lectures and will be adjacent to the evening poster sessions.

On Tuesday morning, all registered attendees are invited to a complimentary breakfast hosted by ACS Board members Madeleine M. Jouillé, District II, and Anne T. O'Brien, District I. Attendees are encouraged to bring their ideas, questions, or concerns about ACS.

At noon on Tuesday, a Women Chemists Committee luncheon will feature Jodi Wesemann of the ACS Department of Higher Education speaking on the topic "Fostering Access, Success & Excellence." Students and postdocs may attend at a special ticket price of $5.00. Tickets may be purchased when registering for the meeting.

AWARDS. The MARM awards banquet will be held on Tuesday evening, following the Regional Industrial Innovation reception. Winners of the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in Chemical Sciences, the Regional Industrial Innovation Award, and the E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to ACS will be honored. The E. Emmet Reid Award will be presented to an outstanding college chemistry teacher in the region, and an outstanding high school teacher will receive the ACS Division of Chemical Education Middle Atlantic Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching. Tickets for the banquet are $40 and may be purchased when registering.

EXPOSITION. An exposition featuring local and national scientific companies will be held on Sunday and Monday. Tables will be set up near the technical session rooms for attendees to view the products and services. Confirmed vendors are listed on the "Exhibits" page of the MARM website.

REGISTRATION. Advance registration closes April 28. Online registration is available through the meeting website, www.marmacs2008.org, where you may also download a form to fax or mail. On-site registration will begin at 7 AM on Saturday.

HOUSING & TRAVEL. Queensborough Community College (QCC) is located in the borough of Queens, close to Manhattan and all of its attractions. Parking is free on campus, but attendees are asked to display a MARM parking permit, which can be downloaded from the "Directions & Parking" section of the MARM website. QCC is accessible by public transportation, including the nearby Bayside station of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).

MARM has reserved rooms at several hotels at a special block rate. The Ramada Adria Conference Center, (718) 631-4900, and the Anchor Inn, (800) 44-ANCHOR, are both five minutes by car from the college. The Sheraton LaGuardia East, (718) 460-6666, is 20 minutes away by car but is close to public transportation that will bring attendees to QCC. MARM 2008 is providing free local shuttle service to QCC with stops at the LIRR station and the Ramada Adria Hotel and Anchor Inn. See the conference website for details.

Please visit the "Hotels" section of the MARM website for details on these and other hotels. Remember to identify yourself as an ACS MARM attendee to receive the meeting discount.

ACS has negotiated discount rates for air travel and car rental for three days before and after each regional meeting.

AIR: American, (800) 433-1790, Discount code: A5548AT; and Delta. No meeting code is needed. Go to www.acs.org, search for "Delta," and then use the link, "Delta.com for Business Travel." Discounts cannot be accessed directly with Delta.

GROUND: Avis, (800) 331-1600, AWD code: B120799; and Hertz, (800) 654-2240, ID code: CV# 02UZ0007.