Chemists Convene In Boston

At the 240th American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston, held on Aug. 22–26, the society hosted more than 14,000 chemical professionals, students, and enthusiasts who learned about the latest advances in the chemical sciences through rich programming that included roughly 8,000 papers delivered in approximately 5,000 oral presentations and 3,000 posters. More than 320 exhibitors participated in the exposition.

Even the Nor’easter that hovered relentlessly over Boston for four days couldn’t dampen the spirit of the meeting, the theme of which was “Chemistry for Preventing & Combating Disease.” ACS President Joseph S. Francisco cosponsored more than a dozen presidential sessions, from the “Impact of Science & Technology on the Future of Global Healthcare” to the “ACS Forum on Science & Consequences of Climate Change.”

The meeting also highlighted the achievements of women in chemistry through symposia such as “Women at the Forefront of Preventing & Combating Disease” and the “Women Chemists of Color Summit.”

The ACS Fellows program inducted 192 scientific leaders into its 2010 class; the Heroes of Chemistry gala celebrated outstanding scientific achievements; and the ChemLuminary Awards reception saluted exceptional ACS volunteers.

The improving job market led to a strong employer turnout at the ACS Career Fair, which welcomed more than 1,000 job seekers. Roughly 70 employers recruited for nearly 500 available positions.

During the ACS Board meeting, sister chemical societies from around the world described their planned activities for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry. In addition, ACS and the German Chemical Society signed a memorandum of understanding committing to a three-year alliance to help communicate the importance of chemistry to the general public.

At the ACS Council meeting, councilors voted to change the bylaws to allow recorded electronic votes. They also discussed whether to move the council meetings from Wednesday to Tuesday during national meetings. An informal poll revealed that 55% of the councilors opposed the change, while 31.3% supported it and 13.7% were undecided. The Council Policy Committee will make a decision on this matter at the 2011 spring national meeting in Anaheim, Calif.