Official Reports from the Washington, D.C., Meeting

The major actions taken by the ACS Board and Council during the national meeting in Washington, D.C., were reported in C&EN, Oct. 3, page 62.

Budget & Finance

The Society Committee on Budget & Finance reported that ACS is projected to end 2005 with a net contribution from operations of $5.6 million, or $3.0 million favorable to the approved budget. In addition, the society is projected to end the year in full compliance with the board-established financial guidelines. The committee received four new program-funding requests and recommended that the ACS Board approve three of the four proposals as requested: ACS High School Chemistry Clubs, a two-year pilot program; ACS activities in connection with the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF); and leadership development.

In addition, the committee recommended that funding be included in the 2006 proposed budget for the ACS Green Chemistry Institute, with the understanding that requests for future funding will include plans for achieving self-sustainability.

Finally, the committee discussed an internal review of society programs and a proposed ACS Web reinvention project. Regarding the former, the committee recommended that the ACS Board approve a package of society program redirections and terminations, effective with the 2006 proposed budget.

The committee also recommended support for continued discussion about a possible cost-sharing model for regional meetings. Regarding the Web project, which is intended to enhance the society's Web capabilities, the committee recommended that the ACS Board authorize incremental funding of $9.5 million for the Web Presence Initiative over a 30-month period (October 2005 through March 2008).-Judith L. Benham, chair

Education

At its executive meeting in Washington, D.C., the Society Committee on Education (SOCED) received an update on President-Elect E. Ann Nalley's themes for 2006, including her proposed emphasis on collaborations among industrial, academic, and international partners. Reports were also received from the Committee on Professional Training on the status of the next guidelines for undergraduate chemistry; from the Division of Chemical Education; and from the Office of Legislative & Government Affairs (OLGA) on National Science Foundation (NSF) program priorities and interactions with the Congressional Black Caucus.

SOCED remains very concerned about the status of the ongoing debate on evolution and will work closely with OLGA on this issue.

The committee also discussed the role of multidisciplinarity in education, a key component in SOCED's “Exploring the Molecular Vision” initiative. SOCED voted to support two new program requests for ACS funding in 2006: one to support a pilot program to develop high school chemistry clubs and the second to expand the role of ACS in the International Science & Engineering Fair.

During the meeting, the Student Affiliate program again included a very successful research poster session. Student affiliates also participated in workshops on public policy and politics, archaeology, and the chemistry of natural products. The Academic Employment Initiative held a poster session for prospective new academic hires in conjunction with Sci-Mix.-Joseph A. Heppert, chair

Board Committee Reports

Standing Committees

Grants & Awards

The Committee on Grants & Awards (G&A) voted to recommend nominees to the ACS Board of Directors for the 2006 Perkin Medal and the 2006 Othmer Gold Medal.

The committee recommended that the excess funds previously set aside for Alternative Energy Fellows and Undergraduate Faculty Sabbaticals Pilot Programs be returned to the Petroleum Research Fund (PRF)-Reserve Fund. Further, G&A recommended to the ACS Board of Directors that the excess funds previously set aside for the H Pilot Program be returned to the PRF-Reserve Fund at the conclusion of its five-year lifetime in 2007.

Acting under delegated authority, G&A voted to approve four proposals from the Green Chemistry Institute for funding through the ACS PRF and then voted to recommend to the ACS Board of Directors that it continue to provide 1% of the total PRF distribution for the dedicated use of the Green Chemistry Institute, provided the funds are used in accordance with the terms of the PRF Agreement.

The results of the July 2005 Shugoll research were reviewed, the objective of which was to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the 11 teleconferences that were held with selection committees during 2005. On the basis of the survey results, the committee voted to continue using the teleconference call in the awards program selection process and expand it to all selection committees over the next two years.

The committee reviewed proposed guidelines for recognition of award sponsors and then discussed changes to the ACS awards website with respect to award winners and their eligibility for nomination for a different award. They discussed proposals for two new awards: one that recognizes a significant contribution to the improvement of quality of life through chemistry and one that recognizes outstanding and creative contributions to ultrafast science.-C. Gordon McCarty, chair

Professional & Member Relations

The chair reviewed the Committee on Professional & Member Relations' (P&MR) interim actions. Three nominal cosponsorships were approved: the SOCMA (Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association) Corporate Excellence Conference in Philadelphia, Sept. 11–14, 2005; the 17th International Symposium on Analytical & Applied Pyrolysis in Budapest, Hungary, May 21–26, 2006; and the 86th annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Atlanta, Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 2006.

Recommendations of the Multidisciplinarity Task Force were prioritized in a July 29 WebEx conference. Howard Peters was appointed as liaison to the Hispanic/Chicano/Latino communities and Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science.

The committee then reviewed theme implementation and presentations on multidisciplinarity. It heard a progress report on the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) virtual community website, which will include journal articles, news, technical presentations, and a calendar. Collaborative technology will be investigated.

P&MR voted to recommend that the board of directors:

◾ Support the recommendations of the Board/Presidential Task Force on Multidisciplinarity, as presented and prioritized by P&MR, and
◾ Authorize P&MR to develop, or ensure the development of, action plans for their implementation, in coordination with other appropriate society entities.

To encourage electronic meetings and conferences, the committee reviewed a white paper recommending development of a policy regarding electronic conferences as well as suggestions for making them workable. This is ready for the agenda of the January 2006 Editors' Conference. To encourage participation in virtual conferences, a policy that will not preclude subsequent publication in an ACS journal will be helpful.

P&MR also heard a report on the Board Oversight Group on Leadership Development, reviewed the 2004 Member Satisfaction Survey and focus group results, and identified priorities among new products and services. P&MR then voted to recommend that the board of directors do the following:

◾ Support the recommendations of the membership survey, as presented and prioritized by P&MR.
◾ Authorize P&MR to develop, or ensure the development of, action plans for their implementation, in coordination with other appropriate society entities.

Electronic technology materials were reviewed, and their advantages for ACS member services were indicated. As of July 31, paid members were up by 300 over the same time last year, and the number of unpaid members was down slightly.-Anne T. O'Brien, chair

Public Affairs & Public Relations

The Committee on Public Affairs & Public Relations (PA&PR) met on Aug. 25 and discussed and reviewed the following:

◾ Progress in achieving 2005 board PA&PR goals. The energy bill, containing several ACS priorities, was signed into law. The Green Chemistry bill is progressing through the House and has been introduced in the Senate. The 2005 Legislative Action Network (LAN) growth goal of 5% has been achieved.
◾ ACS 2005–06 policy statements. Staff was asked to develop a policy statement prioritization process.
◾ ACS leadership in promoting U.S. innovation and competitiveness with Congress, the Administration, and the media.
◾ ACS efforts supporting science education funding at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the continuing controversy over the teaching of evolution, and outreach to minority organizations on education issues.
◾ Favorable developments in student and scholar travel.
◾ Congressional legislation on chemical site security.
◾ The emerging biomonitoring issue, congressional and state legislation, and an update on the ACS July 27 Science and the Congress briefing on biomonitoring.
◾ ACS joining with other scientific organizations on a letter to Congress supporting use of sound science in setting public policy, particularly as it pertains to current controversy over a congressional request for data from a group of climate-change scientists.
◾ Preliminary data from the ACS communications survey and strategic plan for ACS communications.

The committee then voted to recommend approval of the development of Rumford Baking Powder as a National Historic Chemical Landmark to the board of directors.-Diane G. Schmidt, chair

Other Committees

Chemical Abstracts Service

(Joint with Council)

The Joint Board-Council Committee on Chemical Abstracts Service (CCAS) met in executive session on Aug. 26 and in open session jointly with the Joint Board-Council Committee on Publications and the Division of Chemical Information on Aug. 29.

The committee heard from CAS management on a range of issues, including a report on new products and services as well as database improvements. Members learned that SciFinder 2006 will be enhanced with new features, including a similarity search tool based on the Tanimoto coefficient and query highlighting in reaction searching. In addition, new analysis and visualization software (STN AnaVist) provides information professionals with a variety of ways to analyze search results from scientific literature and patents as well as the ability to visualize patterns and trends in their research.

The committee also discussed the ACS/National Institutes of Health PubChem situation and passed the following resolution that was submitted to ACS Council:

“The Joint Board-Council Committee on Chemical Abstracts Service (CCAS) strongly believes that the NIH PubChem Initiative is one of the most significant and potentially harmful challenges ever faced by CAS, and thus, ACS as an organization. CCAS strongly supports ACS in its efforts to resolve these issues. CCAS is seriously concerned that the current communication strategy is not reaching ACS membership. Therefore CCAS strongly recommends that ACS 1. Devise a more effective communication strategy to fully and accurately inform the ACS membership on this significant issue. 2. Involve the membership in appropriate dialogue concerning this issue. CCAS encourages the communication strategy to utilize the strengths of the Society, which include the Members, the Council, Local Sections, Technical Divisions, the Board, and their related publications, both written and electronic.”-Andrea Twiss-Brooks, chair

Chemical Safety

(Joint with Council)

The Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS) provides advice on the handling of chemicals and seeks to ensure safe facilities, designs, and operations by calling attention to potential hazards and stimulating education in safe chemical practices.

CCS has several publications (many of which are downloadable), including the two-volume set of our flagship publication, “Safety in Academic Chemistry Labs” (SACL). Everyone is invited to also check out the publications of the committee's newest Task Force on Laboratory Environment, Health & Safety that has recently been included on the CCS website (chemistry.org/committees/ccs).

Almost ready for publication are a Spanish translation of SACL and the third edition of the “Chemical Safety Manual for Small Businesses.” A model “Laboratory Code of Conduct” for high schools is also being released.

The committee has been discussing some of the chemistry lab safety issues encountered by the ACS delegation in China. CCS is exploring how to help organizations and individuals in China with safety information.

With laboratories increasingly involved in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and green chemistry, CCS is currently compiling safety-related resources in these fields. Please send us your ideas for such information, as well as Web links.

On Monday, Aug. 29, CCS cosponsored the presidential symposium titled “Future of Chemical Plant Security: Where Will We Be in 2015?”-Alan A. Hazari, chair

Chemistry & Public Affairs

(Joint with Council)

The Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs (CCPA) is responsible for providing ACS with advice and recommendations for action on public policy matters that impact the chemical sciences and technology. CCPA's priorities include partnering with the ACS Office of Legislative & Government Affairs to advocate for increased federal investments for basic research during the current budget climate of a shrinking pool of research dollars.

CCPA helps set ACS policy regarding funding for major research agencies. In addition, with input from many ACS committees and divisions, CCPA drafted a society statement on energy policy. Members of CCPA joined other ACS governance during the 2005 Legislative Summit Day this spring to communicate to Congress the role research plays in U.S. innovation and the need for a long-term, research-based energy strategy.

CCPA also acts to be the catalyst for ACS member participation in political involvement, encouraging ACS members to contact their legislators through the Legislative Action Network and through meetings in congressional home district offices.

The powerful impact of this process is documented by a recent success story. In June, Joe Hightower, an ACS councilor from the Greater Houston Section, met with his congressman, Rep. John A. Culberson (R-Texas), who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the National Science Foundation. Before the meeting, the congressman didn't know much about NSF. But during their meeting, Hightower spoke about what NSF funding means to the chemists and other scientists in the congressman's district.

Just two weeks later, Culberson spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to defend NSF from an amendment that would have cut research funding. Culberson wasn't the only congressman to defend NSF from the cuts, but this was the first time he stepped up to bat on this issue, and it has a lot to do with Hightower's visit. This example shows how ACS members can have an impact on public policy. ACS members interested in getting involved with their policymakers should contact the ACS Office of Legislative & Government Affairs.-James W. Mitchell, chair

Chemists with Disabilities

During the 230th ACS national meeting, the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities (CWD) celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gala reception attended by more than 150 people, including past and present members of the committee, members of ACS governance, and guests from agencies that have supported the disability awareness movement.

During the reception, ACS President William F. Carroll presented the first CWD Lifetime Achievement Award to Thomas J. Kucera, the committee's first chair. Judy Summers-Gates, current chair of the committee, cited the energy and efforts of Kucera that resulted in the establishment of many resources for the community of those with disabilities. In his address, Kucera recognized the contributions of many others to the success of CWD, referring to his vision of the challenges still remaining.

Another highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of a slide show titled “What's Missing from This Picture?” The slides told the story of many elements that were discovered or researched by chemists with disabilities. The information was also available on a souvenir postcard for attendees as well as in a Braille version provided by committee members.

Finally, attendees were invited to view many artifacts that illustrate the history of the committee, including past rosters, journal articles, and editions of publications. These were placed along a time line that spoke clearly to the significant contributions made by CWD during its 25-year existence.-Judith A. Summers-Gates, chair

Corporation Associates

The Committee on Corporation Associates (CCA) met in Washington, D.C., during the 230th ACS national meeting. Corporation Associates (CA) advises and influences ACS to ensure that its products and services are of value to industrial members and their companies. CA will accomplish this by actively participating in and bringing leadership to ACS programs and projects.

The CCA staff liaison reported that at the Washington, D.C., meeting, Industry Member Programs (IMP) hosted the 2005 Heroes of Chemistry celebration, which focused on commercially successful products that have improved human life and welfare. Honored scientists were from Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Colgate Palmolive, and ExxonMobil. Noted philosopher Tom Morris was the keynote speaker for the event.

IMP and Merck will host the third ACS/Pharma Leaders Meeting in October 2005. Building on two successful years, this meeting will focus on common issues for industrial executives who lead chemistry research in drug discovery.

IMP also hosted the World Congress on Industrial Biotech in concert with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Seven hundred participants attended this second-time meeting on industrial biotechnology and biobased processing. Programming was expanded from four to five concurrent tracks. The next meeting will likely be in Canada in July 2006.

In conjunction with the ACS Division of Agricultural & Food Chemistry and the ACS Office of Meetings, IMP organized the second international congress on antioxidant standards and measurements. The meeting was successful, and ACS will continue to support the organization of this effort.

The Education Subcommittee reported that it plans to organize a 2006 national meeting event on multidisciplinarity in industrial chemistry. The event will explore the multidisciplinary needs of the chemical and related industries as articulated by representatives from industry, academe, and government.

The Awards, Finance & Grants Subcommittee reported that CCA received funding proposals requesting a total of $38,000. CCA approved funding at $25,500 for the following activities: the 2006 Central Regional Meeting symposium on chemical industry trends, awards presented at the 2006 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, 2006 Northwest Regional Meeting symposium on chemical inventory management and laboratory reproductive hazards, the Society Committee on Education's Task Force on Undergraduate Programming Student Affiliates Roundtable at the 2006 spring national meeting in Atlanta, and the Division of History's program titled “Citations for Chemical Breakthroughs: Seminal Patents and Publications from the Chemical Industry.”-Thomas H. Lane, chair

Environmental Improvement

(Joint with Council)

The Committee on Environmental Improvement (CEI) is beginning to see the returns on three years of effort on sustainability in the chemical enterprise, which reached a milestone at this meeting. Earlier this year, CEI cosponsored a sustainability workshop with the National Academies, Green Chemistry Institute, and others. At this meeting, CEI cosponsored a two-day symposium on sustainability with ACS divisions and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. All this is leading toward a draft policy statement on sustainability for consideration by the board later this year. CEI will continue to be active in highlighting sustainability to ACS members, industry, policymakers, and the public.

Changes in attitudes and habits come slowly and often require extensive educational activities. The education and outreach subcommittee is working with others to bring sustainability, green chemistry, and environmental chemistry into the mainstream of chemical education. These activities will benefit our world for many years to come.

At the national meeting, CEI and the Division of Environmental Chemistry cosponsored a symposium on international regulation of chemicals as part of the 2015 initiative. The committee also began discussions on biomonitoring, chemical plant safety, and the corrosive issue of the use and misuse of science in environmental policymaking. Stay tuned for more on these issues in the future.

After 10 years of evaluating and selecting Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awardees, co-organizing annual conferences, and supporting and mentoring related activities within ACS, the committee has finished transferring these programs to the ACS Green Chemistry Institute. CEI is proud of this decade of nurturing and support and is pleased that an established and growing office will give them full-time attention and energy in the future.-Jurgen Exner, chair

International Activities

(Joint with Council)

The International Activities Committee (IAC) approved a new statement of its mission and goals. A task force was established to develop criteria for review of the activities of ACS International Chemical Sciences Chapters (ICSC). The committee voted to concur with ICSC bylaw changes that have been proposed by the Committee on Constitution & Bylaws.

IAC discussed the outcomes of an April 2005 delegation to China and recommended that ACS set engagement with China as a high priority. The committee will take responsibility for exploring the development of a Sino-U.S. Frontiers of Chemistry symposium series that parallels ACS efforts with chemical societies in Europe. The conference, Frontiers of Chemistry II: Research & Education in the Middle East, will be held in November in Malta.

Planning and fundraising have started for the August 2006 Transatlantic Frontiers of Chemistry symposium, which will convene outstanding early-career chemical scientists from the U.S. and Europe.

The committee began to explore the opportunity for the U.S. to host a future congress and general assembly of the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry. IAC discussed staff recommendations for budgetary adjustments and the process by which changes should be made. The committee also discussed efforts to develop best practices to engage scientists from Mexico and Canada in ACS regional meetings.

The committee cosponsored a number of symposia and took the lead role in organizing a symposium on business development in Latin America that was jointly sponsored by other committees and the Division of Business Development & Management.-Catherine E. Costello, chair

Minority Affairs

(Joint with Council)

The Committee on Minority Affairs (CMA) met in August 2005 at the Washington, D.C., national meeting. CMA continues to promote its mission of increasing the participation and leadership of traditionally underrepresented chemical scientists in the discipline and in ACS activities.

The ACS Scholars Program marked its 10th anniversary this year with a number of events held during the fall national meeting. A “Thanks a Million” luncheon, underwritten by Procter & Gamble, recognized the program's 11 corporate partners. A presidential symposium titled “The Future Face of Chemistry” followed the luncheon. A symposium titled “The Business Case for Diversity in the Chemical Enterprise” was sponsored by the Division of Business Development & Management. A reception and luncheon, organized by CMA, recognized the ACS Scholars Program founders and donors.

Over the past 10 years, the ACS Scholars Program has awarded more than $8.2 million in scholarships to 1,600 students from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the chemical sciences. More than 80% of the scholars complete their degrees in a chemical science major, and 95% graduate from college. Of the 660 graduates to date, 256 have entered the chemical workforce, and 273 have gone on to graduate school. The ACS Scholars Program is truly changing the face of chemistry.

CMA continues its outreach activities with several advocacy organizations, including the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science, the American Indian Science & Engineering Society, and the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers.-Jean M. Andino, chair

Patents & Related Matters

(Joint with Council)

The Committee on Patents & Related Matters (CPRM) informed the council that recently there have been major efforts to improve the U.S. patent system.

For more than a year, major stakeholders in intellectual property issues, including the National Academy of Sciences, the Federal Trade Commission, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association, have been assessing the health of the patent system. These groups issued reports analyzing the patent system and recommending changes to the patent laws. They held town hall meetings around the country to seek input and held a conference to summarize these reports and town meetings.

Meanwhile, in Congress, Rep. Lamar S. Smith (R-Texas), who chairs the House Judiciary subcommittee that oversees intellectual property, turned these recommendations into the Patent Reform Act of 2005 (H.R. 2795). These proposed changes come on top of significant changes in 1995 and 1999, and ACS policy statements helped shape the final 1999 bill.

CPRM dedicated a large portion of the meeting to discussing the Patent Reform Act of 2005 and evaluating how it would impact ACS members. The discussions highlighted differences between small and large inventors, universities and corporations, and the chemical industry and other industrial sectors. CPRM is currently drafting a policy statement that will be forwarded to the ACS Board of Directors for its approval.

In addition, at this meeting, CPRM cosponsored a presidential event, the symposium “The Bayh-Dole Act: 25 Years Later,” with the Divisions of Professional Relations and Chemistry & the Law (CHAL), the Committee on Science, and the Division of Business Development & Management. CPRM also cosponsored with CHAL a symposium on the future of the U.S. patent law system.

This spring, CPRM celebrated the Wisconsin Alumni Research Fund's (WARF) receipt of the National Medal of Technology, the nation's highest honor for achievements in technology. CPRM prepared the ACS nomination of WARF for the medal. WARF was an early pioneer in the field of technology transfer and played a pivotal role in the development of the Bayh-Dole Act. WARF has openly thanked ACS for its role in nominating it for the award, and CPRM is pleased to have played a role in the recognition bestowed upon WARF.-Charles F. Hauff, chair

Professional Training

(Joint with Council)

At the August 2005 meeting, the Committee on Professional Training (CPT) reviewed 48 new and additional information reports from ACS-approved chemistry programs. CPT held conferences with nine schools seeking approval and discussed four updates and three site-visit reports. The committee added three schools to the ACS-approved list and withdrew approval from two. The number of approved programs is now 634.

The ACS “Directory of Graduate Research” is to appear on schedule in the fall of 2005 and, for the first time, the online directory is to be accessible for free via the Web. The committee expects that this availability will substantially increase the usefulness of the directory to undergraduates, particularly those at small institutions.

The committee has published and is distributing the report from the November 2004 workshop with representatives from historically black colleges and universities and other institutions that award a significant number of baccalaureate degrees to African Americans. The participants discussed opportunities for and barriers to mounting ACS-approved programs at such institutions as well as strategies for increasing the participation of African Americans in our profession.

CPT has begun implementing some of the recommendations from the report that are solely within its purview and plans to collaborate with other ACS governance units in implementing other recommendations. In addition, CPT is planning joint activities with the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers.

The committee is substantially revising ACS guidelines for approval of undergraduate degree programs. At a dedicated workshop this summer, the committee began drafting a detailed position paper describing the philosophy and fundamental principles of the new guidelines. The committee has sought input broadly and invites comments on issues related to the curriculum required for student certification and other aspects of the requirements for ACS approval. Comments should be sent by e-mail to cpt@acs.org or by letter to the Office of Professional Training.-F. Fleming Crim, chair; William F. Polik, vice chair

Public Relations & Communications

(Joint with Council)

The Committee on Public Relations & Communications (CPRC) confirmed plans for a celebratory event in Atlanta to mark the 10th anniversary of its Helen Free Award for Public Outreach. A session with past winners, news reporters, and others in the field of public communication is being explored. This year's award winner, Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, was honored at the ChemLuminary Awards ceremony for a lifetime of making chemistry accessible to audiences of all ages.

CPRC members will hold the next “Cooks with Chemistry” tutorial for food writers during the next few months, and the topic will be chocolate. They are also planning continued upgrades to the CPRC Web page, chemistry.org/committees/cprc.html, in order to provide more public relations tools for local sections and divisions.

The committee heard preliminary findings from the research phase of the society's strategic communications plan and proposed including some “less active” members in the survey. Each CPRC member will provide five names for consideration. On a related note, the American Chemistry Council's new public image campaign, “Essential₂,” was described by and discussed with ACC visitor Stephen Gardner.

The committee voted to put the local section/division public relations awards on hold for one year to study how they can be better utilized. The next CPRC meeting will be in February 2006.-Cheryl Martin, chair

Publications

(Joint with Council)

C&EN continues to strengthen its position as the world's dominant chemical publication-in editorial content and advertising revenue. The annual survey of readers shows that C&EN remains highly regarded: 92% of readers are satisfied or very satisfied with the publication, and 86% rate it as good as or superior to other publications.

The Copyright Subcommittee continues to look for ways to better educate ACS members on copyright (for example, through the ACS website). The ACS Copyright Office sponsored a training session for journal editorial office personnel.

Staff presented a thoughtful piece on how the journal of the future may differ from today's journal. Key themes were advances in technology, trends in usability, and developments in resource discovery.

The final monitoring reports for the Journal of Proteome Research and Nano Letters were presented. The next publications to be monitored will be Biochemistry, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and Organometallics.-Grace Baysinger, chair

Science

(Joint with Council)

At the Washington, D.C., national meeting, the Committee on Science (ComSci), along with several other committees and two divisions, organized a presidential symposium titled “The Bayh-Dole Act: 25 Years Later.” In addition, ComSci organized a program titled “Meeting the Workforce Needs of the Chemistry Enterprise in 2015.”

For the spring 2006 national meeting in Atlanta, ComSci is planning programs on the following subjects: “Impact of Globalization on Materials Research” and “Chemistry and Protecting Environmental Health.”

For the fall 2006 San Francisco national meeting, ComSci is considering programs on the following: a presidential event on “Carbon Nanotubes” and a program in support of President-Elect E. Ann Nalley's focus on the subject of energy. ComSci will seek to establish appropriate partnerships with committees and divisions that share our interest in developing these programs.

The committee reviewed a one-page summary on the subject of the ACS Web presence initiative and expressed strong support for its objectives.

The Divisional Activities Committee (DAC) chair shared a new vision that cites the need for more frequent and effective collaboration across divisions. The plan also calls on divisions to make it more convenient for members and others to have access to the content that divisions create through a greater reliance on electronic information delivery. ComSci strongly supports this DAC plan.-Ed Chandross, Acting Chair

Women Chemists

The Women Chemists Committee (WCC) presented the publication “Successful Women in Chemistry: Corporate America's Contribution to Science,” which describes interviews with women who have achieved success across myriad venues. WCC also hosted a book signing as well as a daylong symposium called “Women in Industry: Trends & Transitions.” This symposium included the presentation of data from Project Enhance on the status of women in the chemical industry.

During the WCC Executive Session, the committee voted to assume long-term ownership of two ACS PROGRESS (Partnerships, Reflection, Openness, Grants, Resources, Education, Site Visits, and Successes) pilot programs: “Thriving in the Workplace” road shows and the “Be Visible” lectureships.

WCC decided to convene a strategic planning session at the 2006 spring national meeting to discuss long-term national meeting programming efforts for WCC. The committee unanimously approved a resolution to congratulate the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities on their 25th anniversary. The committee also voted to move to an electronic newsletter starting in the fall of 2006.

Also during the executive session, the committee received oral reports from each WCC subcommittee (Advocacy, Attracting, Communication, Developing, and Local/Regional Activities), as well as from the PROGRESS Project, the Local Section Activities Committee, the Chemists with Disabilities Committee, and from the Membership Division's Member Information Department.

More than 225 ACS national meeting attendees took part in the WCC Luncheon; Elizabeth H. Klimes of Eli Lilly delivered the keynote address, “The Customer in the Mirror-Medicine in the Future and Women's Unique Role.” Also at the luncheon, WCC presented the Overcoming Challenges Award to Susan Spencer, a student at Monroe Community College. Two women presented their research at this national meeting with funding from the WCC/Eli Lilly Travel Grant Award.

WCC also held the Women in Industry Breakfast on the topic of “Working for Mental Chocolate-How ‘B' Players Can Rule the Industry.” The committee recognized the following local sections during the ChemLuminary Awards Ceremony for their outstanding programs to recognize and promote women in the chemical sciences: Michigan State University, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Richland.

Other successful projects this year have included the publication of two newsletters, each with a distribution of 23,000, and the expansion of the committee's website to include additional information for successful regional and local section activities.-Carolyn Ribes, chair

Younger Chemists

(Joint with Council)

The Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) continues to promote its vision to lead younger chemists into successful careers and active roles in ACS and the profession. This year, YCC converted its newsletter from paper to electronic form. This allows the newsletter to be distributed via e-mail before each national meeting.

During the Washington, D.C., national meeting, YCC sponsored three programs: “Getting Your First Industrial Job after Graduate School,” “Strategies for Communicating Chemistry Effectively,” and “Federal Grants: Funding for Young Investigators.” In addition, the committee cosponsored five programs and hosted its annual blood drive. YCC thanks all the meeting attendees who donated blood and looks forward to seeing everyone at the fourth annual Fun Run/Walk, to be held during the Atlanta national meeting.

Also during this meeting, YCC established a liaison to interact with ACS divisions on programs that increase the involvement of younger chemists. The committee recognized the San Diego, Minnesota, and Northeastern Local Section YCCs for their outstanding achievements during the ChemLuminary Awards Ceremony. Moreover, YCC unanimously approved a resolution congratulating the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities on reaching its 25th anniversary.

In January 2006, YCC will again host its Leadership Development Workshop (LDW) at the ACS Leaders Conference. Fifteen travel awards are available, and YCC encourages nominations. The LDW application is available on the YCC website, and the deadline to apply is Dec. 1. To receive the newsletter or to obtain more information on YCC and its activities, including the 2006 LDW, visit chemisty.org/ycc or send an e-mail to ycc@acs.org.-Marci K. Harvey, chair

Council Committee Reports

Elected Committees

Committees

The Committee on Committees (ConC) announced that its annual training session for new committee chairs would be held as part of the ACS Leaders Conference, Jan. 27–29, 2006, in Baltimore.

On behalf of the council, ConC recognized 25 councilors who will have served the statutory limit or otherwise completed their service on ACS governance committees at the end of 2005; 12 committee chairs who will have served the statutory limit on the committee they chair; and 37 councilors serving 15, 20, 25, 35, or 50 years as a councilor.

ConC received reports from its subcommittees or task forces on leadership development, industry pipeline, councilor preference form, Web page, chair/staff interactions, chair/staff liaison evaluations, committees' financial issues, and chair/staff liaison evaluations. The committee reviewed draft performance review reports for the Committees on Public Relations & Communications, Admissions, Environmental Improvement, and International Activities. A chairs' interactive session was held as part of the ConC meeting to foster increased networking among committee chairs and ConC.

Finally, ConC has begun developing its recommendations for 2006 committee chairs, members, associates, and consultant appointments for consideration by the president-elect and the chair of the board.-Neil D. Jespersen, chair

Nominations & Elections

Several surveys from the Committee on Nominations & Elections (N&E) over the past five years have identified various concerns about the ACS elections process.

The most recent survey of councilors and other members was conducted to gain more detailed information on their views on some key current and alternative nomination and election procedures. The survey results were presented at the Councilor Open Forum on Sunday afternoon and will be posted on the N&E website located at chemistry.org/committees/nominations/index.html. In response to the survey results and open-forum discussion, the committee will propose revisions to the nominations and elections process.

The Town Hall Meeting for the directors-at-large candidates was held immediately following the open forum. Candidates presented their views in response to questions from N&E and other councilors. N&E solicited feedback on the usefulness of the Town Hall Meeting format.

For the first time in the fall 2005 national election, all members will receive a ballot in the mail that gives them an option to vote either electronically or by the traditional paper ballot. This ballot will contain easy-to-follow instructions for both methods.

In its executive session, N&E developed slates of potential nominees for president-elect 2007 and directors, Districts I and V for 2007–09, as well as a slate of potential candidates for directors-at-large, for 2007–09.-Valerie J. Kuck, chair

Standing Committees

Constitution & Bylaws

The Committee on Constitution & Bylaws (C&B), acting for the council, issued new certified bylaws to the Division of Agricultural & Food Chemistry and the Division of Biochemical Technology.

The committee prepared preliminary reports on proposed amendments to bylaws for the Chemical Society of Washington Section, the Indiana Section, the Central New Mexico Section, the Mid-Hudson Section, the Rochester Local Section, the Division of Chemical Health & Safety, the Division of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, and the Division of Computers in Chemistry. Also, the committee has reviewed new proposed amendments for the Cleveland Section, the Virginia Section, and the Division of Nuclear Chemistry & Technology.

The Petition on Election Procedures, which was presented to council for consideration at the 2005 spring meeting in Anaheim, Calif., has been withdrawn and appeared in the council agenda for information only. There were no other petitions for consideration or for action presented at this meeting, as there were no petitions received by the May 11 deadline.

The committee discussed and approved a new version of its guideline document for the Amendment of International Chemical Sciences Chapter Bylaws. The new document will be sent to the Committee on International Activities for comment.

The council approved C&B's revisions of the Charter Bylaws for New Local Sections and the Charter Bylaws for International Chemical Sciences Chapters. Recent constitution and bylaw changes necessitated the committee's revisions.

New petitions to amend the society's constitution or bylaws must be received by the executive director by Dec. 7 to be included in the agenda for consideration at the spring 2006 meeting of the council in Atlanta.-M. Elizabeth Derrick, chair

Divisional Activities

The Divisional Activities Committee (DAC) and the divisions it supports are moving in a new direction that emphasizes more frequent collaboration across division lines and a greater emphasis on electronic information delivery. This shift in direction seeks to capitalize on opportunities created by multidisciplinarity and new information technologies.

DAC subcommittees are already working to implement this new vision by determining the process for identifying optimal cross-divisional programming themes, identifying and removing the obstacles that hinder divisions from collaborating with one another, and working with the Committee on Meetings & Expositions to logistically accommodate multidisciplinary theme programming.

In further support of this new vision, DAC hosted three separate events on the weekend of Oct. 7–9 in Baltimore. They were the annual Program Planning & Coordination Conference (also known as P2C2), Division Summit II, and the Long-Range Program Planning Conference, which is a new event intended to help divisions collaborate.

The following divisions were presented with ChemLuminary Awards for innovative and outstanding service to their members: Chemical Education, Computers in Chemistry, Chemical Information, and Chemical Technicians. The award for an outstanding collaborative effort between a division and a local section was presented to the Division of Chemical Technicians and the Brazosport Section.

The Division Enhancement Subcommittee reviewed 30 proposals from 19 divisions for awarding approximately $100,000. Twenty of the proposals, from a total of 15 divisions, were selected to be funded in 2005. Checks will be sent to the winners before the end of the year.-Dwight W. Chasar, chair

Economic & Professional Affairs

Although the 2005 ChemCensus survey shows a drop in the unemployment rate for chemists from 3.6% in 2004 to 3.1%, more chemists than ever are employed part time. Therefore, the Committee on Economic & Professional Affairs (CEPA) will continue to do all it can to help members deal with the challenges and opportunities occurring in the rapidly changing nature of the chemistry enterprise.

The meeting in Washington, D.C., provided an excellent opportunity to visit Capitol Hill to promote workforce issues, particularly ACS public policy positions on pension policy and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

The CEPA Task Force on Globalization Issues has completed its final report, and a white paper will be presented to the board of directors for consideration. In addition, we are revising and updating a number of documents, including the Academic Employment Guidelines and the Chemist's Code of Conduct, as well as other career help brochures.

At the Chemjobs Career Center, 1,934 job seekers were scheduled for 1,687 interviews for 289 positions posted. The number of interviews was up compared with last spring, but the number of job seekers was at its highest for the past five years. Thirty-two career workshops were presented, as well as 223 mock interviews and 390 résumé reviews.

The committee invites you to visit the updated CEPA website to find career development information, a new message board, and a feedback button to send suggestions so that CEPA can better meet your needs.-Marinda Li Wu, chair

Local Section Activities

The Local Section Activities Committee (LSAC) presented awards for outstanding performance by local sections at the 7th Annual ChemLuminary Awards on Aug. 30 in Washington, D.C. The Outstanding Performance Award for sections went to the New York (very large), Delaware (large), Indiana (medium-large), Richland (medium), Illinois Heartland (medium-small), and Illinois-Iowa (small) Local Sections.

The award for Best Activity or Program Stimulating Membership Involvement was presented to Delaware, and the award for Most Innovative New Activity or Program went to the Southern California Local Section. The award for Best Activity Involving a Local Section-Division Interaction was presented to the Brazosport Local Section and the Division of Chemical Technicians.

Local section participants from the 2005 ACS Leaders Conference were invited to the Advanced Leadership Conference, held in Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 14–16, which centered on developing leadership skills. The 2006 ACS Leaders Conference will take place on Jan. 27–29, 2006, in Baltimore. Local section chairs-elect are strongly encouraged to attend these valuable conferences.

The Local Section Innovative Projects Grant Program, now in its second year, has $115,000 available for distribution in 2005. Sixty-five proposals were received, requesting $170,000. Forty-nine proposals were approved, and $115,000 in funding has been awarded; thus, all appropriated funds were expended. All local sections are encouraged to submit proposals by the next deadline, March 1, 2006. For more details on proposal guidelines, go to chemistry.org/localsections or contact the ACS Department of Local Section & Community Activities.

LSAC has recently sent the eighth issue of our electronic newsletter, Leading Together, to all local section officers, completing the second year of production.

The council approved a petition for change in section territory for the Central New Mexico Local Section.-Will E. Lynch, chair

Meetings & Expositions

The Committee on Meetings & Expositions (M&E) reports that the 230th ACS national meeting hosted 13,170 attendees, including 7,659 full registrations, 2,731 students, 1,800 exhibitors, 496 expo-only attendees, and 484 guests. The exposition had 506 booths with 314 exhibiting companies. There were 14 workshops and 14 theater presentations. We filled 94% of the housing block, guaranteeing that ACS will have no attrition for this meeting.

M&E has revised the working document that guides the organization of a national meeting and has made every attempt to simplify the rules that govern the way divisions schedule their technical sessions. This should allow more flexibility if technical sessions follow thematic rather than division lines.

The national meeting financial targets continue to be met. The five-year rolling average for return on revenue, including projections for this meeting, is 8.9%. M&E voted to continue with the board-approved national meeting registration fee schedule. The suggested fee is $305 for the 2006 national meetings.

Oral and poster presentation guidelines have been revised and can be found on the national meeting website. On the basis of results of our study of expense and security issues surrounding providing child care at national meetings, we will not implement a child care program. Attendees will be provided with information about local child care providers for each national meeting.

Attendance at the three 2005 regional meetings that have been held to date was more than 2,600 with 1,114 papers presented. Two regional meetings are scheduled for fall 2005. There will be 10 regional meetings in 2006.

As a result of committee site visits, Denver has been added to our list of potential meeting sites. M&E is seeking bids from Boston and Denver for the 2015 ACS meetings and from San Diego and Philadelphia for the 2016 meetings.-Steve Fleming, chair

Membership Affairs

The Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC) announced that ACS membership as of July 31 is 155,567-an increase of 282 members over the end of July 2004. New applications, including those from the successful Member-Get-A-Member campaign, are responsible for this growth. MAC expects to gain more than 400 new members through this campaign.

MAC's discussions on membership issues resulted in two specific recommendations for consideration by the Joint Board-Council Policy Committee Governance Review Task Force.

The first recommendation is that ACS eliminate the Student Affiliate category and replace it with Student Member. Membership surveys show persistent confusion over the terminology surrounding student affiliates, as many perceive themselves to be members and are shocked to learn that they are not. Often this leads to confusion, negative feelings about the society, and failure to transition to membership. It is the consensus of MAC that these undergraduate students should be considered members, be included in the membership count, and continue to pay their current reduced dues rate.

The second recommendation, in the form of a resolution, states the following: Whereas, the Membership Affairs Committee is concerned that the future membership and well-being of the society are dependent on recognizing the increasing multidisciplinary basis of chemical science, which is presently not sufficiently recognized in the teaching of chemistry or the requirements for society membership; therefore, be it resolved, that MAC expresses its concern that the education requirements for an ACS-approved degree, and thus for immediate and welcoming eligibility for membership, should be revised to be more encompassing of the multidisciplinary and evolving nature of chemistry.-Joseph R. Peterson, chair

Other Committees

Nomenclature, Terminology & Symbols

The Committee on Nomenclature, Terminology & Symbols members will participate in the newly established American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) Committee E56, which is to pursue a global terminology for nanotechnology.

The committee website will be updated in conjunction with the planned reinvention of chemistry.org.

Members of the committee reviewed and commented on the nomenclature and conventions chapters of “The ACS Style Guide,” 3rd Edition. The expected publication date is the summer of 2006.-Paul J. Karol, chair

Project SEED

The Project SEED program offers summer research opportunities for high school students from economically disadvantaged families. The program has had a significant impact on the lives of nearly 8,000 students during its 37 years. During the summer of 2005, the Project SEED program placed the highest number of students in its history: 295 SEED I students and 104 SEED II students at more than 100 academic, governmental, and industrial laboratories. In addition, 27 former Project SEED students were awarded college scholarships for the 2005–06 academic year.

Evaluations show that Project SEED continues to be successful in stimulating students' interests in science. The SEED program is made possible by generous contributions from industry, academia, local sections, ACS friends and members, the ACS Petroleum Research Fund, the Project SEED Endowment, and the ACS Matching Gift Fund.

This year, the Project SEED program received a $121,500 pledge from the Hach Scientific Foundation. Fifty thousand dollars of this donation matched the $50,000 challenge gift from Alfred and Isabel Bader for 2005 scholarships.

At the ACS national meeting in Washington, D.C., the Council Committee on Project SEED approved a new Project SEED Strategic Plan reflecting the current ACS Strategic Plan. The North Jersey Section was recognized with the Project SEED ChemLuminary Award for its outstanding 2004 program. In addition, nearly 40 SEED students presented posters of their research at the Sci-Mix event.

The committee encourages all members to continue using the dues check-off option on their ACS membership renewal to support this remarkable and successful program.-Mitchell R. M. Bruce, chair

Technician Affairs

The Committee on Technician Affairs (CTA) focused on the conclusions from Enterprise 2015 discussions and the CTA Strategic Plan, reviewing progress and developing further plans under each of the three goals:

1. To increase the awareness of the important contributions that chemistry-based technicians make to the national economy and to society as a whole, CTA is partnering with ChemTechLinks, a project of the ACS Education Division. The use of skill standards, particularly the new set being developed for pharmaceutical manufacturing, is being encouraged.

2. To make technicians relevant to ACS, CTA developed plans to highlight the ways that technicians have made contributions to the society and become leaders. In nearly all cases, involvement begins in ACS local sections, often with technician affiliate groups.

3. To make ACS relevant to technicians, CTA is continuing the ACS Chemical Technology Student Recognition Award Program. CTA also decided to assist the Committee on Economic & Professional Affairs with a new brochure, “What a Technician Needs To Know,” and updates to “Résumé Preparation: Tips for Chemical Professionals.”

CTA will work with the Division of Chemical Technicians and other divisions and committees on a symposium highlighting the collaborations that two-year chemistry-based technology programs have with industry, as well as with transfer programs. This symposium is aligned with one of the presidential themes for the fall 2006 national meeting in San Francisco.-John Engelman, chair