RACI WA Branch Newsletter AUGUST 2020

In This Issue: p1 President Corner p2 Chemaraderie Schedule p2 Rowe Scientific p3 RACI Membership Payment p3 National Virtual Events p4 WA Careers Night p4 Lord & Co p5 Women in Chemistry p6 Young Chemists p6 Walker Scientific p7 Mentoring Program p8 Career Development Program p9 Batty Medal p9 AIHO webinar p 10 Committee Nomination Form p11 Rowe Calendar of Events p11 Newsletter Advertising & Deadline Contact the RACI WA Branch: www.raci.org.au/branches/wa-branch Branch Co-ordinator: Ben Fletcher 0403 022 968 wabranch@raci.org.au ABN: 69 030 287 244 IRN: A0040386D ARBN: 102 726 429 Follow RACI: Facebook at facebook.com/RACInational Twitter at @RACInational Instagram at @racinational

President Corner Dear RACI WA Branch members and readers Thank you to the 18 people that attended our Retirees Lunch at the Bluewater Grill restaurant on the banks of the Swan River. It was the most magnificent day out to catch-up with all our colleagues and partners. Everyone had a story to tell so the place was noisy and bubbly. For some, it was first mingling since the Pandemic. We were given an exclusive private dining experience from the restaurant manager. We all appreciated their hospitality in making our day as a memorable one. Thank-you. The uninterrupted view of the garden and the Swan River was very special, and all the problems in the world disappeared for a few hours. The food was great. To start - chargrilled Turkish bread, marinated olives with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mains - crispy skin salmon; smoked eggplant puree; bacon lardon with broad beans and fresh frisee and to finish with a coffee or tea of your choice. I’m sure it was enjoyed by all.

Ferdie Ferrante, RACI WA Branch President Here with you, working for you. The President Corner expresses the President's personal opinions; these do not necessarily reflect the position of the RACI on these topics.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 2

RACI WA CHEMARADERIE Please come to the RACI Chemaraderie. This is a great chance to meet fellow members and be entertained by guest speakers. All welcome – membership is not a prerequisite to attendance (so please bring a friend). Face to face WA Chemaraderies are currently cancelled due to COVID-19.

Monday 31

August

Krystie Camisa “Transferring Chemistry Skills to Working in Health and Safety.” The Chemaraderie will be virtual (Zoom) and held on the evening of 31 August. Details and registration information will be sent to all RACI members by email in about a week, and the Chemaraderie will be listed as an event on the RACI website.

Math: The only subject that counts.

It is scientifically proven that people who have more birthdays live longer.

If at first you don’t succeed, try two more times so that your failure is statistically significant.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 3

https://www.raci.org.au/

https://www.chemistryworld.com/my-account/commonwealth-chemistry

Q: Hear about the statistician who drowned crossing a river? A: It was three feet deep, on average.

Q: Why should the number 288 never be mentioned? A: Because it's two gross.

NATIONAL RACI VIRTUAL EVENTS RACI is holding a range of virtual events. Keep up to date and check the RACI events register periodically at: https://www.raci.org.au/RACI/Events_and_News/Events/Web/Events--News/Events/Events.aspx?hkey=cfe2e33b-c6c4-469b-8e5d-3631d040886b

Check out the following events for the first weeks of August:

4 Aug Retirees Virtual Lunch Learn More

5 Aug Chemraderie 4 Learn More

6 Aug NSW Young Chemists’ Group Virtual Speed Networking Learn More

11 Aug WinC National Networking Event: Getting to Know You Learn More

13 Aug Careers Development Program - Choosing a Career Path Learn More

20 Aug RACI Women’s National Award Winners Panel Session Learn More

22 Aug Careers Development Program - Training & Intensive Workshop Learn More

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 4

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN EVENT

RACI WA Careers Night

This year the RACI WA Chemical Education Group is piloting a new Careers Night for undergraduate chemistry students. Save the date for Tuesday 8th September 2020 at 6pm (Perth time). We will be hosting a virtual Zoom Careers Night so that you can talk to industry representatives from the comfort of your own home. Keelie Munroe from Kelly Scientific will be presenting her thoughts on the change and needs of the workforce because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this FREE event we will have a panel of industry representatives that will take questions from students and you will be able to interact with different companies in their very own breakout rooms. More details of industry representatives will be in the September RACI WA Newsletter.

Are you an undergraduate chemistry student? Do you want a job?

The RACI WA Careers Night will be a very wise way of spending an evening.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 5

Official launch of the Women in Chemistry Group coming soon!!!

With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, plans will begin shortly for our first event – the officially launch of this

group.

WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

Do you want to get involved or want more information? Contact Alex: alexandra.yeung@curtin.edu.au

In the meantime, there are two exciting Women in Chemistry events coming up!

RACI Women in Chemistry VIC Branch

Thursday 11 August 2020 (Zoom meeting) 6pm to 7pm (AEST, Melbourne)

5:30pm to 6:30pm (ACST, Adelaide) 4pm to 5pm (AWST, Perth)

We invite everyone from all states to register for our networking event

If you would like to attend our event to meet the community

Please register at https://raci.org.au/RACI/Web/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=VWG1064 to receive the Zoom link.

If you would like to present a 1 minute slide to introduce

yourself to the community, submit an Expression of Interest by 2 August 2020 to https://tinyurl.com/yxhulu2c

Download event flyer from https://tinyurl.com/winc-virtual-event

Please reach out to samantha.orr@monash.edu or anitad@ansto.gov.au for more information.

RACI Women’s National Award Winners Panel Session Thursday 20 August 2020

3.30pm to 5pm (AEST, Melbourne) 3.00pm to 4.30pm (ACST, Adelaide)

1.30pm to 3.00pm (AWST, Perth) Talks from Prof Frances Separovic (2019 RACI Margaret Sheil Leadership Award) & Dr Ellen Moon (2019 RACI Rita Cornforth Lecturer) followed by open panel discussion chaired by RACI President, Dr Vicki Gardiner. Everyone is welcome. This is a FREE national event using Zoom. Please register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/raci-womens-national-awards-winners-panel-session-tickets-114238881570 to receive the Zoom link. The session will begin with short talks from the two 2019 RACI Women in Chemistry awardees: - Prof Frances Separovic - “Breaking barriers with membrane-active peptides: A career in opportunity.” - Dr Ellen Moon - “A global journey in molecular-scale geochemistry” Speakers will share their path through chemistry, including some of the science along the way. Talks aim to inspire the next generation of scientists and highlight some opportunities for early career researchers. An open panel discussion will follow and all participants are invited to contribute questions. Download event flyer from https://tinyurl.com/RACI-winc-NAW-panel-session More information on the awards and speakers at RACI Margaret Sheil Leadership Award and Rita Cornforth Lectureship Award Organised as a national effort led by SA RACI Women in Chemistry Group.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 6

YCSWA is a special interest group for early career chemists (students, graduates, post graduates etc under 35) in Western Australia. Our monthly events at the Cheeky Sparrow aim to providing a networking platform with talks that cover interesting scientific topics, career development and things

you didn’t learn at uni, in a casual environment.

Facebook @YCSWA

For the next few months, YCS meetings will be held online. Please stay in touch on our

Facebook page for further information. The YCS group would also like to make a call

for speakers who would be willing to participate in online meetings. We would love to

hear about your work experiences and about the chemistry you work with every day.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 7

RACI Mentoring Program 2021 – Applications Are Now Open

Register here:

https://raci.org.au/RACI/Web/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=MNT1060

Applications are now open for the 2021 Mentoring Program which runs for the 2021 calendar year. Applications close 30 September 2020. The cost of the program is $150. For the first time, the program is available Australia-wide. Want to benefit from the advice and guidance of a highly experienced mentor? Our Mentoring Program offers students and early career chemists a wonderful opportunity to gain unique knowledge and insights from industry experts, and develop their careers. The response from mentors and mentees is overwhelmingly positive to the program, with both benefiting from the experience. This is reflected in the fact that in the last few years, 80% of our students have found a job within one month of graduation. The RACI has up to 60 spaces available nationally in the 2021 Mentoring Program for students and early career chemists keen to develop industrial / commercial, research or government careers (academic career paths are already very well catered to). The program involves:

• Regular guidance and support (every few weeks), typically via calls and occasional casual meetings.

• Support in developing professional networks, as example through facilitated networking (the mentor generally introducing the mentees to RACI contacts and helping involve the young scientists in conversations at RACI events).

• Career support & advice.

• Advice and support throughout the process of finding a job.

Mentoring is very much a two-way process. To be of full value, the mentee has to be an active participant. As guidance, the ideal mentee will:

• Be energetic and enthusiastic

• Be more oriented to an industrial / commercial or government career rather than academia

• Actively participate in the mentoring process (approx. 2-3 hours per month)

• Participate in occasional networking events

Eligibility Criteria This program is open to all RACI members and student members. You can be a TAFE, undergrad or postgrad student, or an Early Career Chemist in the first 3 years of your career. Further details regarding how the Mentoring Program can benefit Students, International Students and Early Career Chemists can be found on the RACI website at the link above.

Do you want to become a mentor? Current RACI members can volunteer to participate as a mentor. If you would like to express your interest in becoming a mentor, please email the Mentoring Team: mentoring@raci.org.au.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 8

RACI Career Development Program Webinar 6 –

2020 Choosing a Career Path

Thursday 13 August 2020, 6.30pm AEST

Register here: https://raci.org.au/RACI/Web/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=MNT1053

Join the free Career Development Program (CDP) Choosing A Career Path webinar. Gaining a degree is the first step in launching a career. Where to next after your degree? In this free Careers Development Program webinar, our panel of professionals will share their own career paths, experiences, and what they have learned. In this webinar, a panel of professionals with chemistry-related degrees will discuss their own career paths, experiences, and what they have learned. This webinar is free, and everyone is welcome. Participants will have the opportunity to ask their own questions. RACI Career Development Program The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Career Development Program offers students and early career chemists a chance to get a head start in their careers in chemistry through a number of workshops, lectures and networking events throughout the year. Last month the RACI CDP hosted a What I Wish I Knew at the Start of My Career event. Featuring representatives from the sponsors, Leanne Harris from LCU, Mary Smal from Mary Smal Consultancy, David Springer, Commercial Manager for Envirolab Group and Dave Sammut from DCS Technical together with Brian Krieger of Workplace Health & Safety QLD, the questions covered many different topics including how to build a career during a recession, how to gain work experience and the importance of, and suggestions on how to, network. The panelists have had travelled varied career paths and this experience showed in their detailed answers and different perspectives. If you missed this webinar it will be available on the RACI website shortly. Are You Hiring? If you know of any suitable jobs for recent graduates or students please let us know as we have a wide pool of people that are keen to hear of all opportunities out there. If you would like more information on the Mentoring Program, or to join the Career Development Program mailing list, please email mentoring@raci.org.au.

Never tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 9

The Alton McAllan Batty Medal for 2020

Nominations from RACI (WA) members are now required for the A McA Batty Medal. The award is made not more frequently than biennially to a member of the Western Australian Branch who has made an outstanding contribution to chemistry, in particular to the field of chemistry applied to industry, commerce, the environment or to the quality of human life.

Other awards made by the RACI are mostly oriented to those who have an academic role in the profession. The conditions of these awards are heavily weighted towards members in CSIRO and universities who have the opportunity to publish much of their research contributions. The intent of the A McA Batty award is therefore to recognise members of the RACI who have not had similar opportunities to publish their work.

CSBP & Farmers Ltd are acknowledged as having made a substantial contribution to the establishment of the medal in 1978. A McA (Bill) Batty died in 1984.

Previous medal winners are: 1978 Mr A McA Batty (CSBP/WAWA) 1980 Mr B Becher (Government Chemical Laboratories) 1982 Mr D T Rigden (BP Refinery/Clean Air Committee) 1984 No Award. 1986 Mr C W Hastie (Western Mining Corporation) 1988 Dr D Koch (CSIRO Division of Mineral Products) 1990 Mr K Thomson (CSBP) 1992 Dr D K Philp (Tiwest Joint Venture) 1994 Mr L C Stonehouse (Alcoa Australia Ltd) 1996 No Award. 1997 Dr G P Power (Alcoa Australia Ltd) 1999 Dr I D MacLeod (WA Maritime Museum) 2001 Dr J E Wajon (Kellogg Brown and Root) 2003 No Award. 2004 Dr Barry Chesson (Alcoa Australia Ltd) 2006 Mr C Eldridge (Ultra Trace Pty Ltd) 2008 Mr Paul Bannister (Ultra Trace Pty Ltd) 2010 Dr Andrew Sierakowski (UWA)

2012 Dr John Bromly (Curtin University School of Chemical Engineering) 2014 Dr John Watling (Centre for Forensic Science, UWA) 2016 Mr Luke McGuiness (ALCOA) 2018 No Award.

Nominations must be in writing and are to include a CV and background information indicating the candidate’s major contributions. Nominations must be submitted to RACI WA Coordinator, wabranch@raci.org.au, before COB Friday 19th September 2020. The award will be presented at the AGM in November.

Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists First Virtual Symposium

The Symposium will be held from 30 November to 3 December 2020 from 2:30pm to 5:00pm AEST.

For details on the Symposium: https://www.aioh.org.au/virtual-symposium

RACI is a kindred society and RACI members receive AIOH member rates.

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 10

RACI ANNUAL WA BRANCH COMMITTEE ELECTIONS

Nominations are invited for the following positions on the RACI Western Australian Branch Committee for the year 2020/2021: PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, HON SECRETARY, HON TREASURER, AND FOUR BRANCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS. Nominations are also invited for the positions of: Chair (Ex Officio Branch Committee member), Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Members for the following Groups: Analytical Chemistry; Chemical Education.

A candidate for the Branch Committee must be nominated by two Corporate Members and indicate her/his willingness to accept office by signing as nominee on the nomination form below. Nomination forms can be emailed to wabranch@raci.org.au by Friday 16th October 2020. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Please detach here)

WA NOMINATIONS FOR 2020/2021 BRANCH COMMITTEE

BRANCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND EX-OFFICIO MEMBER GROUPS – ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL EDUCATION.

We,…...............................................................................……...(Member/Fellow)

and…..................................................................................…….(Member/Fellow)

hereby nominate…..............................................................………….....................

for the position of….......................................................………….......................... (specify office)

for the 2020/2021…... WA Branch Committee…or…..............................Group (if not Branch, specify Group)

…………............................................................................... (Signature of Nominators) …....................................................................…………........ (Signature of Nominators)

I consent to this nomination ….........................................................…………….. (Signature of Nominee) Date: ….................................

RACI WA Branch Newsletter: August 2020 11

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2020 Presented by Rowe Scientific Pty Ltd

www.rowe.com.au 15-23.08.2020 National Science Week 31.08.2020 Chemaraderie Online WA Branch RACI 8.09.2020 WA Careers Night Online Chem Ed Group

15.09.2020 Branch Committee Meeting Room 500.3101 “pod”, Building 500, Curtin Uni TBC WA Branch RACI

13.10.2020 Branch Committee Meeting Room 500.3101 “pod”, Building 500, Curtin Uni WA Branch RACI

Details for all above events are uncertain due to COVID-19.

Some may be held electronically, others may be postponed or cancelled. Details will be available closer to the planned date.

Enquiries to Branch Coordinator Ben Fletcher: 0403 022 968, wabranch@raci.org.au

You know you are a chemist when:

• The first thing you reach for in the morning are your prescription safety glasses.

• All your shirts have holes.

• All your scars are not from bar fights but from chemical burns.

• Someone offers you acid, but it’s not what you expected.

• Kids ask you how Santa fits through a small chimney and you talk about quantum tunnelling.

• You buy a sleeping bag but it is not for camping trips.

• You BBQ with the Bunsen burner.

• You have blisters from playing with your molecular model kit.

• You are fed up of people saying alcohol, when they mean ethanol.

• You hear the word ‘Molar’ and teeth are the last thing on your mind.

• You habitually wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER using the restroom.

• When someone says ‘sodium’ you don’t think about salt, but you think about a clay-like metal that goes well with a big lake.

• You know what saline water is composed of.

E-MAIL ADVERTISING RATES

Three-quarters of the total RACI WA Branch membership and Environmentalists (totalling about 500 of a select and highly targeted group) are registered to receive e-mail notices from the Branch Committee. Those RACI members who have a need to circulate an urgent message or advertisement of general interest to WA Branch members can request approval (wabranch@raci.org.au) to have the advert (sans attachment) circulated free of charge. If the advert is of a revenue producing nature then a charge of $120 +GST will be made.

NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING RATES

SINGLE ADVERTISEMENT: $120 +GST for one-quarter A4 page, $160 +GST for one-third A4 page, and multiples thereof, for print ready artwork or a print ready MS Word file.

MULTIPLE ADVERTISEMENTS: for three or more consecutive newsletter issues, a discount of 25% applies.

PAYMENT for all issues must be made in advance and within 7 days of receipt of invoice.

Branch Newsletter Deadlines For 2020 Month of Journal Deadline Date September 2020 Friday 21 August October 2020 Friday 25 September

Deadline is close of business (5 pm) on the nominated dates. Please submit all articles to raciwanewsletter@gmail.com