2021 Southwest Regional Meeting

The American Chemical Society’s Central Texas Section will host the Southwest Regional Meeting (SWRM) Oct. 31–Nov. 3 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, which is located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The theme is “Chemical Innovations for Global Challenges.” Meeting attendees can enjoy Texas barbecue, breakfast tacos, live music, and exciting chemistry. Details can be found at swrm.org.

Technical program. SWRM 2021 is primarily an in-person meeting with select virtual offerings. More than 630 abstracts have been submitted, approximately 60 half-day sessions are planned, and 250 posters will be presented. One of the highlights of the meeting will be a keynote talk by MacArthur Fellow Livia Eberlin late Monday afternoon.

The ACS Division of Small Chemical Businesses will present “The Entrepreneur’s Tool-Kit,” including resources, best practices, and true stories. “Metal Organic Frameworks” will explore the recent advances in structures built from biologically derived materials. “Main Group Chemistry in the Southwest” is organized by the Division of Inorganic Chemistry and will bring together chemists at all stages of their careers to talk about recent advances in the chemistry of s- and p-block elements.

Symposia span all the disciplines of chemistry. Explore them all at swrm.org/technical-program.

Workshops. SWRM 2021 will provide a series of workshops. Career Services will host two half-day workshops on Sunday. ACS will debut a new chemical safety workshop especially for undergraduate-serving institutions. A chemical safety workshop for high school programs will be offered as well. Just for fun, “Chemistry and Art Workshop” will be offered on Sunday morning. “High School Chemistry Teacher Workshop: Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL),” will be held all day Saturday as a premeeting workshop for K–12 educators.

Undergraduate programming. Sunday programming is especially rich for undergraduates. Two career workshops and résumé reviews will be offered. The technical programming on Sunday will feature topics such as fermentation science, hemp chemistry, and the history of chemistry and art. Monday will feature all-day résumé reviews, poster sessions, and an opportunity to meet graduate school recruiters in the exposition on Monday and Tuesday.

Exposition. The exposition will kick off late Monday morning and run through Tuesday afternoon. It will offer a great opportunity to learn about the latest products on the market and to meet graduate school recruiters. To apply as an exhibitor, contact expo@swrm2021.org.

Awards. The regional awards for both 2020 and 2021 will be presented, including the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, the Southwestern Regional Award for Excellence in High School Teaching, and the E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to ACS. The awards dinner will take place on Tuesday preceded by a reception hosted by ACS governance and a keynote talk by Eric Anslyn.

Social events. Don’t miss the Women Chemists Committee (WCC) lunch on Monday, featuring Committee of Professional Relations and WCC member Gloria Thomas speaking on the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Senior Chemists Committee (SCC) Chair Arlene Garrison will preside at the SCC breakfast panel on Tuesday. A 5K Fun Run or Walk on Monday morning will give early risers a peek at the capitol and the Colorado River.

Lodging and registration. Early-bird registration for the meeting closed Sept. 17, but you can register until the end of the meeting using the on-site rate. You can also reserve a room at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at a reduced rate through the SWRM 2021 website.