THIS YEAR'S PITTSBURGH Conference & Exposition on Analytical Chemistry & Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon 2008) will be held from Sunday, March 2, through Thursday, March 6, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The meeting brings together scientific and technical professionals to share the latest information about analytical science and instrumentation.

Pittcon 2008 will open the technical program on Sunday afternoon, starting at 1 PM. The afternoon will feature symposia, poster presentations, and contributed technical sessions, followed by an award presentation, plenary lecture, and a poster mixer.

The American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry (ANYL) will once again cosponsor a portion of the Pittcon 2008 technical program. ANYL will host seven invited symposia, six contributed sessions, and a poster session.

Conferee networking sessions are back for Pittcon 2008. Each two-hour session will provide an opportunity for conferees to meet and discuss topics of mutual interest. There is no extra charge to the registration fee to participate in these sessions; however, space is limited. Visit the Conferee Networking section of the meeting website, www.pittcon.org, to learn more.

The exposition is open from Monday, March 3, through Thursday, March 6. For up-to-date information about the meeting, visit the Pittcon 2008 website.

TECHNICAL PROGRAM. The Pittcon 2008 technical program will feature workshops, invited symposia, featured contributed sessions, new product forums, and contributed oral and poster sessions. The major focus areas of this year's technical program include bioanalytical chemistry, biomedicine, neurochemistry, polymer science, informatics, pharmaceutical science, nanotechnology, environmental chemistry, forensic analysis, food analysis, applied molecular spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, chemical separations, and more.

Program highlights include a plenary lecture on Sunday afternoon by Leroy Hood, cofounder and president of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, on "Systems Biology and Systems Medicine."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS). As part of the celebration, SAS has planned two special symposia at Pittcon 2008 with the theme "50 Years of SAS: Looking to the Future." One symposium will focus on atomic spectroscopy and the other on vibrational spectroscopy. SAS will have a reception after the symposia to commemorate the occasion.

SHORT COURSES. More than 100 courses will be offered from Saturday, March 1, through Friday, March 7. Individual courses are designed for beginner, intermediate, or advanced students and cover such subjects as atomic force microscopy, biomedical engineering, electrochemistry, inductively coupled plasma, proteomics, Raman spectroscopy, and surface analysis. These courses provide continuing education opportunities led by experts in the field. The general meeting registration fee is waived for those who take three or more courses. The meeting website has the complete list of course topics, instructors, schedules, and costs.

AWARDS. A number of prestigious awards will be presented at Pittcon 2008. The 2008 Pittcon Heritage Award will be presented to Leroy Hood immediately before his plenary lecture. This award recognizes outstanding individuals whose entrepreneurial careers have shaped the instrumentation community, inspired achievement, promoted public understanding of the modern instrumentation sciences, and highlighted the role of analytical chemistry in world economies. Awardees also join the Pittcon Hall of Fame, which recognizes pioneers in the analytical instrumentation world.

The Bomem-Michelson Award, sponsored by ABB, honors scientists who have advanced the techniques of vibrational, molecular, Raman, or electronic spectroscopy. Geraldine Richmond, Richard M. & Patricia H. Noyes Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon, is this year's awardee.

The Charles N. Reilley Award, sponsored by the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry (SEAC), will be given to Hector D. Abruña, Emile M. Chamot Professor of Chemistry at Cornell University. This award recognizes outstanding research contributions in electroanalytical chemistry. Shelley D. Minteer, Saint Louis University, is this year's recipient of the SEAC Young Investigator Award, which is sponsored by Cypress Systems.

The Dal Nogare Award, sponsored by the Chromatography Forum of Delaware Valley (CFDV), will be presented to John G. Dorsey, Katherine Blood Hoffman Professor of Chemistry at Florida State University. This award was established to honor Stephen Dal Nogare, who died in 1968 after serving six months as president of CFDV. The recipient is chosen on the basis of his or her contributions to the fundamental understanding of the chromatographic process.

The Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award, sponsored by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, will be presented to Milton L. Lee, H. Tracy Hall Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Brigham Young University. This award recognizes significant contributions by a scientist to analytical chemistry.

Neil L. Kelleher, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, will receive the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award. This award, sponsored jointly by the Pittsburgh Conference and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, recognizes outstanding achievements of an individual during the early stages of his or her independent scientific career.

The Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, awarded by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, will be given to Sanford A. Asher, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. The award recognizes an individual who has an established and outstanding record of contributions to the field of applied spectroscopy.

Milos V. Novotny, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Lilly Chemistry Alumni Chair at Indiana University, Bloomington, will receive the Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry. This award, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Conference and friends of Ralph Adams, the late professor from the University of Kansas, recognizes an outstanding scientist who has advanced the field of bioanalytical chemistry through research, innovation, or education.

The Williams Wright Award, sponsored by the Coblentz Society, is presented annually to an industrial spectroscopist who has made significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy. This year's award will be presented to Rina K. Dukor, president of Jupiter, Fla.-based BioTools.

The Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science, sponsored by Agilent Technologies and presented by the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry, will be given to Adam T. Woolley, Brigham Young University. This award recognizes and encourages outstanding contributions to the field of separation science by a young chemist or chemical engineer.

EXPOSITION. The Pittcon 2008 Exposition will be open from Monday, March 3, through Thursday, March 6. Exhibit hours will be from 9 AM to 5 PM on Monday through Wednesday and from 9 AM to 3 PM on Thursday. Exhibitors will showcase their latest analytical laboratory instrumentation, equipment, supplies, and services.

NEW PRODUCT FORUM. The New Product Forum is an opportunity for Pittcon 2008 exhibitors to highlight new products, techniques, and equipment. The forum will be held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings and will consist of four 20-minute presentations organized according to specific topics. The sessions are intended to be informal to encourage audience participation and discussion.