43rd Midwest Regional Meeting

THE ACS NEBRASKA Section will host the 43rd ACS Midwest Regional Meeting (MWRM 2008) at the Ramada Inn in Kearney, Neb., from Wednesday, Oct. 8, through Saturday, Oct. 11. The meeting theme is "Pioneering the Future through Chemistry." The meeting will feature nine invited symposia and several general lecture and poster sessions. For detailed information, visit the meeting website at mwrm2008.unk.edu/index.htm for up-to-date technical program and meeting information.

TECHNICAL PROGRAM. Scheduled symposia are "Emerging Microanalytical Chemistry: From Biology to the Environment," "Photochemistry and Photophysics: Applications in Biology and Energy Conversion," "Renewable Energy: Pioneering Chemistry in Biofuels," "Atmospheric Aerosols: Composition, Chemistry, and Climate," "Advances in Natural Products Synthesis," "Frontiers of Materials and Nanoscience," "Biophysics of Proteins and Nucleic Acids," and "Future of Chemical Education." General sessions will include contributed oral and poster presentations in analytical, biochemical and medicinal, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, as well as in chemical education.

Activities for undergraduates are planned throughout the meeting and will be hosted by the University of Nebraska, Kearney, student affiliates chapter from Wednesday through Friday. A post-Sci-Mix social and scavenger hunt are planned for Wednesday evening, a symposium on the chemistry of chocolate on Thursday afternoon, a demonstration show on Thursday evening, and a chemistry career panel on Friday. An undergraduate hospitality room will be open from 8 AM to 5 PM on Thursday and Friday. All undergraduate oral and poster presentations will be part of the general technical sessions.

A half-day high school teacher and student workshop will be held on Saturday. In addition to various hands-on activities, the workshop will feature the award address by the winner of the Midwest Regional Award for High School Chemistry Teaching.

CAREER PROGRAM. ACS will offer career workshops, one-on-one résumé reviews, and career assistance sessions on Friday. These services are open to ACS members and 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.

SPECIAL EVENTS. MWRM 2008 will kick off on Wednesday evening with the opening Sci-Mix from 6 to 9 PM, featuring a poster session, social mixer, and opening of the exposition.

The MWRM 2008 Awards Reception and Banquet will be held on Thursday evening from 5 to 8 PM at the Museum of Nebraska Art. The winner of the Midwest Award for Outstanding Achievements in Chemistry will give the keynote address. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased when registering for the meeting. A limited number of tickets will be available for sale on-site.

An ACS Governance Luncheon will be held on Thursday. Speakers at the luncheon include ACS President-Elect Thomas H. Lane and the two 2009 president-elect candidates, Josef Michl, of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Joseph S. Francisco, of Purdue University. The event is free and open to all meeting attendees.

EXPOSITION. Approximately 30 vendors will have displays in the conference center that are colocated with the research poster presentations and refreshment break areas. Exhibits will be displayed on Wednesday, 6 to 9 PM; Thursday, 8 AM to 5 PM; and Friday, 8 AM to 1 PM. Industrial vendors wishing to participate should contact Annette Moser at moserac@unk.edu. Academic organizations wishing to participate should contact Neil Heckman at nheckman@hastings.edu. Visit the meeting website for more information.

HOUSING AND TRAVEL. Blocks of rooms have been reserved for MWRM 2008 attendees at the Ramada Inn. The meeting room rate is $69 per room per night for one to four people. This rate is valid Oct. 6-11, and reservations must be made by Sept. 17. Guests must call the Ramada Inn at (800) 652-1909 to receive the MWRM 2008 room rate. Please identify yourself as attending the ACS Midwest Regional Meeting when making reservations.

Kearney is easily reached by car or air. The Ramada Inn is three blocks north of I-80, Exit 272. Kearney Municipal Airport is served by Great Lakes Airlines with service to and from Denver. Lincoln Municipal Airport is served by several major airlines and is 129 miles (a one-hour 50-minute drive) from Kearney.

ACS has negotiated discount rates for car rental for the three days before and after each regional meeting: Avis, (800) 331-1600, AWD Code: B120799. Hertz, (800) 654-2240, CV No. 02UZ0007.

REGISTRATION. The advance registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 17. Online registration is now available via the ACS website at www.acs.org/meetings; follow the link to "Regional Meetings," then "Registration." On-site registration, program books, and badges will be available at the Registration Desk from 6 to 9:30 PM on Wednesday, 7:30 AM to 5 PM on Thursday and Friday, and 7:30 to 10 AM on Saturday. All registration questions, including requests for registration forms from those who do not have Internet access, should be directed to the ACS Office of Society Services at (800) 227-5558.