234th ACS National Meeting

The history of the Freedom Trail, the museums, theater, whale watching, restaurants, Fenway Park, and much more are what make Boston an exciting location for the American Chemical Society's 234th national meeting. The ACS president, 31 technical divisions, one secretariat, and five committees will host the original programming in 844 half-day oral sessions and 97 poster sessions. More than 9,000 papers will be presented.

"Material Innovations: From Nanotech to Biotech and Beyond!"—the keynote symposium to be hosted by ACS President Catherine T. (Katie) Hunt—supports the meeting's overall theme, "Biotechnology for Health and Wellness." The symposium, on Sunday, Aug. 19, will feature five world-renowned scientists and innovation leaders covering a range of topics on interdisciplinary material innovations and will be followed by a panel discussion.

The centenary of Chemical Abstracts Service will be marked with a presidential symposium followed by a luncheon. Two other anniversaries will be recognized with symposia cosponsored by Hunt: the 20th anniversary of National Chemistry Week and the 25th anniversary of the Division of Chemistry & the Law.

Workshops covering laboratory safety, professional skills for postdocs considering academic careers, helping women chemists develop skills to communicate their achievements, and more will be open to all registrants but require separate registration and/or fees. ACS short courses, designed to improve the skills and marketability of chemical scientists and technicians, also require separate registration and fees.

The C&EN Chemjobs Career Fair, social events, and exposition round out the meeting. The exposition will feature more than 300 companies showcasing their services; instruments; publications; computer hardware; and scientific software; as well as an array of chromatographic, lab, and safety equipment. It will be held in the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from Monday morning through 1 PM on Wednesday.