San Francisco Spotlight On Service

On Sept. 11, the sun finally broke through the clouds on a lovely San Francisco morning. While newspapers, TV broadcasts, and solemn ceremonies commemorated the fifth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, nearly 15,000 chemists were using the transforming power of chemistry to make the world a safer, healthier, and happier place.

On Sept. 9, science was in service to society as about 150 members of the American Chemical Society and the ACS Board of Directors took part in a "Chemists in the Community: Outreach in San Francisco" event, the first of its kind for ACS. For the program, volunteers cleaned animal cages and renovated exhibits at the San Francisco Zoo, cleared brush and reintroduced native plants at nearby Heron???s Head Park, boxed donated groceries at the San Francisco Food Bank, and planted seedlings at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

On Sept. 10, 24 research chemists were named Heroes of Chemistry by ACS for improving health and well-being by creating new drugs or other products and inventing environmentally friendly and more effective chemical technologies. The awards specifically honor chemical innovators whose work has led to the welfare and progress of humanity in a significant way in the past decade.

The scientists honored were part of multidisciplinary teams representing six companies: ATMI, DuPont, Eli Lilly & Co., Merck, Rohm and Haas, and Wyeth. Individual scientists were nominated by their companies and the winners were chosen by an ACS panel of experts.

"Heroes save lives and change them for the better," said ACS President E. Ann Nalley. "This year???s Heroes of Chemistry have improved our lives through their inventions. We at ACS celebrate them and the corporate management that supports innovations that bring the benefits of chemistry to us all, every day."

The meeting is also featuring four days of technical programming on recovery from and prevention of natural disasters. A four-day program on single-walled nanotubes, which is being held in memory of the late chemistry Nobel Laureate Richard E. Smalley, kicked off with a presentation by Nobelist Sir Harold W. Kroto, and was webcast live.