NORM 2021 will be held virtually in May

The American Chemical Society Puget Sound Section will host the 2021 Northwest Regional Meeting (NORM) virtually May 9 to 11. The event, organized by Western Washington University, will feature online technical symposia and a poster session. The meeting theme is “Peak Challenges, Oceans of Opportunity.”

Technical program. Among the meeting’s highlights are plenary lectures by Christopher Chang of the University of California, Berkeley, on May 9, and Alshakim Nelson of the University of Washington on May 11. Sara Skrabalak of Indiana University Bloomington will give an Undergraduate Eminent Scientist Lecture on May 10.

The symposium sessions include “Inorganic: Catalysts, Compounds, and Reactions,” “Cottrell Scholars from the Pacific Northwest and Beyond,” “Natural Products Chemistry in the Northwest,” “Cannabis Chemistry: Oceans of Scientific Opportunity,” “Organic Chemistry,” “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) at Community Colleges,” “Physical Chemistry: Computational to Experimental,” “Analytical Chemistry,” “Chemistry of Energy,” “Materials Chemistry: Chemistry and Applications of Bulk to Quantum Confined Materials,” “Polymer and Macromolecular Chemistry,” “Undergraduate Research Symposium,” “Emergent Applications and Results in Structural and Chemical Biology,” and “PNW Rising Stars,” a celebration of early-career and midcareer women in the Northwest region. There will also be a general poster session on these topics.

Workshops. For students and postdoctoral scholars, the “Finding Yourself: Identifying a Career That Matches Your Strengths and Values” and “Networking: How to Get Started” workshops on May 9 may be of interest. Other workshops include “Setting Yourself Up for Success in an Interview” and “Making the Most of Your Interview: Outshine the Competition.”

Awards. Several awards will be presented on May 10. These include the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, the Glenn and Jane Crosby Northwest Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching, and the E. Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to ACS.

Social events. Among the social highlights of NORM 2021 is the senior chemists breakfast on Monday morning. Chemists of all ages are welcome.

Registration. Students can register for free, and all other attendees will be charged only a nominal registration fee. Discounted early-bird registration ends at 11:59 p.m. (PDT) April 30, but attendees can register at the regular rate through the end of the meeting. Visit norm2021.org for more details.