Pittcon 2014 In Chicago

The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry & Applied Spectroscopy will be held on March 2–6 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Pittcon’s core focus is analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy, with applications in fields including life sciences, drug discovery, food safety, nanotechnology, water and air analysis, and environmental science.

The conference, which annually attracts more than 17,000 attendees from industry, academia, and government from 90 countries worldwide, is sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh.

As of C&EN press time, Pittcon 2014 has about 900 exhibitors registered to appear at more than 1,700 booths. Some 2,200 technical presentations and more than 100 short courses are planned.

All conference information, including details about registration and housing, is on the Web at pittcon.org. Registration for the entire conference costs $300, and one-day registration is $150. The cost for full-time students with a valid ID is $50 for the entire conference.

The American Chemical Society’s Division of Analytical Chemistry (ANYL) is again providing programming at Pittcon. Its invited symposia are titled “Advances in Our Understanding of Complex Aerosols at the Individual Particle Level,” “Analytical Advances in Clinical Diagnostics,” “Chemometrics for Modeling & Analyzing Chemical Systems,” “Interferometry in Chemistry, Biology & Medicine,” “Lifelong Teaching & Learning in Separation Science,” and “Nanofabrication & Nanoconstructs for Chemical Separations.” The division will also hold an award symposium, “ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science,” and an analytical poster session.

Steven A. Carr, director of proteomics at the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, will deliver the Wallace H. Coulter Plenary Lecture at 4:30 PM on Sunday, March 2. His talk is titled “Quantitative Proteomics in Biology, Chemistry & Medicine.” A complimentary mixer will follow the lecture.

The 25th James L. Waters Annual Symposium will recognize the commercialization of the analytical method MALDI-TOF, and it will take place at 1:30 PM on Monday, March 3. The speakers are pioneers in the development and commercialization of MALDI-TOF and include Richard Caprioli of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Franz Hillenkamp of the University of Münster, in Germany; Randall Nelson of Arizona State University; Peter Roepstorff of the University of Southern Denmark; and Marvin Vestal of Virgin Instruments Corp.

Conferee networking sessions, which are free to all registered attendees, will provide a forum for participants to meet other people with similar interests, share experiences regarding new technology, and brainstorm ideas. These two-hour facilitated sessions enable conferees and exhibitors to discuss topics of mutual interest or solve problems specific to certain instrumentation.

EXPOSITION. The exposition provides attendees with hands-on access to instrumentation, laboratory apparatuses, and other lab-related products and services. Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM on Monday, March 3, through Wednesday, March 5, and 9 AM to 3 PM on Thursday, March 6.

AWARDS. At Pittcon, 10 awards will be presented to recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy.

Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award: Richard M. Crooks, Welch Chair in Materials Chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin.

Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award: Benjamin Garcia, Presidential Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award: Geraldine L. Richmond, Richard M. & Patricia H. Noyes Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon and cofounder of COACh, the Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists.

ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science: Michael Roper, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Florida State University.

Bomem-Michelson Award from the Coblentz Society/ABB: Yukihiro Ozaki, chemistry professor at Kwansei Gakuin University in Sanda, Japan.

Charles N. Reilley Award of the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry (SEAC): Joseph Hupp, Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University.

Chromatography Forum of Delaware Valley Dal Nogare Award: Mary J. Wirth, W. Brooks Fortune Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University.

Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry: Mark E. Meyerhoff, Philip J. Elving Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Williams Wright Award from the Coblentz Society: Walter M. (Mike) Doyle, president of Axiom Analytical, Tustin, Calif.

Young Investigator Award of the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry: Stephen Maldonado, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Nominations are also being solicited for four of Pittcon’s 2015 awards:

Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award. The award includes a cash prize and travel costs to Pittcon. The honor recognizes significant contributions to the field of analytical chemistry, including the introduction of a significant technique, theory, or instrument, and the provision of exceptional training or a fertile environment for progress in analytical chemistry. Nominations are due by April 25.

Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award. This award honors outstanding contributions in the field of applied spectroscopy. Nominations are due by March 31.

Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in analytical chemistry and/or applied spectroscopy. To be eligible for the 2015 award, nominees must have completed their Ph.D. on or after March 1, 2004. Nominations are due by April 11.

Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry. This award recognizes significant contributions to the field of bioanalytical chemistry, broadly defined. The recipient will have introduced a significant technique, theory, instrument, or application important to the life sciences and have provided an exceptional environment to educate bioanalytical chemists. Visit the Pittcon website for more information.

EMPLOYMENT. Pittcon offers a free Employment Bureau service during the meeting. The bureau provides a venue for candidates to review active job openings and for employers to review candidate credentials and résumés. To qualify for this service, a participant must be registered either as a conferee or as an exhibitor for Pittcon 2014 and must also register as either a candidate or an employer. Candidates and employers are highly encouraged to register for the Employment Bureau before Sunday, March 2.

Candidates and employers should bring their own computer or other devices for accessing the Internet and e-mail. Candidates must bring printed and electronic résumés in searchable pdf or Word format, preferably stored on a USB flash drive. The Employment Bureau will be located in the Vista room at McCormick Place. More details are available at pittcon.org/employment-bureau.

SHORT COURSES. The Pittcon 2014 Short Course Program will consist of more than 100 courses on more than 60 topics including physical, life, and pharmaceutical sciences; computer applications; quality assurance; statistics; environmental analysis; and food safety. Details can be found at pittcon.org/short-courses. Registration fees range from $375 for half-day courses to $1,380 for two-day courses. Students get a 50% discount. Attendees of three paid courses receive free conference registration.