64th Southwest Regional Meeting

The ACS Central Arkansas Section will host the 64th Southwest Regional Meeting (SWRM 2008), which will take place from Wednesday, Oct. 1, to Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock. “Rock-Solid Chemistry” is the theme of this year’s meeting, which features a range of technical sessions, workshops, and poster sessions spanning the breadth and depth of the chemical sciences, as well as a number of special events, including educational programming for undergraduate students and secondary educators. Visit the meeting website at swrm.org/2008 for the most up-to-date technical program and meeting information.

Technical Program. The meeting will feature symposia on a wide range of topics, including alternative fuels, atmospheric chemistry and climate change, bioanalytical chemistry, chemical education research, computational chemistry, green chemistry, inorganic chemistry, Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), laboratory safety, nanostructured materials, natural products and medicinal plants research, proteomics and biological mass spectrometry, small-molecule mass spectrometry, space chemistry, history of chemistry, and undergraduate research. Also included in the program are general sessions on analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical education, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and polymer chemistry. For additional information on the program, please contact Joe Jeffers, program chair, at jeffers@obu.edu.

Education program. Special programming directed to secondary educators will be held on Saturday and will feature a “Weird Science” demonstration by University of Illinois, Chicago, chemistry professor Lee R. Marek and sessions including “ACS Outstanding High School Chemistry Teachers of the Year in the Southwest Region,” “Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Chemistry,” “Best Practices in Secondary Education,” and “Laboratory Safety.”

The University of Central Arkansas’ ACS student affiliate chapter and department of chemistry are hosting an undergraduate research symposium. Undergraduates will present their research at a poster session on Thursday and two oral sessions on Friday. A graduate school expo, a graduate school recruiting breakfast, and a “Careers in Chemistry” luncheon, sponsored by the Central Arkansas Younger Chemists Committee, are also scheduled. Keith H. Pannell of the University of Texas, El Paso, and winner of the 2004 ACS Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution, will deliver a keynote address on how participating in undergraduate research can aid students in their future academic and career choices. Three travel awards of $300 each will be given to undergraduates to present at this meeting. For additional information about these events and any other inquiries, visit the undergraduate program section of the meeting website or contact the University of Central Arkansas’ ACS student affiliate chapter at uca_acs@yahoo.com or Karen Steelman, undergraduate programming cochair, at ksteel@uca.edu.

Career Program. On Thursday, ACS will offer career workshops, one-on-one résumé reviews, and career assistance sessions. These services are open to ACS members, as well as to national and student affiliates.

The following one-hour workshops will be held beginning at 9 AM: “Job Searching Strategies,” “Résumé Preparation for the Chemical Professional,” and “Interviewing Skills for the Chemical Professional.” Individual 30-minute résumé reviews will also be offered. You must bring a copy of your résumé. Sign-up will be available at meeting registration. For questions regarding these services, please contact Garretta Rollins at (202) 872–6209 or g_rollins@acs.org.

Workshops. The ACS Leadership Institute will offer a workshop on “Innovation” on Thursday from 1 to 5 PM. This workshop is designed to help individuals tap into their own innovation styles and learn how to stimulate innovative thinking. To register for the workshop, visit the Center for Professional Advancement website at www.acs.org/professionaladvancement.

Two full-day laboratory safety workshops will be offered at this meeting. “Safety in the Laboratory” will be held on Thursday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, providing a “real world” approach to safety issues in the laboratory. Interactive demonstrations review everything from creative wiring in the lab to what it means to have safe workplace.

On Friday, “How To Be a More Effective Chemical Hygiene Officer” will begin at 8:30 AM. This workshop takes a closer look at this position and covers all of the content areas of the certification exam that will be held on Sunday. An application packet for the Chemical Hygiene Officer certification examination from the National Registry of Certified Chemists can be requested online at nrcc6.org.

The fee to attend each workshop is $325, and tickets can be purchased when registering.

Special Events. SWRM 2008 social events begin on Wednesday with an opening mixer in the exposition area from 5 to 7 PM. On Thursday morning, all registered attendees are invited to the complimentary ACS District Director’s breakfast to enjoy coffee and conversation with ACS directors and other governance and staff present at the meeting. Recent ACS Board of Directors actions and activities will be discussed, and SWRM attendees will have a chance to voice any ideas, questions, and concerns about ACS.

The SWRM 2008 Awards Banquet will be held on Thursday evening at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. The banquet will honor past ACS presidents from the Southwest Region. Recipients of the Southwest Regional ACS Award, Southwest Region Award for Excellence in High School Teaching, Regional Industry Innovation Award, Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, and E. Ann Nalley Regional Volunteer Award will be recognized. Tickets to the event may be purchased at registration and include a tour of the library.

Exposition. An exposition will be held in and around Salons B & C, directly adjacent to most of the session rooms. The exhibit hall will also hold the poster sessions and coffee breaks. Educational products and services vendors, as well as academic exhibitors, will be in attendance. The academic exhibitors will be located immediately outside the undergraduate research symposium, and the graduate school breakfast will take place in the same area. Some space is still available for both exhibit areas. For details, please visit the “Exhibits” section of the SWRM 2008 website or contact Ed Wilson, exhibits chair, at wilson@harding.edu.

Housing And Travel. SWRM 2008 has reserved a block of rooms at the Peabody Hotel, which is located in the River Market area of downtown Little Rock and is within easy walking distance of dining, shopping, arts, and entertainment. Online reservations are available from the SWRM 2008 meeting website at swrm.org/2008/hotel.htm or by calling the Peabody Hotel at (501);906–4000.

The conference room rate is $139 per night plus tax for a deluxe double room. Special rates for other rooms are also available. You must mention the Southwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society when making your reservation by phone to get the discounted rate. Online reservations must include the group code 664506 to receive the discounted rate.

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

◾ Air: American, (800) 433–1790, discount code A55484T; and Delta, call Delta’s association desk (booking fee applies) at (800) 455–2720, reference number DP2S.

◾ Ground: Avis, (800) 331–1600, AWD code: B120799; and Hertz, (800) 654–2240, CV# 02UZ0007.