2011 Joint Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Meeting

The St. Louis and Wabash Valley Sections of the American Chemical Society will host the 2011 Joint Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Meeting (MWGL 2011) during National Chemistry Week, from Wednesday, Oct. 19, to Saturday, Oct. 22. The meeting, which has the theme, “Solutions for a Changing World: Celebrating the International Year of Chemistry,” will be held at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel in St. Louis.

The general chairs of the meeting are Leah O’Brien of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; James O’Brien, University of Missouri, St. Louis; and Leroy Breimeier, Vincennes University in Indiana. The program chairs are Keith Stine, University of Missouri, St. Louis; and Darrell Clinton, Oakland City University in Indiana.

Visit the meeting website, mwrm2011.org, for evolving program details, registration, and hotel information.

Technical Program. Meeting attendees are fortunate this year in that members and institutions from both the Midwest and the Great Lakes Regions have organized symposia and are contributing oral and poster presentations.

Special symposia will include “Biological Mass Spectrometry,” “Biomolecular Structure & Function,” “Chemical Education Research,” “High-Sensitivity Spectroscopy,” “Natural Products Synthesis,” “NMR: The Next Generation (of Techniques),” “Pharmaceutical Chemistry,” “Plant Biotechnology—Blurring the Line between Chemistry & Biology,” “Plant Science: Undergraduate Programming,” “Revitalizing the Heartland’s Chemical Economy,” “Sigma-Aldrich Symposium on Nanomaterials,” “Small Chemical Businesses (SCHB),” and “Supramolecular Chemistry in Membranes,” as well as the Midwest Award Symposium.

General oral and poster sessions will be held in analytical, environmental, inorganic, organic, physical, and polymer chemistry; biochemistry; nanoscience; and SCHB.

Times, locations, speakers, and sponsors can be found on the meeting website.

Undergraduate Program. MWGL 2011 will have special events for undergraduates. Attendees can take advantage of the following opportunities to discover new research, plan career paths, and network with peers.

On Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM, Doug Goff, an ice cream expert in the department of food science at Canada’s University of Guelph, will kick off an undergraduate social by giving a presentation on ice cream. The title of his talk is “Designing Ice Cream Quality with the Aid of a Microscope.” Frozen custard from a local business will be served after the lecture. Supplies to make ice cream using liquid nitrogen will also be available.

St. Louis is a world-renowned center of plant science. During Thursday’s “Technical Symposium on Plant Chemistry,” attendees will hear about some of the exciting plant research that is under way.

Undergraduate attendees are encouraged to join ACS President-Elect Bassam Z. Shakhashiri and a distinguished panel for a roundtable discussion about chemistry and society on Friday at noon.

From 2:30 to 4:30 PM on Friday, representatives from local industries and organizations will talk with undergraduates about their careers and will offer career advice during a “Careers for Chemists” program. During the first hour, panelists will discuss how they got to the present point in their careers, what they do in a typical workday, what they like or dislike about their jobs, and what advice they have for someone who wants to pursue those jobs. The second hour will be a mixer for panelists and undergraduates. Students are encouraged to seek out the professionals who most interest them and ask questions about their jobs.

Undergraduates will present their research during the general poster sessions on Thursday and Friday. Five posters will be selected for Outstanding Poster awards; presenters of those posters will be given framed certificates and $100 checks. The poster judges will include members of the ACS Board of Directors attending the meeting.

High School Teacher Program. The High School Day Chemistry Teachers’ activities at MWGL 2011 will take place on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 22. This informative and fun-filled session for secondary school teachers and others involved in teaching chemistry at any level will include a number of distinguished speakers.

Offerings will include a High School Teacher Forum from 8 AM to noon. The forum will feature Shakhashiri; Robert (Bob) Becker, 2011 Missouri Teacher of the Year and internationally recognized teacher; Ron Perkins, founder of Education Innovations; Debbie Goodwin, 2010 Kishor M. Kulkarni Distinguished High School Teacher from Chillicothe, Mo.; and Laura Slocum, precollege assistant editor of the Journal of Chemical Education. From 9 to 11 AM, Gina Frey of Washington University in St. Loius will lead a workshop on Peer-Led Team Learning, with examples drawn from the university’s general chemistry course. Details can be found on the meeting website.

Registration for high school teachers is $5.00 until Sept. 30 and $15 after that date.

Workshops. On Thursday, the ACS Department of Career Management & Development will offer three workshops to help chemical professionals and students understand the workplace and take advantage of employment opportunities.

Planning Your Job Search: 1–2:30 PM. This workshop will address employment trends and offer an opportunity for self-assessment of professional values. Then, the process of networking will be explored. Strategies such as informational interviewing will be discussed.

Preparing a Résumé: 2:30–4 PM. A résumé is a personal introduction and leaves an impression. In this workshop, participants will learn which personal data format is right for their “marketing plan” and how to construct a winning résumé.

Effective Interviewing: 4–5:30 PM. Many job seekers think their work ends once an interview is secured. Think again! This workshop will examine the entire interview process, types of interviews, frequently asked questions, and how to evaluate an offer.

An ACS career consultant will be available to provide individual résumé reviews and career assistance on Friday from 8 to 11:30 AM. Attendees must bring a copy of their résumé. Sign-up will be available at meeting registration and during the workshops.

Social Events. A variety of social events have been planned. Event tickets may be purchased during registration or on-site, as available.

Wednesday: A welcoming Sci-Mix will be held from 7 to 9 PM. Attendees will be able to socialize and network while enjoying a poster session and exhibits.

Thursday: A diversity luncheon will be held from noon to 1:30 PM. ACS President Nancy B. Jackson’s talk, “Leadership & Diversity,” will address the expectations, stereotypes, and challenges that face leaders from diverse backgrounds. Tickets are $20.

The MWGL 2011 Awards Banquet will be held from 7 to 9 PM. The St. Louis Section’s Midwest Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in chemistry in the Midwest, will be presented to Xiao Cheng Zeng, Ameritas Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Other Midwest and Great Lakes Region awards to be presented include the ACS Division of Chemical Education Regional Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching, the E. Ann Nalley Regional Awards for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society, and the Stanley C. Israel Regional Awards for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences. Tickets are $30 ($15 for high school teachers and high school or undergraduate students). The banquet will be preceded by a reception from 6 to 7 PM that is open to all.

Friday: From noon to 1:30 PM, Shakhashiri will host a free ACS governance luncheon. A distinguished panel featuring Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis; Vaughn Vandegrift, chancellor of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville; and Susan M. Fitzpatrick, vice president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation, will discuss the “Role of Chemistry in Society” during the lunch.

Exhibition & Sponsorships. The exposition will take place in the Versailles Ballroom on the lower level of the meeting space. Rows of industrial and academic booths will mix with rows of poster boards for the daily poster sessions. The room will also serve as “Coffee Break Central.” Interested potential exhibitors and sponsors are encouraged to visit the meeting’s website to view the floor plan, review the list of exhibitors and sponsors, and access exhibitor and sponsorship registration forms. For additional information, contact the exhibit cochairs, Lisa M. Balbes or Ted Gast, at exhibits@mwrm2011.org.

Lodging. A block of rooms for MWGL 2011 has been secured at the Sheraton Westport Chalet and Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotels at a special rate of $125 per night. This rate is valid from three days prior to the meeting through three days afterward. Reservations must be made by Friday, Sept. 30, to receive the special rate. To make a hotel reservation, click the “Reserve a Room” button on the meeting website. Reservations may also be made by calling (800) 822-3535 and referencing the ACS Midwest/Great Lakes Regional Meeting.

Registration. Registration is available through the MWGL 2011 website at mwrm2011.org/registration.html. Early-bird registration closes on Friday, Sept. 30; however, online registration will remain open at the on-site registration rates through Monday, Oct. 17. After Oct. 17, participants must register on-site.

On-site registration will take place from 11 AM to 9 PM on Wednesday, Oct. 19; from 7 AM to 5 PM on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20 and 21; and from 8 to 10 AM on Saturday, Oct. 22. ◾