Northwest Regional Meeting 2019

The 74th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, hosted by the Portland Section, will take place June 16–19 at Portland State University. The chairs are Angela Hoffman of the University of Portland and Jim Tung of Lacamas Laboratories. Details can be found at the meeting website, norm2019.org.

Technical program. The meeting theme is “From Nano to Global.” Among the highlights is an opening plenary by Geraldine Richmond of the University of Oregon. After the plenary, meeting attendees can mingle with members of the ACS Board of Directors during a poster session and reception.

Other meeting highlights include a graduate student–led symposium on chemical approaches to renewable energy, featuring Eric Rivard of the University of Alberta; a symposium on the contributions of chemistry to health sciences and drug discovery, featuring William Goddard of the California Institute of Technology; and a symposium on archaeometry, featuring Luis Berrocal-Rangel of the Autonomous University of Madrid.

For those interested in starting a business, the innovation track on Monday will include a panel of science entrepreneurs and commercialization experts. During the exposition, there will be an innovation fair. And Allison A. Campbell, an ACS past president, will give a talk on BILL (business, illumination, longevity, laughs) during the ACS Division of Business Development and Management reception on Monday night.

Workshops. High school teachers are invited to attend a series of workshops on Sunday. Skip Rochefort of Oregon State University will lead attendees in some hands-on demonstrations, and there will also be a POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) workshop and an ACS resource fair. Lunch will be provided.

In addition, there will be a science advocacy workshop on Sunday to help equip ACS members with the information and tools needed to advocate for chemistry policy at the federal, state, and local levels. This workshop will bring interested members, veteran ACS advocates, and staff together to discuss best practices for engaging with federal and state lawmakers.

For job seekers, there will be two ACS career workshops on interviewing. This workshop should appeal not only to undergraduate and graduate students but also to recent graduates and experienced professionals considering a career change. Résumé review sessions will be available throughout the day.

On Monday, there will be an electrochemistry workshop titled “EChem in a Box,” led by Tim Paschkewitz of Pine Research Instrumentation.

Undergraduate programming. Undergraduates attending the meeting can participate in a trivia session and a graduate school fair. There will also be an undergraduate breakfast, followed by a networking opportunity with senior chemists. The Eminent Scientist Lecture will feature a talk by Goddard of Caltech.

Exposition.The exposition will start on Monday morning and run through Tuesday. The expo will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest products on the market. Applications for exhibitors are available on the meeting’s website.

Awards. Four awards will be presented at the meeting. These include the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, the ACS Division of Chemical Education Glenn and Jane Crosby Northwest Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching, the ACS E. Ann Nalley Northwest Regional Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society, and the Partners for Progress and Prosperity Award. The awards banquet will take place on Tuesday night.

Social events. On Monday, the Women in Science Luncheon will feature a talk by Nancy Williams of Claremont McKenna College. In the afternoon, there will be a graduate student reception as well as the HUMAN Event (Historically Underrepresented Minorities and Allies Networking Event). On Tuesday, there will be a Senior Chemists’ Breakfast, an LGBTQ+ chemists and allies social event, and the Awards Reception and Banquet. On Wednesday, meeting attendees can tour the Reed College reactor.

Lodging and registration. Early-bird registration for the meeting ends on May 16; on-site registration will be available through the end of the meeting. Rooms are available at a reduced rate at the Hotel Zags and the University Place Hotel and Conference Center, if booked by May 15.