Call for Abstracts: Northeast Regional Meeting

Abstracts are wanted for the 36th ACS Northeast Regional Meeting, which will be held on Oct. 7–10 at the Hilton Hotel in Hartford, Conn., and hosted by the ACS Connecticut Valley Section. Abstract submission along with meeting registration and housing reservations may be made online at membership.acs.org/n/nerm.

Contributed sessions are planned in biochemistry and medicinal chemistry; chemical education; environmental and public health issues; materials chemistry; and analytical, inorganic, organic, polymer, and physical chemistry.

Invited symposia are scheduled in the following areas: integrating the laboratory experience into science courses for nonmajors; colloidal and macromolecular interactions; learner-centered chemistry courses; nanomaterial applications; nanotechnology synthesis, characterization, and applications; bioanalytical chemistry; advances in organic methodology; synthetic organic methods across the border; organic synthesis to begin the 21st century; topics in analytical research; biotech in the Northeast; science outreach; sources, levels, transport, and fate of persistent organics in the environment; polar science and the chemistry of climate change; publishing and promoting chemistry in the Internet age; porphyrins and related macrocycles; recent developments in medicinal chemistry; advances in cleaner, greener synthesis; chemical biology; polymer chemistry for nanocomposites; surprises in spectroscopy; and optical spectroscopy.

Special symposia are slated to include a session dedicated to the John S. Burlew Award (given by the Connecticut Valley Local Section to a chemist in his or her formative years), the Henry Hill Award (given by the Division of Professional Relations), and the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awards (honoring Linda C. Hsieh-Wilson of California Institute of Technology and Jeffery W. Bode of the University of Pennsylvania).

A full undergraduate program is being organized by the University of Connecticut ACS Student Member Chapter. The theme of the program will be "Chemistry of Everyday Life." The program will begin with guest speakers from companies that make food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. It will conclude with an undergraduate research poster session that will also serve as an exposition and recruiting session at which undergraduates will have the opportunity to interact with representatives from industry and graduate schools.

Two half-day workshops on effective job searching are scheduled. The workshops will provide timely information on how and where to look for jobs, skills marketing, and interview preparation. Presenters at these workshops have extensive industrial experience and have all been involved in interviewing and hiring scientists at all levels. In addition, there will be a series of mock interviews and a session on preparing for oral presentations.

On Saturday, a full-day program for high school and middle school science teachers will be held at the newly opened Connecticut Science Center. Participants may choose workshops dealing with AP Chemistry, biofuels, chemical safety, forensics, and Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning. They can also learn to do chemical demonstrations safely with high school and middle school students.

The meeting will also feature a course from the ACS Leadership Development System. The Connecticut Valley Section was awarded a grant from the ACS Local Section Activities Committee to run the course to defray the cost to the participants.

An exposition will be held on Oct. 8 and 9. Booth space can be reserved through the meeting website or by contacting Marisa Blauvelt at (413) 748-3381, mblauvet@spfldcol.edu.

For more information, contact the general chair, Julie Smist, (413) 748-3382, jsmist@spfldcol.edu; or the program cochairs, Tyson Miller, (860) 486-3052, tyson.miller@uconn.edu, or Edward C. Fitzgerald (860) 297-4252, Edward.Fitzgerald@trincoll.edu.