Call for Papers for 40th Western Regional Meeting

Abstracts are wanted for the 40th ACS Western Regional Meeting (WRM), which will take place Jan. 22-25, 2006, at the DoubleTree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County in Orange, Calif. The meeting will be hosted by the ACS Orange County Section. The meeting's website, WRM2006.org, will be updated frequently.

More than 30 invited symposia and more than a dozen general submission symposia are planned. The theme of the meeting, "Water, Water, Everywhere!?!" emphasizes water-related topics, from remote monitoring of aquatic systems to water on Mars. Abstracts, which are due on Nov. 30, are welcome for oral or poster presentations on all chemistry- and biochemistry-related topics.

Planned symposia topics include emerging contaminants in the environment, aquatic monitoring by remote analytical methods, water and wastewater treatment, environmental water chemistry, water on Mars, computational aspects of aqueous solvation, bioremediation of aquatic systems, coastal water quality, macromolecule-water interactions, photochemical reactions in aqueous and nonaqueous solvents, gas clathrate hydrates, nanotechnology in industry, biosensors, atmospheric chemistry, contemporary issues in chemical education, recent advances in pharmaceutical chemistry, analytical/biological mass spectrometry, bioanalytical applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, structural chemistry and structural biology, chemical developments at the U.S.-Mexico interface, and chemical safety issues in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences.

A special symposium honoring 2005 Cope Scholar Weston T. Borden will be held on Monday, Jan. 23, beginning with his presentation titled "The Schizophrenic Effect of Geminal Fluorination on the Kinetic Stabilities of Molecules Containing Small Rings: Calculations, Predictions, and Experimental Tests."

Educators' Day on Sunday, Jan. 22, will include special symposia on topics related to the California Science Standards, the use of technology in the classroom, and a wide range of topics of interest to teachers in K-12 as well as to community college and university educators.

A plenary luncheon will feature Susan Singer of Carleton College, who will address the conference on "America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science," a recently released study by the National Academy of Sciences. Chemagination training sessions and information sessions about National Chemistry Week activities will also be held. On Sunday evening, all regional meeting attendees are invited to an informal reception in the exhibit hall to include "Conversations with Eminent Scientists."

The centrally located exposition will feature tabletop displays from a diverse group of vendors. Poster sessions adjacent to the exhibit area along with luncheons and receptions will maximize interaction with attendees. Companies interested in participating should consult the website or contact the WRM exhibits chair, David J. Marec, at exhibitschair@WRM2006.org.

Seven workshops are planned. Four will cover different aspects of laboratory safety. Another will focus on building local ACS community outreach programs. Two workshops, "Chloramine" and "Water Quality Sampling," will be sponsored by the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association.

Special events will include an ACS presidential address by E. Ann Nalley; a Tuesday plenary luncheon address, "Water on Mars," by Kenneth R. Johnson of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., followed by an afternoon symposium and poster presentation; the awarding of the first Stanley C. Israel Award for Diversity in the Chemical Sciences; "Conversations with Eminent Scientists"--a casual Sunday get-together at which attendees can chat with some of the scientists who contributed to the advancement of the chemical sciences; a Women Chemists Luncheon; an ACS employment center and career workshops; and many other opportunities for professionals to network.

Online abstract submission and advance registration opened on Sept. 6 via the WRM2006.org website or the ACS regional meetings page, chemistry.org/meetings/regional. Hotel reservations at special rates at the DoubleTree can be made from the website, and exhibitors can receive up-to-date information as well.

For specific information, contact the general chair, Richard L. Deming, generalchair@WRM2006.org, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton CA 92834-6866, phone (714) 278-2170, fax (714) 278-5316; program chair, Robert Belloli, programchair@WRM2006.org; or exhibits chair, David J. Marec, exhibitschair@WRM2006.org.