NanoMARM: 46th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting

The ACS Lehigh Valley Section will host NanoMARM: 46th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting on June 3 at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Hall, in Bethlehem, Pa.

The meeting’s general chair is John Freeman of the Lehigh Valley Section. The meeting’s program chair is Ned Heindel of Lehigh University.

Technical program. The meeting’s theme is “Iron Past—Unlimited Future” and touches on many topics in polymer chemistry, including controlled/living polymerizations, conjugated polymer synthesis, synthesis of nanocomposites, nanostructures/assembly, and applications in optoelectronics and regenerative medicine.

Attendees interested in the entrepreneurial side of chemistry can attend a two-hour session on chemical business entrepreneurship by Keith Kardos of CD Diagnostics. Topics covered during the session include how to identify a successful idea, the commercialization of ideas, and navigating the regulatory environment.

Attendees interested in education can attend a two-hour session on distance education by Christine Martey-Ochola of Avo Global. Martey-Ochola will share how to teach upper-level college chemistry courses online. Scot Abbott of Phoenix First Response will lead a discussion on alternative instrumentation for chemical educators.

History buffs might enjoy a session on the history of chemistry by Roger Egolf of Penn State Lehigh Valley and Heindel. The session will focus on the early industrial chemistry of the Lehigh Valley region and the chemistry in the Pennsylvania Dutch community.

Additionally, there will be sessions on colloids, with presentations on surface chemistry, adsorption at interfaces, and nanocomposite particle characterization with terahertz multispectral imaging techniques. A discussion will follow with faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions on courses in colloid and surface chemistry. A poster session will take place from 3 to 6 PM.

The technical program will conclude with a plenary talk by Jennifer Rampling of Princeton University on the impact of 15th-century alchemy in England.

Chemagination. In conjunction with the meeting, the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Regional Chemagination Competition will be held from 11 AM to 4 PM at the Governor’s room in Iacocca Hall. The competition question is “From a point 25 years in the future, describe a recent breakthrough or innovation in chemistry that has improved the quality of people’s lives today.”

For more information about Chemagination 2018, contact cochairs Carol Stein, cmstein03@yahoo.com, and Louise Lawter, louise.lawter@gmail.com.

MEET event. Lorena Tribe of Penn State Berks will moderate the Mutual Exchange of Experience & Technology (MEET) event. Senior chemists will present a chemistry demonstration, and youth will assist them in editing and uploading the content to a social media platform online. The goal is to help senior chemists become more comfortable communicating their work to an online audience.

Awards. The following awards will be presented during the MARM awards ceremony and dinner.

The ACS Division of Chemical Education Region Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching recognizes, encourages, and stimulates outstanding teachers of high school chemistry in the mid-Atlantic region.

The E. Emmet Reid Award in Chemistry Teaching at Small Colleges in the ACS Middle Atlantic Region recognizes, encourages, and stimulates high-quality teaching and research at small colleges.

The Partners for Progress & Prosperity Regional Award encourages and recognizes successful and exemplary partnerships within the mid-Atlantic region. These partnerships can be between industry, academia, government, small business, or other organizations.

The E. Ann Nalley Middle Atlantic Volunteer Service Award recognizes the volunteer efforts of individuals who have served ACS, contributing significantly to the goals and objectives of the society through their regional activities.

The Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences recognizes individuals or institutions that have advanced diversity in the chemical sciences and that significantly stimulate or foster activities that promote inclusiveness in the region.

Registration and lodging. Early-bird registration ends on May 21. Attendees may register at the on-site rate through the end of the meeting. There is no formal housing arranged for the meeting, but a list of local hotels is available on the meeting website at marmacs.org/2018/marm2018.html.