61st ACS Northwest Regional Meeting

The 61st Northwest Regional Meeting (NORM 06), hosted by the ACS Sierra Nevada Local Section, will be held at John Ascuagua's Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nev., from Sunday, June 25, through Wednesday, June 28. The meeting will feature a variety of symposia focusing on bioorganic chemistry, molecular motors, sensors, micro- and nanostrucutured materials, atmospheric science, environmental health and safety, bioanalytical chemistry, organic synthesis, and future directions in chemical education. Additional topics will be covered by contributed papers of general interest in chemical education; biochemistry; and analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry.

Please visit the website, www.chem.unr.edu/norm06, for the most up-to-date program and registration information.

Technical Program. Keynote speakers for NORM 06 include Fraser Stoddart from the University of California, Los Angeles, the 2006 R. C. Fuson Lecturer at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), who will be the primary speaker in a symposium on molecular motors and devices sponsored by the UNR department of chemistry. Jack Norton from Columbia University, recipient of the 2006 Sierra Nevada Section Distinguished Chemist Award, will be the featured speaker in a symposium on water-soluble organometallic chemistry sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Section. Brian Stoltz, a 2006 Cope Scholar from California Institute of Technology, will be the keynote speaker for an organic synthesis symposium sponsored by the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry.

The technical program will also include a symposium on bioorganic chemistry and biosensors that is sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, featuring Weihong Tan of the University of Florida. Other symposia of interest include "New Advance Scanning Probe Microscopy," "Theoretical Computational Chemistry," and "Innovations in Chemical Education," sponsored respectively by the ACS Divisions of Physical Chemistry, Computers in Chemistry, and Chemical Education.

A student poster competition will be held, and awards will be presented for both an undergraduate and a graduate poster.

Workshops."Teaching Chemistry with Toys," a workshop designed for K-9 teachers, will be held on Monday from 1:30 to 5 PM. Jerry and Micki Sarquis from Miami University, in Ohio, will lead this workshop.

The ACS Division of Chemical Health & Safety (CHAS) will sponsor "How To Be a More Effective Chemical Hygiene Officer" on Tuesday from 8 AM to 5 PM and "Laboratory Waste Management" on Wednesday from 8 AM to noon. Workshop participants who will not be attending NORM 06 need only register for the workshops they plan to attend. Please visit the CHAS website at membership.acs.org/c/chas for additional details.

The ACS Office of Career Management & Development will sponsor three one-hour professional development workshops on Monday: "Targeting the Job Market," 9 AM; "Résumé Preparation," 10 AM; and "Interviewing Skills," 11 AM. ACS Career Consultant Lisa Balbes will lead the workshops.

In addition, there will be half-hour one-on-one résumé reviews on Monday afternoon from 1 to 5 PM. An appointment sign-up sheet will be available at on-site registration. For further information about any of these workshops, please call (800) 227-5558 ext. 4432.

Social Events. An opening mixer, which will include a poster session and vendor exhibits, will be held on Sunday from 5 to 8 PM.

The Awards Banquet, held from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on Monday, will feature presentations of the ACS Northwest Regional Award for Industrial Innovation, sponsored by the ACS Office of Industry Member Programs; the ACS Presidential Award for Volunteer Service, sponsored by President E. Ann Nalley; the ACS Northwest Regional Award in High School Chemistry Teaching; and the Sierra Nevada Distinguished Chemist Award.

The Awards Banquet will be preceded by the Industrial Innovation Award address at 5 PM and a reception at 5:30 PM. Tickets for the banquet are $36.50 and may be purchased through advance registration. A limited number of tickets will be available on-site.

On Tuesday evening at 6 PM, all registered attendees are invited to join ACS District VI Director Bonnie Charpentier and other ACS governance members for a complimentary wine-and-cheese reception and members' open forum. Recent ACS Board of Directors actions and activities will be discussed. Attendees are encouraged to bring their ideas, questions, or concerns about ACS.

A luncheon will be held on Wednesday from noon to 1:30 PM in conjunction with the Stoddart symposium. Tickets are $22.50 and may be purchased through advance registration. A limited number of tickets will be available on-site.

Exhibition. A vendor exhibit will be held beginning with the opening mixer on Sunday evening. Exhibits will be located alongside daily poster sessions. Morning and afternoon coffee breaks will be held in the exhibition area. Please visit the NORM 06 website to download the exhibitor registration form and to view a current list of exhibitors. Corporate sponsorships are welcomed. For further information, contact the exhibits chair, Vince Catalano, at (775) 784-1329 or vjc@unr.edu or the general chair, Sean Casey, at (775) 784-4133 or scasey@chem.unr.edu.

Lodging & Travel. NORM 06 will be held at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort in the Reno-Sparks area. Reno is served by the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The Nugget offers a free shuttle service to and from the airport every half-hour from 4:30 AM to midnight. The shuttle leaves the airport on the quarter-hour and on the three-quarter-hour and leaves the Nugget on the half-hour and on the hour.

A special $82-per-night rate (single or double occupancy) is available for NORM 06 attendees. Triple and quad rates are an additional $10 per person. A $3.00-per-night energy surcharge may apply, and the current room tax is 13.5%. To make your reservations, call the Nugget at (800) 648-1177 and ask for the American Chemical Society room block. The room rate is valid three days in advance of and three days following NORM 06 for the benefit of attendees who wish to stay over to enjoy the area.

If driving to the Nugget from the south or north of Reno, use I-395 and head east on I-80 to the Rock Boulevard/Nugget Avenue exit (exit 17), stay right (Nugget Avenue), and follow the signs. If you are driving from the east, take I-80 to the Pyramid Way (exit 18) exit. Turn left at the light. After going under the freeway, turn right onto Nugget Avenue, and follow the signs. If you are driving from the west, take I-80 to the Rock Boulevard/Nugget Avenue (exit 17) exit, stay right, (Nugget Avenue) and follow the signs.

The Reno-Tahoe area offers a wide variety of attractions. Outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and fishing are accessible within minutes of the downtown area. The area is also host to many gaming, entertainment, and cultural events, as well as a variety of historical and cultural museums. Please visit the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority website at www.visitrenotahoe.com for information on area attractions.

Registration. Registration is available online through the NORM 06 website or through the ACS website, chemistry.org/meetings/regional. The deadline for advance registration is June 7.

All registrations must be prepaid either by check or credit card to be processed. On-site registration and distribution of program books will be held from 4:30 to 8 PM on Sunday, 7:30 AM to 5 PM on Monday and Tuesday, and from 7:30 to 11 AM on Wednesday.

Requests for refunds must be made in writing to the ACS Office of Society Services, 1155-16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036, or by e-mail to oss@acs.org. Full refunds will be issued through June 7; between June 7 and June 25, a $20 processing fee will be assessed. No refunds will be issued after June 25. For questions or concerns regarding registration, call the ACS Office of Society Services, (800) 227-5558.

For additional information regarding NORM 06, contact the general chair, Sean Casey, (775) 784-4133 or scasey@chem.unr.edu, or the ACS Department of Meetings & Expositions, (800) 227-5558 ext. 6129 or reglmtgs@acs.org.