News from Journal House

ConfChem: Focus on NSDL

The Spring 2008 ConfChem will focus on Chemistry at the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). ConfChem is a free, open-to-the-public conference that is presented entirely online. Papers are posted online, and discussion takes place on a ListServ. The first paper, authored by Lee L. Zia, (NSF) focuses on the history, progress, and promise of the NSDL. John Moore, Jon Holmes, and Theresa Zielinski will present a paper on the ChemEd Digital Library (ChemEd DL). Other papers from ChemEd DL collaborators will focus on everything from online learning communities to resources in the digital library and how to use them. In addition to ChemEd DL, there will be presentations about two other NSDL Pathways: Computational Science (CSERD) and Physics and Astronomy (Compadre). All papers and discussion will be archived and available on the ChemEd DL at completion of the conference.

The conference will be held April 15 to May 15, 2008. To participate, sign up (accessed Feb 2008) before April 15. ConfChem is sponsored by the Committee on Computers in Chemical Education of the ACS Division of Chemical Education.

JCE Editor Search: Update

After 13 years of innovative leadership as the seventh editor of the Journal of Chemical Education, John Moore will step down in October 2009. Following a national search for a new editor in 2007, the JCE Board of Publication has selected Norbert Pienta of the University of Iowa, (Iowa City, IA) to be the next editor of the Journal. Norb brings a wealth of experience in the field of chemical education including as editor and contributing author of the Chemists’ Guide to Effective Teaching (Prentice Hall) as well as that of textbook author of Chemistry in Context, 4th and 5th editions (ACS–McGraw Hill), and chemical education researcher. In addition, Norb has extensive experience in the business world which will be put to use in managing the Journal. Norb’s vision for JCE includes continuing the Journal’s goal of serving several constituencies including the high school teacher; the 2-year, 4-year, and university classroom teacher; and the chemical education researcher, through both print and online resources. The transition of the editorship from the University of Wisconsin–Madison to University of Iowa is currently underway. Norb will take over the reins as editor of the Journal starting with the October 2009 issue. Questions regarding the new editorship can be addressed to Norb Pienta or to Diane Bunce, Chair of the Board of Publication. Manuscripts should continue to be submitted to the UW–Madison address.

Awards Announced

3M National Teaching Fellowship

Peter Mahaffy, a member of the Department of Chemistry, The King’s University College in Edmonton, Canada, has received a 2008 3M National Teaching Fellowship. The 3M award honors educational leadership and excellence in undergraduate teaching. It is regarded as Canada’s top teaching award.

Mahaffy teaches chemistry majors but has also developed innovative approaches to teaching chemistry to arts and science students (see J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83, 49–55). He has a strong interest in visualization for both research and teaching and is the co-director of the King’s Centre for Visualization in Science.

Chemical Heritage Foundation Award

The Chemical Heritage Foundation has announced that Yuan Tseh Lee will receive the 2008 Othmer Gold Medal. He will receive the award on May 15, 2008, at the annual Othmer Gold Medal luncheon, the opening event in Heritage Day. This is the 11th annual presentation of the medal.

Lee received the Nobel Prize in 1986 along with Dudley R. Herschbach and John C. Polanyi for their contributions to the study of the dynamics of chemical reactions. Their research contributed to the field of reaction dynamics by allowing the study of complex reaction mechanisms beyond the capability of previous methods.

2008 Edelstein Award

The ACS Division of the History of Chemistry announces that Sir John Shipley Rowlinson will receive the 2008 Sidney M. Edelstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry. Rowlinson was chosen “because of the breadth and quality of his research publications in the history of physical chemistry and his contributions over the last three decades to the development of the history of physical chemistry at the University of Oxford”. Publications in the history of science include a translation of J. D. van der Waals’s doctoral thesis, On the Continuity of the Gaseous and Liquid States (1988); a collaborative biography of van der Waals with A. Ya. Kipnis and B. E. Yavelov, Van der Waals and Molecular Science (1996); and Cohesion: A Scientific History of Intermolecular Forces (2002). The award consists of an engraved plaque and a check for $3500; it will be presented to Rowlinson at the fall ACS national meeting.

Award Deadlines

ACS 2008 Overcoming Challenges Award

The ACS Women Chemists Committee has established an award designed to recognize a woman undergraduate from a 2-year or 4-year institution for her efforts in overcoming hardship to achieve success in chemistry. The award consists of a plaque, a monetary award of $250, and up to $1,000 in travel expenses to the fall ACS national meeting.

Details about award criteria and administration may be found online (accessed Feb 2008) or phone 800/227-5558, ext. 6334. Nominations must be received by May 1, 2008.

Hach Foundation Grants for High School Chemistry Teachers

The Hach Scientific Foundation will strategically change a portion of its outreach budget to better support U.S. high school chemistry teachers in improving their classrooms. Grants have a maximum of $1,500 and a simple application form—High School Chemistry Classroom Outreach—which is available online (accessed Feb 2008). Applications are due May 31, 2008, to be sent to Hach Scientific Foundation, 6833 Antigua Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525; fax: 970/223-3570; email. Responses to applications will be by July 1, 2008.

Courses, Seminars, Meetings, Opportunities

20th ICCE in Mauritius

Reminder: the 20th International Conference on Chemical Education (ICCE), will be held August 3–8, 2008, in Mauritius. The conference is sponsored by IUPAC, and its theme is Chemistry in the ICT Age, in line with the worldwide trend in science and technology development. In addition, part of the conference will be virtual, to be held in July 2008 (for which registration is free). More information is at the conference Web site (accessed Feb 2008).

Bytesize Science: ACS Podcast for Young Listeners

Bytesize Science is an educational, entertaining podcast for young listeners recently launched by the American Chemical Society Office of Communications. Bytesize Science translates cutting-edge scientific discoveries that have been reported in ACS journals into stories for young listeners—stories about science, health, medicine, energy, food, and other topics. A new installment is posted every Monday and is available without charge. The archive now includes items on environmental threats to killer whales, a scientific explanation of why some people love chocolate, a hairy tale about “hairy roots”, and more. Listen to Bytesize Science in your Web browser (accessed Feb 2008) or subscribe to it in iTunes, where it is listed as a new and notable podcast.

The Chemistry of Fire for High School Students

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has partnered with Discovery Education to create a new in-school program titled The Chemistry of Fire. The program is geared to high school chemistry students, with an aim to teach students the science behind fire as a way to help them fully understand its dangers. The interactive program includes a teacher’s guide with five lesson plans, a DVD that demonstrates the experiments included in the lessons, three classroom posters, and a Web site where teachers and students can find more classroom and career resources. The program is aligned to the NSTA Standards for 9–12 grades. The Chemistry of Fire program is being sent to high school science department chairs in the U.S.

Nanoscience: Online Course

Are you interested in learning about nanoscience and how to incorporate it into your current curricula? The University of Wisconsin–Madison is offering an 8-week online course about nanoscience starting June 16 , 2008. Specifically geared toward high school or middle school teachers, the course covers a variety of nanoscience topics, offers activities for use with students, and shows how to incorporate nanoscience into your curriculum. Teachers will receive two hours of graduate credit for completing the course. This is a typical teacher reaction to the course.

I am a middle school science teacher…with a so-so background in chemistry…and no background in nanotechnology. I learned so much, and I can see ways that I can teach nanotech concepts to my 8th graders through my curriculum.

For information contact Janice Hall Tomasik or phone 608/262-8647. The deadline for receiving applications is June 1, 2008.

Call for Field Test Collaborators: Physical Science

The Large Enrollment Physical Science Curriculum (LEPS) project has received funding from the NSF CCLI program to develop a one-semester guided inquiry-based physical science curriculum for large enrollment, general education settings (60+ students). The work will build on two successful curricula, Physics and Everyday Thinking and Physical Science and Everyday Thinking, both of which were designed for classes with small enrollments (40 students or less).

Field test collaborators are needed and will be selected on these criteria: currently teaching a large enrollment one-semester general education physical science class; willingness to attend a 3-day LEPS workshop in San Diego during summer 2009; commitment to teach LEPS at least once (preferably twice) during the 2009–2010 academic year; willingness to provide substantial feedback and to carry out project evaluation responsibilities; and familiarity with and access to technology (e.g. real-time, computer-based data acquisition, class response systems, and learning management systems). Field test collaborators will receive stipends for participation and travel support to attend the workshop. Send questions to Fred Goldberg; information and an application form are available on the LEPS Web site (accessed Feb 2008). The deadline for applications is June 1, 2008.