41st Western Regional Meeting

THE 41ST WESTERN Regional Meeting (WRM 2007), hosted by the ACS San Diego Section, will be held from Tuesday, Oct. 9, through Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley, in San Diego, Calif. The theme of the meeting will be "Frontiers in Chemistry, Biopharmaceuticals & Biotechnology." Visit the meeting website, www.wrmacs.org, for up-to-date information and other details.

The technical program spans a host of topics including medicinal and organic chemistry, ultrasensitive laser-based analytical methods, natural product synthesis, structure-based drug design, protein kinases, pharmacokinetics, asymmetric synthesis, green chemistry, and much more.

On Saturday, chemical education sessions will focus on undergraduate research, the revitalization of the general chemistry curriculum, developing a research-rich curriculum, funding trends in undergraduate research, and the role of postdocs in undergraduate research. Sessions such as "What To Expect in Graduate School: A Panel Discussion" and "Post Ph.D.: Deciding between Academics & Industry" will target young chemists at critical decision points in their careers.

Three special symposia will also be held at this meeting: the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award Symposium in honor of Ken Shea, the 12th annual Maria Goeppert-Mayer Interdisciplinary Symposium, and the G. A. Crosby Symposium on the Photophysics & Photochemistry of Inorganic Compounds.

SPECIAL EVENTS. The conference will open on Tuesday evening with a kick-off reception and lecture titled "Chemistry, Biology & Medicine of Natural Products" by K. C. Nicolaou, Aline W. & L. S. Skaggs Professor of Chemical Biology at Scripps Research Institute. The lecture will explore a number of total synthesis endeavors with an emphasis on inventions in chemistry, biology, and medicine.

The Women Chemists Committee luncheon will take place on Wednesday afternoon. The tickets are $25 and may be ordered as part of the registration process.

Wednesday afternoon also features a workshop titled "Crystallography for Organic Chemists: Drug Discovery, Natural Products & Synthesis," led by renowned crystallographer Arnold L. Rheingold. There is no charge for the workshop, but seating is limited and preregistration is requested.

On Wednesday evening, Harry B. Gray, Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology and founding director of its Beckman Institute, will speak at the U.S.S. Midway Extravaganza on "Powering the Planet with Solar Energy." The evening will open with cocktails on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Midway, with its incredible views of San Diego Bay, followed by dinner and the lecture. The event includes admission to the Midway Museum, guided tours, and time on a flight simulator. The $50 price also includes round-trip transportation from the hotel. Space is limited.

On Thursday morning, all registered attendees are invited to a complimentary breakfast hosted by ACS District VI Director Bonnie Charpentier. Members of ACS governance will be present to discuss current information and recent actions from the ACS national meeting in Boston. Attendees are encouraged to voice their ideas, questions, or concerns about ACS.

A poolside happy hour and networking social is scheduled for Friday evening at the Doubletree Hotel for all WRM 2007 participants.

AWARDS. An awards banquet on Thursday evening will feature a keynote address by the 2007 San Diego Local Section Distinguished Scientist, J. Andrew McCammon of the University of California, San Diego. Four additional awards will also be presented: the ACS Western Regional Meeting Award of Excellence, the Award for Excellence & Innovation in Inorganic Electronic Spectroscopy & Photochemistry, the Western Region Industrial Innovation Award, and the Western Region High School Teacher Award.

ACS CHEMJOBS CAREER CENTER. This comprehensive career resource center provides an array of career services, including online job searches, on-site job interviews, career workshops, and one-on-one r??sum?? reviews and career assistance sessions. These services are open to ACS members as well as national and student affiliates.

The following workshops and résumé reviews will be offered on Wednesday morning beginning at 8:30 AM: "Job-Searching Strategies," "Résumé Preparation," and "Interviewing Skills." Individual résumé reviews will be conducted starting at 1 PM. Bring a copy of your résumé. Employment interviews will take place Wednesday and Thursday. Meeting attendees must register for all career- related events.

EXPOSITION. The WRM 2007 exposition will feature more than 40 national and international vendors located near the meeting rooms. The exposition will showcase vendors specializing in lab chemicals and equipment, software, instrumentation, contract research organization services, and publications. In addition, there will be daily prize drawings and refreshments. The exposition will be open from noon to 5 PM on Wednesday; 10 AM to 5:30 PM on Thursday; and 9 AM to noon on Friday. Any questions about the exposition should be directed to Tony Bottone, exhibits chair, at (858) 484-6839 or tonybottone@sbcglobal.net.

Sponsorships at WRM 2007 are designed to provide benefits that are consistent with your contribution and desire to reach the academic and industrial audience served by the meeting. Ample sponsorships are available for organizations of all sizes. For more information please visit www.wrmacs.org/spnsrships.html or contact Peter Iovine at piovine@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-4028.

REGISTRATION, HOUSING & TRAVEL. Register online at the WRM 2007 website, www.wrmacs.org, or the ACS Regional Meetings website, www.chemistry.org/meetings/regional. Forms can be downloaded from either site. To take advantage of the discounted fees for advance registration, submit your form online, by fax, or by e-mail before the Sept. 24 deadline. On-site registration will be available beginning Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 5 PM, and Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 8 AM. Registration will open 30 minutes before the first session on each day of the meeting and will close 30 minutes after the start of the last session or event Wednesday through Saturday.

WRM 2007 has arranged for a special rate of $129 per night for meeting attendees at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley. This rate will also be available for rooms three days before and after the meeting. All rooms are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. A special ACS online reservation site and the general hotel Web page describing hotel amenities with links to driving instructions are also available at www.wrmacs.org/hotels.html. If you plan to make your reservations by phone, call (619) 297-5466 and mention group code "AWR."

The Doubletree Hotel is within walking distance of both the Hazard Center stop of the San Diego Trolley and easy transportation to the many sights in San Diego. The hotel is about 4.5 miles from San Diego International Airport/Lindbergh Field. Complimentary airport shuttle service is available for pickup only. Shuttle service to the airport is $5.00. Transportation requests after hours are provided at minimal cost. Daytime parking at the hotel is free, but there is a $15 valet parking fee for overnight guests. There is also free parking in the adjacent shopping center lot.

ACS has negotiated discount rates for air travel and car rental for three days before and after each regional meeting.

• Air: United, (800) 521-4041, Meeting Plus Code 517SM, and American Airlines, (800) 433-1790, Discount Code S19250.
• GROUND: Avis, (800) 331-1600, AWD Code: B120799, and Hertz, (800) 654-2240, CV# 02UZ0005.