Awards Announced

ACS 2007 National Awards

The American Chemical Society has announced the recipients of its 2007 national awards; the complete list with vignettes of the award recipients will appear in C & E News in early 2007. The recipients will be honored at the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, in conjunction with the ACS spring national meeting in Chicago, IL.

ACS Award for Achievement in Research for the Teaching and Learning of Chemistry, sponsored by Prentice Hall

• J. Dudley Herron, Morehead State University

ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences, sponsored by the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation

• Robyn E. Hannigan, Arkansas State University

ACS Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences, sponsored by the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation

• Bojan H. Jennings, Wheaton College

ACS Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution, sponsored by Research Corporation

• Cheryl D. Stevenson, Illinois State University

Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society, sponsored by American Chemical Society

• Morton Z. Hoffman, Boston University

James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching

• Eleanor W. Siegrist, Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School

George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education, sponsored by Rohm and Haas Co.

• A. Truman Schwartz, Macalester College

Priestley Medal

• George M. Whitesides, Harvard University

Nominations, James Flack Norris Award

Nominations are invited for the James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry. The Norris Award, one of the oldest awards given by a Section of the American Chemical Society, is presented annually by the Northeastern Section. The Award consists of a certificate and an honorarium of $3,000.

Nominees must have served with special distinction as teachers of chemistry at any level: secondary school, college, and/or graduate school. Since 1951, awardees have included eminent and less-widely-known but equally effective teachers at all levels.

Nominations should focus on the candidate’s contributions to and effectiveness in teaching chemistry. The nominee’s curriculum vitae should be included and, where appropriate, a list of honors, awards, and publications related to chemical education. Seconding letters are an important part of a nominating packet. These may show the impact of the nominee’s teaching in inspiring colleagues and students toward an active life in chemistry and/or related sciences, or may attest to the influence of the nominee’s other activities in chemical education, such as textbooks, journal articles, or other professional activity at the local or national level.

Materials should be of 8 1/2 × 11 in size. The nomination packet should not exceed 30 pages and should not include books, reprints, or software.

Please direct questions about the content of a nomination to: Donald Smith, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Send nomination packets (as hard copy, or electronically in Adobe PDF format) to: Marilou Cashman, NESACS, 23 Cottage St., Natick, MA 01760. The annual deadline for nominations is April 15.

Award Deadlines

CHED Outstanding Service Award

The deadline for nominations for the 2007 CHED Outstanding Service Award is February 15, 2007. Coverage of the 2006 winners as well as general information about the award is available in this issue.

Courses, Seminars, Meetings, Opportunities

Planning for Graduate Work in Chemistry: A Student Resource

Anyone interested in pursuing graduate work in chemistry should go to this Web site (accessed Nov 2006).

The ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT) has revised its brochure, Planning for Graduate Work in Chemistry, that previously appeared in printed form. Now in its 8th edition, this publication has been transformed into an interactive Web site (accessed Nov 2006) with updated content and format that allow rapid navigation through suggestions on how to plan for graduate school. This online resource is designed to guide both domestic and international undergraduate students who are considering graduate work in chemical sciences in selecting a program that best meets their needs and aspirations. It provides advice on how to prepare for successful work in graduate school, how and when to apply for admission, and to some extent, what to expect once enrolled in graduate school. Since the online format provides an opportunity for more regular revisions, CPT would like to hear comments from both students and their advisers on the content, functionality, and ease of use of this new resource.

To submit comments or to get more information about this online publication, please contact Marta Gmurczyk, 202/872-4599.

Conference on Teaching Introductory Astronomy

“Cosmos in the Classroom 2007”, a three-day hands-on symposium on teaching astronomy to non-science majors, will be held August 3–5, 2007 at Pomona College, Claremont, CA. The meeting is sponsored by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, with co-sponsorship by a range of astronomical and educational organizations. For current information and to get on the mailing list for the meeting, go to this Web site (accessed Nov 2006).

Roundtable on Pluto Now Online

A roundtable discussion about the recent planet definition of Pluto by the International Astronomical Union recently appeared online, with 14 experts on planetary science participating. “Teaching What a Planet Is: A Roundtable on the Educational Implications of the New Definition of a Planet” was conducted by Andrew Fraknoi and is in Volume 5, issue 2, of Astronomy Education Review (accessed Nov 2006).

Summer School, Sustainability and Green Chemistry

The American Chemical Society is organizing a Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) on Sustainability and Green Chemistry in Mexico City, May 29–June 10, 2007. The program will explore scientific solutions to global challenges, and will address such topics as renewable resources, life cycle analysis, energy sources, and sustainable buildings.

The PASI is open to graduate and post-doctoral students from the Americas; it will be held at the Universidad Iberoamericana-Ciudad de Mexico. Applications, consisting of a curriculum vitae or résumé, letter of nomination from a faculty member, one-page essay, and unofficial graduate school transcript, must by submitted online no later than February 16, 2007. The official language of the PASI is English. The PASI is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the ExxonMobil Foundation. Additional information on the PASI is available online (accessed Nov 2006).

Teaching Nanoscience with SPM

The 3rd International Seminar on Teaching Nanoscience with Scanning Probe Microscopy will be held in conjunction with the 2007 Spring ACS Meeting (March 25–29) in Chicago, IL. This one-day seminar, hosted by Nanoscience Instruments, is a unique opportunity for those involved in teaching nanoscience to learn about other nanoscience educational programs and to share experiences. Registration is free for educators who submit contributions. At the conclusion of the seminar, all participants will be entered into a drawing to win a free Nanosurf® easyScan 2 STM system.

For more information on the seminar, or to register and submit proposals, please visit the Web site (accessed Nov 2006), send email, or phone Nanoscience Instruments at 888-777-5573 / 480-940-3940.

Periodic Table, Chicago Style

On September 22, 2006, the world’s largest period table was put on display at the Richard J. Daley Center in downtown Chicago. The event was part of the first Chicago Science Expedition: Two Weeks Worth of Wow! that included speaking events at universities and coffee shops as well as family activities at area museums and schools. According to the organizer, Michael Davis of Harold Washington College, the Expedition was organized to emphasize the importance of science “not only in the classroom but in everyday life”.

On opening day booths were set up on Daley Plaza so passersby could observe and participate in scientific and technical demonstrations that addressed chemistry, physics, robotics, and other areas. Science educators and representatives from local museums, scientific companies, and other institutions staffed the booths.

The assembled image was made up of large vinyl banners on which an element’s name was printed; the banners were hung magnetically, suspended inside the office windows (see below). To simultaneously subsidize the cost of the project and make a concrete connection between the table, the elements, businesses, and consumers, organizations were solicited to sponsor various elements. They selected elements that are integral for their products or services, and were invited to write a small piece describing the elements and how they use them. Their “stories” were published in a special eight-page supplement to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper (accessed Nov 2006). The element signs are now in storage, although there are plans to hang them in other cities, possibly in conjunction with ACS meetings.

U.S. Chemistry Olympiad Team Earns Four Medals

The U.S. Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) team recently returned from Yeongnam University in Gyeongsan, South Korea with four medals. Michael Blaisse, Gregory Brockman, and Andrew Freddo earned silver medals, and Alexander Zozula earned a bronze medal. The medals are based on the student’s performance on a five-hour theoretical examination and a five-hour laboratory practical. The examinations are written by the host country but are approved by a jury consisting of two mentors from each country. This year 67 countries sent teams to the Olympiad, and almost all teams consisted of four students. More than 250 students participated, and the organizers awarded 28 gold, 56 silver, and 81 bronze medals.

More than 10,000 high school students took the local qualifying examinations this year in the U.S.; of these, about 900 were invited to take the national examination written by the Olympiad Examination Task Force and revised and approved by the USNCO subcommittee. Each year 20 of the top scorers on the national examination are invited to the U.S. Air Force Academy for two weeks in early June where they have about 40 hours of lecture on topics in advanced chemistry and about 40 hours of laboratory practice. The camp is under the direction of Kimberly Gardner of the Academy, and the lectures and laboratory work are directed by Academy faculty and three mentors. (The mentors for 2006 were Roxana Allen, John Kotz, and Kara Pezzi). The U.S. Olympiad program is under the overall direction of Cecilia Hernandez of the American Chemical Society, and the USNCO subcommittee is chaired by Seth Brown of Notre Dame University. For more information about the Olympiad program, contact Hernandez.

Proposal Deadlines National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) The following NSF deadlines have been established or are anticipated. Course, Curriculum and Lab Improvement (CCLI) Full Proposals, Phase 2 and 3: January 10, 2007 Discovery Research K–12 (DR-K12) Preliminary and Full Proposal dates vary depending on focus; see NSF EHR Web site for details Experimental Program to Stimulate Competative Research: Workshop Opportunities (EPS) Full Proposals: accepted any time Informal Science Education (ISE) Full Proposals: December 14, 2006 Preliminary Proposals: March 8, 2007 Full Proposals: June 21, 2007 Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) Full Proposals: January 25, 2007 Fourth Thursday in January, annually thereafter Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) Full Proposals (by invitation only): February 28, 2007 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring Full Proposals: March 6, 2007 Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE) Full Proposals: January 29, 2007 Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) Preliminary Proposals: January 8, 2007 Full Proposals: April 2, 2007 Official deadline dates for proposals will be specified in the new program solicitation for each program, to be published at least three months before the relevant deadline date. Consult NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR), Division of Undergraduate Education for the most up-to-date listings and guidelines; phone: 703/292-8670; email. The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. Camille Dreyfus Teacher–Scholar Awards Program: January 10, 2007 [evised] Faculty Start-Up Award Program: May 10, 2007 Henry Dreyfus Teacher–Scholar Awards Program: June 28, 2007 New Faculty Awards Program: May 10, 2007 Postdoctoral Program in Environmental Chemistry: May 24, 2007 Senior Scientist Mentor Program: Completed Proposals: October 4, 2007 Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences: Preliminary Proposals: June 7, 2007 Completed Proposals: August 23, 2007 Further information and confirmation of the above deadlines may be obtained from The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., 555 Madison Avenue, Suite 1305, New York, NY 10022-3301; phone: 212/753-1760; email. Research Corporation Cottrell College Science Awards: May 15 and November 15 Cottrell Scholar Awards: September 1 Research Innovation Awards: suspended 2004-2006 Research Opportunity Awards: May 1 and October 1 Special Opportunities in Science Awards: suspended 2006-2008. Further information may be obtained from Research Corporation, 4703 East Camp Lowell Drive, Suite 201, Tucson, AZ 85712; phone: 520/571-1111; fax: 520/571-1119; email.