What’s UP? · résumé, as they will be assets throughout your career. Student Affiliation in ACS...

in Chemistry is available free to

Student Affiliates of the American

Chemical Society and the faculty

advisors to Student Affiliates

chapters. Student Affiliates dues: $37;

for an application, call the

Undergraduate Programs Office at

800-227-5558, ext. 4480. The

American Chemical Society assumes

no responsibility for the statements

and opinions advanced by contribu-

tors. Registered names and trade-

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even without specific indication

thereof, are not to be considered

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The Magazine for ACS Student AffiliatesVolume 16 ■ Number 1

September/October 2006

Cover: Getty Images, MicroscopicBackgrounds. Inset photo courtesyof University of Pittsburgh-Titusville

chemistry.org/education/inchemistry.html • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

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COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-TITUSVILLE

E D I T O R I A LWorth the Price of Admission 2

By E. Ann Nalley

What’s UP? 3By Andrea T. Bennett

S A A C S C H A P T E RS P O T L I G H T 4

Compiled by Alicia J. Chambers

C H A P T E R STapping the Enthusiasm—Creating an

Interactive Science Program 6By Zinat Ismael, Zoe Loomis, and Cassandra Vogel

Spreading the Joy of Chemistry 8By Thomas Krupa and Ping Y. Furlan

Looking for Chapter Activity Ideas? 10Compiled by Robin Y. Lindsey

F E A T U R E STips for Pursuing Graduate Fellowships 11

By Earnestine Psalmonds

Preparing to Make a Difference 12By Jodi L. Wesemann and Adam M. Boyd

Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn 14By Adam M. Boyd

Advancing High School Chemistry 16By Adam M. Boyd

A Classic Resource on Graduate Research… Just a Click Away! 17By Marta Gmurczyk

C A R E E R SFast Track to Experience! 18

By Rama Konduri

Forensic Chemistry 20By Adam M. Boyd

M E E T I N G SUndergraduate Call for Papers 23ACS Regional Meetings 24Other Meetings 25

G R A D U A T E S C H O O LL I N K S 26

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 • chemistry.org/education/inchemistry.html

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Worth the Price of AdmissionBY E. ANN NALLEY

W HAT DO I GET FOR MYdues? is a question that mem-bers of any organization can

and should ask. Being a chapter facultyadvisor, I know that Student Affiliatesalso ask this question often, even thoughthey have significantly reduced dues.

In case you haven’t already convincedyourself that the benefits are worth theprice, I’d like to share my answer withyou. Actually, Student Affiliates enjoynearly all of the same benefits that ACSmembers do. There are simply too manyto list them all here, so I have createdAnn Nally’s Sweet Sixteen list.

Why should you affiliate with orbecome a member of the AmericanChemical Society?

1. As a chemist or scientist, you will bea professional practitioner of chem-istry, whether you choose tobecome an industrial scientist oreducator, or to pursue a non-tradi-tional career. ACS is the society forchemical professionals — and I con-tend that part of being a chemist issupporting your professional society.ACS promotes the profession ingeneral, and more importantly,builds appreciation of the field’s pos-itive contributions to people’s livesamong other disciplines, industries,and the public. The Society’s newvision statement, “Improving peo-ple’s lives through the transformingpower of chemistry,” emphasizes thiscentral role that ACS performs forthe chemistry profession.

This alone should be a good reason tocontinue your affiliation with or member-ship in ACS. But if you need more con-vincing, how about another 15 reasons?To provide value to its members andStudent Affiliates, ACS also:

2. Provides a suite of career services atall levels;

3. Champions high standards of profes-sional competence, integrity, andethics;

4. Advocates for improved workingconditions for members of the pro-fession;

5. Strives to increase standards of pro-fessional excellence in research, inves-tigation, education, and publicity;

6. Offers a variety of forums for chemi-cal professionals to communicatethe results of their research andscholarly activities;

7. Helps students recognize the impor-tance of studying chemistry andchemical engineering;

8. Supports its members’ acquisition ofknowledge, skills, and proficienciesrelated to careers in chemistry andchemical engineering;

9. Provides opportunities for network-ing, not only among members, butalso with professionals in relatedfields;

10. Encourages dialogue among profes-sional peers to solve problems andstrategize ways to enhance thefield’s future;

11. Enables members’ continued profes-sional development through oppor-tunities to serve the profession andcommunities through volunteeractivities;

12.Upholds professional standardsthrough continuing education programs;

13. Strengthens the profession throughprograms that support and encour-age diversity;

14. Fosters government support of fun-damental research and science edu-cation;

15.Helps ensure a sustainable futurethrough the Green ChemistryInstitute; and

16.Offers discounts on a range of activi-ties and services, meetings, journals,insurance, and more.

These are only 16 of the many reasonswhy you should continue your member-ship in ACS, YOUR PROFESSIONALSOCIETY. For more complete list, pleaserefer to http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/newmember.html.

Some of these benefits are valuable toyou now. Others will become more so asyour career progresses. Ultimately, whatyou get out of the Society will depend alot on what you put into it. Pursuingopportunities to participate in StudentAffiliates and other ACS activities willhelp you develop professional skills —including leadership, communication,teaching, and mentoring, as well as otherorganizational and human relations skills.Be sure to note these skills on yourrésumé, as they will be assets throughoutyour career.

Student Affiliation in ACS is a bargain.ACS membership is a good value.Establishing career assets is priceless.

E. ANN NALLEY is 2006 ACS president, a faculty member at Cameron University, and aStudent Affiliates chapter faculty advisor.

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W elcome to the September–October 2006 issue of inChemistry … and to another

exciting academic year! As you return tocampus, catch up on old friendships, andstrike up new ones, I’d like to take thisopportunity to introduce myself to you.

I already know many of you from Kids & Chemistry Workshops I’ve pre-sented as part of the undergraduate pro-gram at ACS national and regionalmeetings, as well as at many of yourcampuses. I’ve also had the opportunityover the years to work with a numberof chapters that volunteered to presenthands-on activities to children at Kids &Chemistry LIVE!, our annual public out-reach event held in conjunction with theACS national meeting.

Without a doubt, these interactionswith Student Affiliates and their advisorshave been one of the most enjoyableaspects of my work at ACS. That’s why Iam both delighted and excited to beworking full-time with the program nowas its new program manager, and I lookforward to getting to know many moreof you in the future.

I am also very fortunate to be workingwith and, more importantly, learningfrom my Undergraduate Programs col-

leagues, all of whom arecommitted to makingyour Student Affiliatesexperience as rewardingas possible. As youbegin to plan your activ-ities for the year, I urgeyou to contact themwhenever you need to,and take advantage oftheir expertise andexperience. They canassist you with a varietyof chapter activities,including recruitingmembers, planning

regional meeting programs, conductingoutreach, organizing career-related pro-grams, obtaining funding, and more. Yourkey undergraduate program contacts are:• Alicia Chambers

([email protected]) for NationalMeeting Travel Grants, InnovativeActivities Grants, CommunityInteraction-Student Affiliates Grants,career workshops at national meetings,undergraduate programming at region-al meetings, and outreach to chaptersat two-year colleges and minority serv-ing institutions;

• Adam Boyd ([email protected]) forExperiential Programs in Chemistry,career materials, graduate schoolrecruiting events, and chapter work-shops at national meetings; and

• Robin Lindsey ([email protected])for Student Affiliates chapter activationand reactivation, chapter activity kits,chapter annual reports, and StudentAffiliates merchandise.

As you plan for the 2006-2007 schoolyear, please add to your calendars the232nd and 233rd ACS national meet-ings, to be held in San Francisco andChicago, respectively. All undergraduatechemical science students are invited to

join us for these dynamic and education-al meetings.

The undergraduate program for theSan Francisco meeting will be hosted onSunday and Monday, September 10–11,2006. The program will feature symposiaon the environmental impact of naturaldisasters and nanotechnology, as well asa presentation from eminent scientistRobert H. Grubbs, winner of the 2005Nobel Prize in chemistry.

The Chicago undergraduate program,to be held Sunday and Monday, March25-26, 2007, will feature a two-day sym-posium on automotive chemistry. Inaddition, both meetings will feature ourhighly popular array of career work-shops, graduate school recruiting ses-sions, faculty advisor workshops, andKids & Chemistry training. Be sure tovisit the Student Affiliates web site atchemistry.org/education/saprogram.htmlfor more information.

Finally, if you haven’t already heard …this new academic year also brings a sig-nificant change in the Student Affiliatesterm. All Student Affiliation terms willnow be processed on a rolling basis. Thenew guidelines will allow the affiliationterm to begin the date that the applica-tion is processed, and end one year later.This change will allow us to better serveundergraduates and allow them toreceive their benefits year-round.

Again, on behalf of the ACSUndergraduate Programs staff, I wouldlike extend a warm welcome to you —and an invitation to let us help you andyour chapter make 2006-2007 your bestyear ever as Student Affiliates!

ANDREA T. BENNETT is the senior program manager for Undergraduate Programs at ACS.

What’s UP?A Quick Look at the Undergraduate Programs2006–2007 CalendarBY ANDREA T. BENNETT

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Left to right: Andrea Bennett, Adam Boyd, Robin Lindsey, and Alicia Chambers.


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DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN

Chapter president: Samuel Rund Institution environment/

composition: Small, rural,private, 4-year institution

Number of chapter members: 35Number of ACS Student

Affiliates: 9

Q What is your most successfulrecruiting event/method?

A Mouths! Word of mouth, usuallyabout liquid nitrogen ice cream, isdefinitely our biggest draw. Whenpeople hear about our outreachactivities and the fun we havewith the kids, they want to signup, too.

Q What is your most successfulchapter activity?

A Halloween at the Putnam CountyLibrary. Every year, businesses andinstitutions all over our smalltown open their doors for a spe-cial, safe Halloween. We set upinside the local library, preparinghundreds of servings of liquidnitrogen ice cream, and helpingkids to make countless batches ofslime.

Q Does your chapter collabo-rate with other campusorganizations?

A Yes! It has been a very excitingyear, as other groups are askingfor our help. In the past, we pri-marily worked only with other sci-ence clubs, such as the GeologyClub and the Society of Biologists.This year, we were approached by,and did events with, CollegeMentors for Kids, Relay for Life(cancer research), and theResident Student Association.

Q How often does your chapter meet?

A We have chapter business meet-ings once a month, and do out-reach events for a local elemen-

tary school and in the communityabout three times a month.

Faculty AdvisorDavid Roberts – 7 years

Q How did you become a faculty advisor?

A It really came from the students.DePauw had a chemistry clubyears before I arrived on campusthat had, for lack of a betterword, “dissolved.” I suggested tothe students that we should get itrunning again, and before I knewit, we had a good group thatwent through all the steps need-ed to re-start the club. Being apart-time faculty member, I had alittle more time than many of mycolleagues, so I was chosen to bethe advisor.

Q What is your role as a facultyadvisor?

A Our club focuses highly on out-reach, bringing science to the kids.My main role is to serve as anongoing point of contact betweenthe members (who change fromyear to year) and the local schools,libraries, etc. for whom we do ouroutreach activities.

Q What challenges have youfaced in your position?

A The biggest challenge all chapteradvisors have is simply getting allthe students together and arrang-ing times for outreach events.Planning trips is very difficult; wedon’t do them very often, simplydue to logistics. We plan outreachevents based first on the local

schools’ availability, and then theavailability of the students.

Q What has been the mostrewarding aspect of yourservice as a faculty advisor?

A I really enjoy watching the collegestudents light up when they arehelping these young children. Ouroutreach focuses on K–2 (soon toexpand to K–5), as our schoolsystem doesn’t provide a lot ofscience experiences for thoseages. We do hands-on demos,ensuring that all kids are actuallydoing some sort of experiment(rather than just sitting andwatching). In addition to havingfun, the DePauw students seehow important it is to be commu-nity members and be involved inlocal education.

Q What advice can you offerthose new to the advisorposition?

A My best advice would be to startslow and build. When we started,we did just a few outreachevents. Now, as the club hasbecome better known within thecommunity, we have more thandoubled the number of events wedo per semester. Every year weadd at least one event to our cal-endar — which sounds small, butis actually a good way to grow.

Also important: don’t be exclu-sive. Our club is open to theentire campus. We often havemajors in other sciences, educa-tion, English, and the arts whohelp us perform demos with chil-dren. Good demos are very easyto do, and simply require some-body being there to monitor thechildren while they learn. Peoplein other disciplines often bringsomething to the experiment thatI’d never thought about. Lastly,remember to have fun. It truly is agreat, rewarding experience.

S A A C S c h a p t e r s p o t l i g h t

As you can see, this feature has a new look! We love to share what’s going on with SAACSchapters … and this new combined Spotlight is where we’ll highlight the achievements andinsights of both chapters and their advisors, providing a more comprehensive overview. Asalways, in Chemistry will include questions and answers designed to inform and inspirechapters as you plan and execute your activities.If your chapter would like to be featured in the Chapter Spotlight, please contact Alicia J.Chambers at 800-227-5558, ext. 6716 or email [email protected].

Faculty Advisor David Roberts helpsmake treats!

Did you know?The original charter of the DePauw University SAACS Chapter issigned by Linus Pauling, who was president of the ACS in 1949when the chapter was founded. Pauling, one of the most highlyrespected chemists of the twentieth century, received the NobelPrize in chemistry in 1954 for his work on the nature of thechemical bond, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his cam-paign against above-ground nuclear testing.

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Halloween at the Putnam CountyLibrary.

Canisius CollegeBuffalo, NY

Chapter president: MatthewWaitner

Institutional environment/composition: Small, urban,private, 4-year institution

Number of chapter members: 35Number of ACS Student

Affiliates: 8

Q How do you recruit andretain members?

A Officers visit each of the generaland organic chemistry classes toannounce the first meeting andexplain that all students with aninterest in chemistry are welcome,regardless of major. To stimulateenthusiasm for the year ahead,we hand out a calendar of events(prepared over the summer by theofficers) at the first meeting.Leadership and organizationalroles are delegated to membersother than the officers, particular-ly underclassmen, to help ensurethat they will be prepared to leadthe club in the future. When plan-ning events, we take care toensure that there is a balance ofsocial, professional, and serviceactivities to successfully carry outthe mission of the club whilemaintaining active membershipand interest.

Q What is your most popularchapter activity?

A The activity that attracted themost enthusiasm (and also provid-ed the club with a great number ofvolunteers) was an on-campus sci-ence night held during NationalChemistry Week, in conjunctionwith the school’s Office of CampusProgramming and LeadershipDevelopment. Approximately 150commuter and resident students ofall majors stopped by to play‘Element Bingo,’ win prizes, makeslime, decorate mole pencils, andwatch as we made liquid nitrogenice cream (and taste the endresults!).

Q Does your chapter attendACS meetings?

A Members of our SA ACS chapterattend and present researchannually at the spring ACS nation-al meeting. In Atlanta in March2006, four of our members pre-

sented research posters, and ourclub was represented at theSuccessful Student AffiliatesChapters poster session duringSciMix.

Q How often does your chapter meet?

A Club officers meet weekly, andgeneral body meetings are heldevery three weeks.

Q What methods of communi-cation are used to informchapter members of chapteractivities?

A Our main communication tool ise-mail, which is effective forinforming members of meetingsand events, as well as organizingvolunteers for demos and otheractivities. Posters placed through-out the chemistry department andon a bulletin board near thechemistry office inform membersof events happening in the nearfuture. The club also has a web-site (www.canisius.edu/~ACS)with dates of upcoming events,contact information for the cluband the officers, and picturesfrom past events.

Q What has been your mostsuccessful fundraiser activi-ty? What others do yousponsor?

A For the 2005-2006 school year,our most successful fundraiserwas a new idea suggested by oneof our senior members. We madeand sold chocolate roses forValentine’s Day, earning nearly$800 for club activities. Orderswere taken outside of the dininghall at meal times. Then we melt-ed and molded the chocolate,wrapped and decorated the roses,and delivered them to variouscustomers around campus.Another fundraiser that hasserved the club well for a numberof years is the Poinsettia Sale

around the holidays, whichbrought in approximately $250this year. Our success is also dueto funding and support from boththe local Western New York ACSSection and the college’s StudentSenate.

Faculty AdvisorMary O’Sullivan – 1 year(plus seven years at anothercollege)

Q How did you become a faculty advisor?

A At both Canisius and the collegewhere I taught previously, I wasasked by students to be theiradvisor, and also encouraged bymy department chairs to volun-teer. I became an advisor becauseI enjoy working with students onprojects outside of the classroomand research labs. Also, I enjoyhelping students develop theorganizational, leadership, andteam-working skills needed tokeep the chapter operational andfun, and to maintain high levelsof enthusiasm in members.

Q What is your role as a faculty advisor?

A The members of the executivecommittee of the chapter and Imeet at least once each week. Mymain role is to make suggestionsabout possible events and activi-ties, including how to organizethem, people to contact, andstrategies for interacting withother student members and facul-ty, etc. Also, I advise the studentson how to schedule and manage

their time and resources so thatchapter activities continue to befun and well organized.

Q What challenges have youfaced in your position?

A Very few!! Sometimes officers feelover-worked and under-appreciated by the end ofthe school year, especiallycloser to exam week. Tohelp alleviate this, I sug-gest that they not sched-ule any major events inthe final couple of weeksof the semester. (However,we always organize par-ties with students, faculty,and alumni at the end ofeach semester and theseparties are very popular.)

Q What has been the mostrewarding aspect of yourservice as a faculty advisor?

A I find it most rewarding to helpstudents work together to organ-ize and hold successful events. Iespecially enjoy events whichresult in the students feelingproud of their efforts and accom-plishments. Also, it’s been reward-ing to help students interact posi-tively with professors and otherchemists, and to observe theamount of professional confi-dence they’ve developed.

Q What advice can you offerthose new to the advisorposition?

A Keep your interaction with thestudents fun. Remember that it isthe students’ organization, andthat your role as an advisor is tofacilitate and encourage. At thestart of the school year, suggest arange of appropriate events oractivities and listen carefully tosuggestions from students. Helpthe students choose a selection ofpossible activities that they arereally enthusiastic about. Thencreate a schedule for the entireyear, being cognizant of “distrac-tions” like exam weeks andspring break.

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Students at a general meeting in spring 2006.

Participants in the Great Lakes BeachSweep in September 2005.

Did you know?The Canisius College SAACS Chapter participated in theGreat Lakes Beach Sweep, an event to clean up the area

around Lake Erie.

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BY ZINAT ISMAEL, ZOE LOOMIS, AND CASSANDRA VOGEL

HEMISTRY IS EVERY-where. This fact attractsmany students to the chem-istry program at theUniversity of Colorado atDenver and Health Sciences

Center (UCDHSC), a busy commutercampus in downtown Denver withapproximately 12,000 students. Becausemany students have full-time jobs andfamilies, and take at least 12 credit hours,it is remarkable how many find the timeand energy to share their passion for sci-ence with others.

This passion encouraged the develop-ment of a chemistry club where studentsmeet to discuss scientific concepts andshare their enthusiasm for the subjectwith others in the community. The samepassion also led our chemistry club todecide to become an ACS StudentAffiliates chapter.

The Beginning of a Good Thing

As do many other Student Affiliateschapters, we began to perform sciencedemonstrations at local schools andlibraries in order to create interest in andunderstanding about scientific concepts.

Performing science demonstrations isfun, and it’s a great way to initiate thoughtand discussion about science. At the endof every demonstration, the studentswould bombard our members with ques-tions and theories — when there was toolittle time to provide good answers. As aresult, we would leave these events excit-ed by the enthusiasm we had generated,but with a twinge of guilt knowing that

we had not, and might never,be able to answer all theirquestions. When we consid-ered these sentiments as wellas low standardized test scoresin the areas of science andmath, we decided to developan ongoing science programthat would foster an interest in,and provide a basic under-standing of, scientific concepts.

RISE ArisesAfter considering the important

aspects of a successful science program,UCDHSC SAACS launched theResources for Interactive ScienceEducation (RISE) program. In developingthe program, we considered the DenverSchools’ current curriculum, as well asvarious learning and teaching styles. Mostimportantly, the program needed toallow our members to continuously inter-act with the students in an ongoing rela-tionship, answering their questions andnurturing their ideas.

Hands-on activities are an integral partof RISE. Such activities require studentsto contemplate concepts learned andapply them using real materials. Thisprocess aids in understanding and retain-ing abstract scientific concepts.

Flashy, fun, and eye-catching experi-ments at the beginning of the programgrasp the interest and attention of thestudents. At the end of each program,fun activity sheets and summaries ofexperiments are given to the students totest their knowledge of the subject mat-ter and improve retention.

With a Community Interaction StudentAffiliates Grant from the AmericanChemical Society, our club turned theidea of an interactive science programinto a reality. In September 2005,UCDHSC SAACS performed the firstRISE program at the Bronco’s Boys andGirls Club of America (BGCA) inMontebello, Colorado. The program wasa huge success! The students were excit-ed, enthusiastic, and receptive to every-thing we taught them. The best aspect ofthe program came at the end — whenwe said, “See you next time!”

Later, we held monthly RISE demon-strations at the BGCA, which allowed usto incorporate a specific theme or topicto help students relate similar concepts toone another. Little did we know, this wasmerely the beginning!

RISE ExpandsThe RISE program was such a sensa-

tion with students at BGCA that theteachers at Roy McGlone ElementarySchool (located across the street) soonrequested that we conduct our program

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EnthusiasmCreating an InteractiveScience Program

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for their fourth-grade classes. In January 2006, webegan weekly visits with the McGlone students, in addi-tion to our programs at BGCA. These five hours amonth allow our group to convey the concepts andimportance of science to over 150 students.

Through RISE, we are trying to help students in asmany ways as possible. We recently developed a “KidsChemistry Corner” page on our website (located athttp://thunder1.cudenver.edu/chemclub/) that allowsstudents to e-mail us with questions and use a numberof resources. The page contains a manual of chemistryexperiments and demonstrations that can be used forscience fair projects or for other scientific exploration.Handouts and activity sheets for all of our programsare available on this site, as well as links to the ACSKids Page (chemistry.org/kids) and other kid-orientedscience sites.

The RISE program continues to expand, as McGloneElementary has recently asked us to conduct our pro-gram for its upcoming fourth-graders. Likewise, anotherelementary school and a high school have requestedour services starting next fall. Expanding RISE in theseways requires a time commitment and a steady sourceof funding, both of which we are currently seeking.Without donations, student participation, and facultysupport, we could not accomplish our mission: Sparkingand encouraging an interest in science.

Tips for Creating an InteractiveScience Program

A science program needs access to students!!! We have discoveredthat talking with teachers has brought us to more schools than speak-ing with principals or administrators. Libraries, boys and girls clubs,and other youth organizations almost always welcome a fun andeducational program.

Once you have a group of students, there are three essential elements for a successful science program:

■ Volunteers■ Funding■ Science demonstrations

Volunteers are your most important asset, because they organize,plan, and perform demonstrations. On our commuter campus, find-ing volunteers has been our greatest struggle; therefore, we havedeveloped some creative ways of recruiting them, including:

■ Holding a semester kick-off party. We have free food, demon-strations, and a good time!

■ Recruiting campaigns held at the beginning of each semester.We visit each science class and pass out flyers and stickers withour club information.

■ Arranging with professors in chemistry or science courses tooffer extra credit for participation. Usually 10 points are award-ed for attending a demonstration with a maximum of 20-30points available.

■ Instating courses that require involvement in RISE. Chemistrymajors and teaching assistants will be required to take a 1-credit-hour course on teaching and demonstrating science. (This typical-ly requires the commitment of a department and approval froma curriculum review committee at the institution.)

To pay for chemicals, equipment, and supplies, we raise funds inthe following ways:

■ Holding bake-sales and similar events.■ Applying for grants, such as the CISA grant and the Anschutz

Family Foundation grant.■ Asking large companies for donations. For example, Sigma

donated $250.00!

Finding science demonstrations is relatively easy once you knowwhich types of demonstrations you want. Our club investigated cur-rent school curriculums and standardized tests to identify which con-cepts we wanted to teach, and then grouped these into themes foreach month. After you’ve chosen themes for your program:

■ Assign volunteers to find demonstrations for each theme. Wealways use at least one flashy experiment and two hands-onexperiments. These are easily found on the Internet or in sci-ence teaching guides.

■ Test your demonstrations!!!! Make sure they work and that theyconvey the concepts you want to teach.

■ Assign volunteers to summarize each demonstration in a take-home handout. We include background information, a descrip-tion of the procedure, a scientific explanation, and a picture ofeach experiment in our handouts.

Be sure to express thanks and appreciation at the end of each ses-sion. Acknowledging the efforts and contributions of all thoseinvolved can help maintain their enthusiasm.

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ZINATISMAEL isa senior atUCDHSCand SAACSchapterpresident.ZOELOOMIS is

a junior at UCDHSC and vice president of the SAACS chapter.CASSANDRA VOGEL served as director of the RISE program forthe UCDHSC SAACS chapter before graduating in May of 2006.

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ALTHOUGH CHEMISTRY demonstrations and hands-on activ-ities are not new in themselves,

they certainly offer an excellent way tointeract with the community and sparkinterest in science and chemistry. Since2001, our small Student Affiliates chapterat the University of Pittsburgh-TitusvilleCampus (UPT) has found creative waysto engage people in such activities withfunding from the ACS Student AffiliatesProgram’s Innovative Activities Grantsprogram (IAG).

The funds have allowed us to celebrateNational Chemistry Week (NCW) andsponsor a “Science Rocks!” show, careerfairs, and hands-on workshops highlightingchemistry’s important role in helping peo-ple live better, healthier, and happier. Ourprograms have been extremely effective atbringing the NCW message to people inour communities and providing our mem-bers with additional chemical experiencesand valuable skills as leaders, team players,and future mentors.

Over the 2005-2006 school year, weused our IAG funds to carry out a proj-ect we called “Spreading the Joy ofChemistry.” The objectives of the projectincluded developing a 2005 NCW out-reach program with innovative materialsconsisting of new demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and ‘walk-around’ chem-istry characters that supported the NCWtheme, “The Joy of Toys.”

Introducing Milli, Mole,and the Chemist

To increase interest in our events, wecreated costumes for walk-around char-acters who would get the crowd into thespirit of chemistry. We designed two ofour characters as animals, and one as ahuman. For the animals, we chose theconcept of a mole — one of chemistry’sprincipal units and well-known to anyonewho has taken a chemistry course. Wealso chose the mole because we knewthere was an abundance of images from

ACS and other sources that we coulduse for Mole Day events.

Next, with the valuable skills and guid-ance of a local puppet and costumeexpert, Charlotte Randall, and help fromCynthia Andes, a professor of humanitiesand English at UPT, we created a con-cept for the first costume: Dr. AvagadroMole. He was to be brightly colored andwild-looking — a funny version of the‘mad scientist’ stereotype — to encouragethe joy of chemistry. With his bright redhair, tie-dyed lab coat, and orange tie, hecertainly fit the role.

We also designed a costume for SafetyMilli Mole, a safety-conscious and lesswild-looking female mole. Then weadded a third character who could bothtalk to the crowd and guide the moles(whose costumes hindered the abilities tospeak and see!). This guide wore a whitelab coat with the phrase, “A mole is achemist’s best friend,” across the front.

With the help of Randall and the useof her workshop and materials, construc-

BY THOMAS KRUPA AND PING Y. FURLAN

An InnovativeActivity Grant Project

JoySpreading

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ofChemistry

tion was fairly easy. We cut the moles’outfits from foam sheets, and gluedtogether the pieces with contact cement.Once the rough shape was made, wesprayed the foam with brown and graytexture paint for color. We made theireyes and ears from smaller pieces offoam and attached them with a hot gluegun, and constructed their goggles fromoverhead transparency film and foamtube frames. Construction took less thantwo weeks, with club members workingin groups of two or three for severalhours each day.

The completed costumes were a hitwith the members of the club, as well asthe audiences of our demonstrations.One student enjoyed the Dr. AvogadroMole costume so much that we let himwear it on Halloween night! We used thecostumes at all of our chemistry demon-strations in schools and other public locations over the year, as well as cam-pus-only events. They held up well andwe plan to use them in future events.

Celebrating NCWEach year, about 20 chapter members

spend a Saturday at Erie Millcreek Mallcelebrating NCW with the public. Thisyear, we also participated in the ErieChildren’s Science Museum Day pro-gram. These events are the largest NCWannual outreach programs of the ErieSection of the ACS, and all six local ACSStudent Affiliates chapters participate.

During the events, Student Affiliatesworked with hundreds of individuals ofall ages — including the mall patronsand the young museum visitors — onthe chemistry activities, and helpedthem discover the chemistry behind var-ious fun toys. Altogether, we used about20 hands-on activities for our 2005 pro-grams. For the second year in a row, themall program was covered on a localTV news program, which this year fea-tured our new walk-around characters

along with our NCWposters and banner!

Reaching Out to Local Schools

We also held a major outreach eventright in our own science building. Aboutfive weeks before the event, we sent outinvitations to the local school principalsand invited their teachers and students toperform and observe between 30 and40 demonstrations and experiments setup in two labs. We also recruited volun-teers to staff three out of six shifts thatwe offered (the other three shifts werestaffed by students taking chemistry class-es). Three of the shifts were in the morn-ing and three in the afternoon, withabout 15-20 volunteers present duringeach. Volunteers prepared by spendingabout an hour learning all the experi-ments.

On the day of the event, Safety Milliand Dr. Avogadro Mole greeted ouryoung visitors at the entrance of the sci-ence building. Our volunteers thenworked with a series of groups of 25 ele-mentary or middle school students on twoor three experiments. Each student groupspent about 30 minutes visiting each sta-tion in the labs. Through these events, wereached 160 elementary school studentsin grades 1–5 and 180 middle school stu-dents and their teachers.

Doing Chemistry in the Dark

For our year-end event, our chapterheld an outdoor program that was opento students as well as the community. Itfeatured demonstrations involving sound,such as singing tubes and bottled music,and color change such as indicator solu-tions and goldenrod paper. We also con-ducted liquid nitrogen demonstrations,including a frozen rubber hose, and shat-tering flowers and lettuce.

As the sun setand our exothermicdemonstrationsbegan, the meaningof the show’s namebecame clear. Thesedemonstrations includ-ed reactions such aspotassium chlorate andsugar, potassium per-manganate and glycerin,gun cotton, thermite reac-

tion, flame colors of metalsalts, and the dragon’s flare (lycopodiumpowder). Next we performed a demon-stration of chemiluminescence. Dr.Avogadro Mole also made an appearanceto entertain the crowd with his anticsand hand out free stickers and toys.

We promoted the show in the schoolswith flyers and handouts. We had a greatturnout, and the audience was mainlynon-student guests, such as local schoolchildren and their families.

All of these events contributed to ourcontinuing effort to promote science andspread the joy of chemistry among stu-dents and the community. These pro-grams also allowed our members toextend and apply their learning beyondthe conventional classroom.

What’s more, our participating mem-bers gained valuable teaching experience,and learned much more about scienceand chemistry than can be addressed inregular classroom or lab settings. Theyalso practiced expressing chemistry ideasto a general audience in a clear, easy-to-understand way … that was at the sametime fun and exciting!

Our officers gained skills in leadershipand in planning, organizing, and carryingout events. The enthusiastic participationof our chapter members — and of ouraudiences — in all of these events atteststo the benefits of these programs.

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THOMAS KRUPAwas the secretary ofthe UPT SAACSchapter for the2005-06 academicyear. PING Y.FURLAN, an asso-ciate professor ofchemistry at UPT, has been the advisor of the UPTSAACS chapter since its inception.

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National ChemistryWeek/Mole Day/Earth DayCarroll College, Waukesha, WIThe SAACS chapter at Carroll Collegecreated a game called Atomologyopoly,fashioned after Monopoly.

How long did it take to plan the activity andwhat was involved?

Three weeks of planning went into thedesign of the game board, finding infor-mation, labels, printing/cutting the cards,the box, and the game pieces. Weadapted each square on the board tohave a chemistry theme. We createdoriginal game pieces and developed theproperty cards. A board design was cre-ated using Adobe Illustrator and printedas a large decal, giving the board a morefinished and professional look. Severalsmall test sessions were conducted.

What planning resources did you use?We found the information for theproperty cards at the web sitehttp://www.chemicalelements.com.Card definitions came from the bookChemistry, eighth edition by RaymondChang.

How many SA participated?Two Student Affiliates, Brad Stockeland Kristina Blanke, and another stu-dent, Amy Maile, developed the game.

How many people attended the event?Atomologyopoly debuted at theChemistry Club Christmas party,attended by two professors andapproximately 15 students.

What was the age range of the audience?The game was created to teach chem-istry to students learning at a highschool level. Anyone interested inlearning basic chemistry could play andlearn from players with any level ofprevious chemistry experience.

How long did it last?Most games are started with a timelimit, but with seven properties for eachelement, the game could continue forany amount of time.

What safety equipment was required?No safety equipment was necessary.However, lab coats and safety gogglesenhanced the experience!

For more information, contact Dr.Michael Schuder, faculty advisor, [email protected].

Speakers/Tour/Field TripsUniversity of Hawaii-ManoaThe SAACS chapter members at theUniversity of Hawaii-Manoa hostedCareers in Chemistry.

How long did it take to plan the activity andwhat was involved?

The event took approximately twoweeks to plan. Karl Seff, a facultymember, had made the presentationseveral times in the past. After choos-ing a date that worked for both himand the club members, we preparedflyers to hang up in the ChemistryDepartment. At the event, we servedrefreshments.

What planning resources did you use?Since the slide show was already prepared, all we needed to do was tobook the room and arrange for theprojection equipment.

How many SA participated?Two Student Affiliates participated inthe planning, and three StudentAffiliates attended the event.

How many people attended the event?A total of eight people attended theevent.

What was the age range of the audience?Participants ranged in age from 16 to 21years, including a high school student.

How long did it last?The presentation lasted approximatelyone hour.

What safety equipment was required?No safety equipment was required.

For more information, contact JaniceSmith, faculty advisor, [email protected].

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COMPILED BY ROBIN Y. LINDSEY

ACSStudent Affiliates chapters across the U.S. and Puerto Rico areengaged in exciting, innovative, and educational activities. Inorder to give all chapters the opportunity to expand their

activities, we will continue to highlight chapters and their work as reported intheir annual reports. Submit your report with a good description of your activ-ities, and your chapter’s activity just might appear in a future issue of inChemistry. If you have questions about any of the activities listed below, orwould like further information on how to implement them, please contact theSAACS chapter directly. Good luck!

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ROBIN Y. LINDSEY is a leadprogram assistant in the ACSEducation Division.

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WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF tuition waivers and stipends from gradu-ate chemistry programs and advisors, whypursue a graduate fellowship? It may takesome effort, but if you are successful, youwill be able to develop a personal profes-sional development plan — and beginmoving toward your career goal.

Fellowships are a viable option forfinancing graduate education. A fellow-ship differs from other forms of gradu-ate student support in that it enables therecipient to pursue the area of study ofthe greatest personal interest.

There are numerous fellowship pro-grams offered through federal agencies, foundations, industries,universities, and other private sources. Since they are competitiveand restrictive awards, you should look into the details beforeapplying.

Some fellowships target specific disciplines, or support onlymaster’s or doctoral education, while others allow students tocomplete both degrees. Eligibility requirements differ also. Someare open to graduating seniors; others are open to both graduat-ing seniors and first-year graduate students.

Fellowships may be flexible as well. For example, the NationalScience Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship allowsa student to attend any accredited institution in the UnitedStates or abroad. NSF fellows are funded for three years, butrecipients are given five years to use the funding, as well astenure deferral options so that they can take advantage of alter-native financing, such as other fellowship offers.

How Can You Learn More?The Internet is a convenient tool to find information about

graduate fellowships. Locating appropriate programs on the web-sites of federal agencies and foundations could be somewhatchallenging if you are unfamiliar with the missions of theseorganizations.

University websites, on the other hand, list deadlines and otherinformation about fellowship programs and are often designedspecifically for students. In fact, many provide tools and publicizestudent workshops about preparing fellowship applications. Inaddition, some fellowship/scholarship support offices providedirect assistance to students in preparing personal essays, selectingreferences, and interpreting fellowship program guidelines.

What’s in a Fellowship Application?Most fellowship applications for competitive programs require

students to present a holistic view of their character, technicalstrengths, and academic capabilities. Each section of the applica-tion asks for specific information that will be used to evaluate anapplicant according to the purpose of the program. Therefore,be sure to follow the application instructions, and be attentive tocontext as well as content. Fellowship applications use the fol-lowing basic format:• Personal Demographics and Profile. This section includes per-

sonal data, current and proposed graduate institution,degrees completed, work experience, honors and awards,and GRE scores. Typically you are asked to furnish officialtranscripts from universities attended.

• Personal Essay. This is your opportunity to display thoseattributes that will satisfy fellowship program requirements,

as well as those personal qualities thatmay distinguish you from others. Thelatter could include career aspirations,leadership potential, evidence of per-sonal perseverance, and experiencesthat have influenced your desire topursue graduate study.• Previous Research Experience.Reviewers will use this information toassess your readiness to engage in grad-uate level research. Here you describeexperiences such as undergraduateresearch programs, summer internships,and other academic or job-related

research activities. You also may includepublications or presentations at national or regional profes-sional meetings. Reviewers consider the purpose of theresearch, the extent to which your work was done inde-pendently or as part of a team, and what you learned fromthe research.

• Proposed Research Plan. This section asks for a comprehensiveprospectus that demonstrates your understanding of researchdesign and methodology. Reviewers look for evidence of yourpotential to contribute significantly to research, education, andinnovations in science and engineering.

• Reference Letters. Ask for these from your academic andresearch advisors, mentors, supervisors, and others who canattest to your qualifications. The letters should respond tothe program’s evaluation criteria.

How Can You Optimize Your Chances?• Start early and meet the deadline. Review the program solic-

itation carefully and all other relevant documents, such asFAQs. Start months before the deadline organizing the infor-mation to complete the application and cultivate references.Request transcripts, GRE scores, and other requirementswell in advance.

• Prepare substantive, responsive, informative, and honest per-sonal essays. Build on your strengths. Reflect your understand-ing of the program’s expectations, and present a compellingargument as to why you would be a solid investment.

• Choose and “instruct” your references carefully. Select per-sons who can validate your application. Give them yourrésumé, the program announcement, and other informationto assist them. Remember that these same persons are askedto write reference letters for other students as well, so givethem lots of advance notice.

• Prepare a well-written and well-organized application thatcomplies with the instructions and responds to programreview criteria. Avoid submitting extraneous information.Applications that can be evaluated expeditiously are morelikely to be recommended for funding.

Throughout the process, be sure to take advantage of formaland informal networks. Seek advice from mentors, researchadvisors, previous fellowship recipients, and campus fellowshipcoordinators. They can help you identify programs and create acompetitive application. And once you receive a fellowship, theycan help you shape and carry out your plan for graduate studies.Good luck!

EARNESTINE PSALMONDS is director of the Graduate Research FellowshipProgram at the National Science Foundation.

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BY EARNESTINE PSALMONDS

Fellowships

Tipsfor Pursuing Graduate

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chemistry graduate studentstarts her week in the lab, running some

reactions she’s been working on with her advisor.She stays late to clean glassware before heading home to

take notes on a chapter for her synthesis class and plan a lecturefor the section of organic chemistry she’s teaching.For most graduate students, this schedule is fairly typical. The next day,

however, this student attends a lecture of pedagogical approaches in chem-istry before reporting to her educational mentor regarding the educational

research project they’ve been developing…This is just one example of a graduate student following a passion and com-

plementing traditional graduate studies. Pursuing activities focused on education,other sciences, public policy, or other interests can add both depth and breadth toyour education, and will help you develop the professional skills essential for suc-cess. It will also help you prepare to be a “steward of chemistry.”

According to the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), the goal of doc-toral education, be it in chemistry or any other field, is to train students tobecome effective stewards of the discipline. In the book entitled Envisioning

the Future of Doctoral Education, Chris M. Golde outlines the three basiccompetencies or abilities that all “stewards” should exhibit: generat-

ing new knowledge and defending ideas, conserving importantideas of the past, and transforming knowledge that has

been generated and conserved by explaining andconnecting it with ideas from other fields.


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ABY JODI L. WESEMANN AND ADAM M. BOYD

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This task of transformation occupies aspecial position, bringing into focus thecomplementary abilities of generation andconservation. Transformation, in plainestterms, is teaching. In Envisioning, Goldewrites, “Those who are expert practitionersof their field will be called upon to teach,regardless of their work setting. Whetherone is a classroom teacher or is working in agovernment laboratory, industrial setting, orpolicy arena, the steward must be able to con-vey information clearly.” The audience may bethe chemistry community, students, or societyat large.

You can prepare independently to addresssuch challenges, but it is much easier to do sowithin a research group — or preferably, aspart of a chemistry program. Educators in vari-ous departments across the country, includingthose selected to participate in CID, are work-ing to expand degree options, institute flexiblecurricular requirements, offer supplementalworkshops, and integrate the development ofprofessional skills into graduate programs.

With a fairly broad spectrum of choices,how should you narrow down your options? One of the bestways is to look for the program that seems most aligned withyour interests and capable of fostering your professional growth.The three essays written by chemists in Envisioning raise a numberof issues to consider as you select a graduate program.

Communicating with the Scientific Community

Nearly all chemistry departments require graduate students topresent the results of their research. Don’t shy away from the pro-grams that require a variety of presentations. One of the essayists,Ronald Breslow of Columbia University, recommends that gradu-ate students deliver several public seminars, regular oral researchreports, “literature” talks, and research proposals — along withseeking out thoughtful and timely critiques. You should also askfor guidance and feedback as you develop your presentations,particularly for the public seminars. “The student should have agood deal of support from the department, with detailed andhelpful feedback on draft proposals and presentations, as well asopportunities to rehearse in front of students and faculty, includ-ing practice fielding questions from the audience.”

Another of the essayists, Angelica M. Stacy of the Universityof California-Berkeley, notes, “Because cutting-edge researchrequires cooperation — a team of people pooling their extensiveknowledge of many disciplines — it also calls for new ways ofnegotiating, working with others, and communicating.” Workingon interdisciplinary projects under the guidance of several advi-sors can help you gain such skills.

Communicating with StudentsAlthough only about one-third of Ph.D. chemists work in aca-

demia, enhancing their preparation is seen as essential to thefuture of the discipline. Another essayist, the University of

Washington’s Alvin Kwiram, drives the point home through ananalogy: “There is today a serious mismatch between the natureand purpose of a doctoral degree and the demands and expecta-tions of the academy — a significant employer of those with aPh.D. degree. Imagine spending years training an athlete to learnthe intricacies of playing football, and then once he finishes play-ing college ball, assuming that because he is a well-trained athletehe can immediately be appointed head coach. This is essentially

what we do in the academy,” he writes.If you are interested in an academic posi-

tion, seek out programs designed to pre-pare you for the many responsibilities asso-ciated with such a career. Many universitiessponsor Preparing Future Faculty programsto aid graduate students in their quest tobecome effective educators. Several univer-sities have programs in chemical education,such as that of the University of Michigan(see page 12). Projects such as those fund-ed by the National Science Foundation GK-12 Program (see page 14) can also pro-vide opportunities to gain experience whileenhancing science education in elementaryand secondary schools.

Communicating with Society at LargeBeing able to describe your work to non-scientists is an essen-

tial skill for both your social and professional life. Breslowreminds readers of the “Grand Challenges” identified in theNational Research Council report, “Beyond the MolecularFrontier: Challenges for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.”One of these challenges is “communicating effectively to thegeneral public the contributions that chemistry and chemicalengineering make to society.” Several departments require thatstudents include in their theses a summary in laymen’s terms —a practice that Breslow advocates.

Becoming a Leader“To be a Ph.D.-level chemist today is to be a new type of

leader, colleague, researcher, and teacher,” Stacy notes. Thisrequires a depth and breadth of expertise, and a range of skillsincluding communication.

Stacy also writes, “We are at a crossroads, where differentpaths may lead to different consequences of chemistry as a disci-pline. We need to choose, strategically, a path that will allowchemists and chemistry to flourish, and we need new kinds ofleaders to shape this path and guide us along it.” Look for pro-grams that encourage good questions and creativity. Pursueopportunities to build on your interests. Identify supportive advi-sors and mentors. Graduate school should not only prepare, butinspire you to be a new leader — a steward of chemistry.

JODI L. WESEMANN is editor of inChemistry and assistant director for highereducation at ACS. ADAM M. BOYD is associate editor of in Chemistry and an education associate in the ACS UndergraduatePrograms Office.

“Whether one is a classroom teacher or isworking in a govern-

ment laboratory, indus-trial setting, or policy

arena, the stewardmust be able to convey

information clearly.”

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GIVEN THE INTEREST IN IMPROVING the quality of higher education, a number ofchemistry departments across the countryhave established programs to introduce grad-uate students to the roles and responsibilitiesof being a faculty member. Chemical Science

at the Interface of Education (CSIE) at the University ofMichigan (U-M) is an example of such a program.

John Henssler is one of the students at U-M who is pursuinghis Ph.D. in chemistry while paying special attention to the roleof instruction. He still manages the normal workload for a Ph.D.candidate — attending classes and performing traditional materi-als-based research — but his involvement with CSIE allows himto rehearse for his future role as an educator.

CSIE is a voluntary program offered to all chemistry graduatestudents at U-M. The program allows students to get involvedwith education through student teaching, attending seminars onchemical education, and participating in educational researchprojects that can become part of their doctoral theses. Becauseparticipation in the program does not alter the requirements fora Ph.D. in chemistry at U-M, and does not increase the timeneeded to earn the degree, many students find the optionalprogram helpful.

Inquiry at a Deeper Level

Henssler’s affiliation with CSIEstarted at the beginning of hisgraduate education, when heaccepted a CSIE fellowship in theform of a Graduate Assistance inAreas of National Need grant.Starting in the spring of 2005,Henssler and four other first-yearchemistry graduate students werefully funded for one year. Inexchange, they were required totake an additional course fromthe education department orrelated area, and also to partici-pate in a one-credit weekly dis-

cussion led by Brian Coppola — a chemistry professor at U-Mand the program director for CSIE. Discussion topics includededucational literature, teaching philosophies, designing educationexperiments, and curriculum development.

During his first year, Henssler developed an educationalresearch project to improve a first semester honors organic labo-ratory and to document the effectiveness of his proposedchanges. Together with his mentor, he developed educationalmodels and incorporated them into a new course syllabus andlab manual. Based on collected data and student reviews, thechanges succeeded in improving the course which, withHenssler’s alterations, will be offered again in the future.

The ability to engage in educational research while simultane-ously conducting traditional materials research with a separateadvisor has been helpful to Henssler. It’s also helped him under-stand how he can embrace the role of an educator with aresearch focus.

“While having teaching experience before beginning at U-M, Ihad never been involved in educational research. I have learneda great deal about designing educational research and incorpo-rating it into curriculum development. Often we have a tenden-cy to teach as we have been taught. The CSIE program hasintroduced me to a wide array of teaching methodologies andhas given me tools needed to conduct educational research anddevelop new teaching methodologies,” explains Henssler.

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Coppola, who also serves as Henssler’s men-tor on the project, defines the purpose of theproject in simple terms: “Faculty membersshould be as well prepared to take on the edu-cation-related aspects of their jobs as they arefor the research-related aspects.”

Customizing the Ph.D.Another CSIE participant, Alan Kiste, is

taking a slightly different route. In the lab, youcan find Kiste investigating the regiochemistryof 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions or developingnew methods of analyzing students’ chemistryvisualizations, borrowing ideas from the fieldof verbal discourse analysis. Thanks to the flex-ibility of the CSIEprogram, Kistehas chosen topursue a “studentinitiated com-bined degree” inchemistry andeducation, requir-ing him to com-plete all thecourseworkrequired of achemistry Ph.D.and much of thatrequired of a Ph.D. student in education, underthe guidance of two co-advisors. However, headds, he has only one dissertation committee,and one combined set of class requirements,candidacy exam, and dissertation.

The result is a “depth in educational history,philosophy, psychology, and quantitative andqualitative research methods that the typicalCSIE student probably wouldn’t get,” explains Kiste.

Kiste started his path to chemical education in 1993 at U-Mbut left before finishing his degree. His teaching assistant experi-ence cemented his desire to teach chemistry, so he taught highschool chemistry for four years. After that time, Kiste realized hewanted to finish his Ph.D. and he returned to U-M, where hereceived a CSIE fellowship.

Like Henssler, Kiste credits the CSIE program with helping tocultivate skills necessary to prepare for a career in academia.“Probably the most important benefit,” explains Kiste, “is simplyhaving a much greater understanding of what being a facultymember is going to be like, and seeing what goes on behindthe scenes. I think many graduate students do not get thatexperience.”

Greater BreadthThe CSIE program has other advantages as well. By enabling

graduate students from different fields to come together under acommon initiative, the CSIE program also lends itself to addingbreadth to the doctoral education of each participant.

“Most chemistry graduate students have thesupport of other students in their researchgroup and also students in the particular spe-cialty they’re pursuing,” explains Kiste. “InCSIE, graduate students from across the depart-ment are brought together around a commongoal of developing themselves as future facultymembers. That means, for example, that organ-ic chemists get to talk frequently with physicalchemists with whom they otherwise mightrarely interact.”

Henssler points out that the rewards forparticipating in the program are reflexive.“Teaching is best way to learn,” he points out,and adds that by learning to become betterteachers, participants in the CSIE programsimultaneously enhance the depth of theirown graduate education.

Getting StartedStudents interested in becoming chemistry professors can pur-

sue a range of options. Programs like CSIE offer students oppor-tunities within the research institution. Students in PreparingFuture Faculty (PFF) programs often work with faculty at non-

Ph.D. granting institutions, gaining an under-standing of the different environment andexpectations.

“Seek out teaching experiences as early aspossible,” advises Stacey Buchanan, a formerCSIE participant and current professor atHenry Ford Community College. “Whenapplying to graduate school, definitely lookfor a program like CSIE or some other typeof PFF program. Seek opportunities beyond

the typical teaching assist-antships — especially if youcan gain experience in alecture setting.”

Kiste also points out theimportance of finding anadvisor who demonstratesan interest in chemistryeducation. “Undergraduates[should] talk to potentialgraduate program advisorsabout their interest in edu-cation. Many may be veryopen to having their grad-uate students explore edu-

cation-related issues. However, some may be hesitant, or evenhostile to the idea. If an undergraduate student is quite surethey’re interested in chemistry and education, they shouldmake sure that those interests align with potential future graduate advisors.”

ADAM M. BOYD is an associate editor of in Chemistry and an educationassociate in the ACS Undergraduate Programs Office.

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“Faculty membersshould be as well

prepared to take onthe education-relatedaspects of their jobsas they are for the

research-relatedaspects.”

Alan Kiste, U-M Ph.D. candidate.

John Henssler, U-M Ph.D. candidate.

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FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCEFoundation, the CUNY GK-12 Fellows Program provides gradu-ate students the chance to work with teachers who are justbeginning to teach high school sciences and mathematics at theAdvanced Placement (AP) level. In this program, 10 graduatestudents in the sciences volunteer to serve as instructional fel-lows, while engaged in traditional research and coursework atthe City University of New York (CUNY).

CUNY GK-12 fellows work closely with their cooperatingteachers to plan their day-to-day activities, based on both theteachers’ and students’ needs. Fellows may also assist with settingup labs, grading, and instruction. During the academic year, fel-lows are required to spend 10 hours per week on in-class instruc-tional activities at their assigned high school and an additional fivehours per week on out-of-class preparation activities.

TrainingBoth teachers and fellows receive training in the form of con-

ferences and seminars, which ground them in teaching skills andpractices. Overall, there are 10 days of training for the fellows,beginning with a five-day summer institute on teaching APcourses offered by the College Board. If the teachers involvedare teaching their AP class for the first time, they actually attendthe class with the fellows with whom they will be working.Later, during a five-day intensive training class organized by theCUNY program, fellows learn pedagogical techniques and strate-gies for effective teaching.

MentoringThe program also has intrinsic mentoring. Experienced fellows

pair up with first-time participants to hold informal discussionson their classroom approach. These meetings, in addition tomonthly program-wide seminars, provide a support system fornew fellows.

ImpactThe program focuses not only on the graduate students serv-

ing as fellows, but also on the high school science programs inwhich they serve. At the outset of the program in 2003, onlythree of 28 schools in the Bronx School District offered any APclasses in the sciences. Since then, three additional schools haveoffered AP courses and several more have expanded their APofferings as a direct result of the aid provided by the program.

For Nancy Medina, who is currently serving as a fellow forboth AP chemistry and AP biology at Clinton High School inthe Bronx, the most beneficial aspects of her experience havebeen learning how to teach — and at the same time, learningfrom teaching.

Medina is planning for a career as a high school teacher, andthe experience has been invaluable. She’s not only had thechance to be mentored by an experienced educator, but haspracticed teaching herself, and learned about better ways toreach students.

“The teacher I was working with was great. He teaches highschool and college chemistry, so he knows his field very well. Iwas able to observe how he taught the lessons, what he thoughtwas important, and how he got results from his students. Andbecause I had to prepare a particular section, it helped mesharpen my own chemistry knowledge. I really had to learn itbetter so I could teach it to children.”

Another fellow, Mary Donovan, used the program to test thewaters of academia before accepting a fellowship at QueensCollege. “If I had not been involved in the CUNY FellowsProgram, or if I’d had a bad experience, I would never haveaccepted my position at Queens,” says Donovan, whose fellow-ship requires her to serve as an adjunct professor by teachingfour credits per semester in addition to completing her research.“I actually didn’t know if teaching was something I wanted todo. However, I had a really positive experience teaching theclass and the lab, and felt more confident about pursuing teach-ing as a career.”

Donovan’s early involvement with the fellows program con-sisted of her simply meeting with a teacher to discuss his lessonplans. Later, her participation grew into a much more involvedendeavor. Slowly, she started incorporating some of her ownideas about teaching styles and how certain topics should betaught. After a while, she began collaborating with her teacherto develop lesson plans and to incorporate new methods, suchas peer-led team learning, into the coursework.

Rising to the unique challenges of teaching in a high schoolsetting, whether it meant finding a way to complete her labwork in an already busy schedule or simply maintaining controlof her class, helped Donovan feel increasingly confident that shecould tackle other teaching challenges.

With a comment fitting for a program based in New YorkCity, Donovan observes, “If I could make it there, I could makeit anywhere.”

ADAM M. BOYD is associate editor of in Chemistry and an educationassociate in the ACS Undergraduate Programs Office.

BY ADAM M. BOYD

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For more information about the NSF GraduateTeaching Fellows in K-12 Education Program,

and a list of institutions with grants, visitwww.nsf.gov/funding.

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WHEN SELECTING A graduate program andresearch advisor, it is impor-

tant to consider your options care-fully. Along with seeking advicefrom mentors, faculty, and otherstudents, you can find a wealth ofinformation with just a few quicksearches in the ACS Directory ofGraduate Research (DGR).

The DGR is the most comprehen-sive source of information on facultyand their research programs in chem-istry, chemical engineering, biochem-istry, and related chemical sciences inthe U.S. and Canada. It lists faculty member biographical informa-tion, areas of specialization, titles of all papers published within thelast two years, and individual contact information. In total, it con-tains listings for over 650 academic programs, 10,000 facultymembers, and 90,000 publication citations.

Since it was first published in 1953, the frequently-updatedDGR has helped generations of undergraduate students selectamong graduate schools. The 2005 edition was published lastNovember, along with DGRweb, an improved searchable onlinedatabase that is available free at www.chemistry.org/education/DGRweb. The upgraded interface and functionality of DGRweballow for many more advanced searches of both faculty andinstitutions.

Fast Searches, Valuable InsightsOn DGRweb 2005, you may search among both faculty and

institutions by virtually any field in the DGR. The search featurefor faculty includes specific research areas, academic rank, andgender, and the search results provide complete contact infor-mation for faculty, including direct links to their e-mail addressesand Web pages. Institutional searches provide all departmentalcontact information, along with statistical data on the number ofstudents and faculty in the department involved in graduateresearch.

With DGRweb, it is now much easier toanswer the various questions you haveabout graduate programs. For example, ifyour undergraduate research focused onmolecular spectroscopy, and you wouldlike to continue your graduate studies inthis area, you can go to the Faculty Searchsection of the website, type “molecularspectroscopy” in the “specific research” boxand within two seconds, you’ll pull up alist of 37 faculty members who are dealingwith your subdiscipline in their research.With a couple more mouse clicks, you canretrieve more information on the specific

research areas of each of thesefaculty members, along with thetitles of all papers publishedwithin the last two years, andtheir contact information, includ-ing links to their e-mail address-es and websites.

Or perhaps you are interestedin molecular genetics, and wantto find the departments thatspecialize in this area. Just go tothe Institution Search section andtype “molecular genetics” in the“fields of specialization” andalmost immediately, you will seea list of nine institutions with

programs focused on that field. You’ll have instant access andlinks to all departmental contact information, statistics on facultyand graduate students, and a complete list of faculty active ingraduate research.

Want to see whether there have been any changes in thegraduate program in a selected department within the last fiveyears? DGRweb can help with this question as well, as itincludes access to the complete 1999, 2001, and 2003 DGRdatabases!

These are just a few examples of situations in which theDGRweb might be helpful to you. Try the DGRweb today andlet us know what you think by completing the 60-second sur-vey. Your input will help us improve future editions of theDGRweb.

While surfing the DGRweb, don’t forget to bookmark it —because, if graduate school is in your future, it’s very likely thatyou will be coming back for more information!

MARTA GMURCZYK is a senior education associate inthe ACS Office of Professional Training.

A Classic Resource onGraduate Research...Just a Click AwayBY MARTA GMURCZYK

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GPreparing for anIndustrial Career byWorking as a Teaching Assistant


BY RAMA KONDURI

RADUATE SCHOOL IS NOT ENTIRELY ABOUT MAIN-taining a high GPA, acquiring and polishing technical skills,and publishing papers. Being a teaching assistant (TA) in grad-uate school can supplement your career development inways that not only help you grow as a scientist, but alsoimprove your marketability — especially in a job marketwhere large numbers of Ph.D. chemists are competing forindustrial jobs.

Roles as a graduate TA fall into two broad categories, aca-demic and administrative. In your academic role, you teachor assist in the classroom, conduct labs, lead recitations ordiscussions, and give assignments. You also grade tests,

Fast Track to Experience!

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quizzes, papers, projects, lab reports,and homework. In your administrativerole, you may be required to plan thedetails of a class or a lab. This entailssetting reasonable deadlines, keepingaccurate records of attendance andgrades, and preparing schedules, hand-outs, and so on. Experiences gained inboth of these roles will prepare you notjust for a career in academia, but also inindustry.

In addition to technical skills, some ofthe must-have skill sets expected of newhires include aptitudes for working inglobal teams and embracing change, aswell as proven skills in time manage-ment and communication. These ‘softskills’ can easily be acquired and sharp-ened in assignments such as teachingassistantships in graduate school.

Global mindset: As a TA, you willencounter students with a wide varietyof backgrounds, cultures, and nationali-ties. To succeed, you will need to learnquickly about these differences, and torespect them. Likewise, companies ofalmost every size are becoming increas-ingly global. Whetherthey have multiculturalstaffs, internationaloperations, or globalcustomers, they all facethe challenge of dealingwith individuals fromdiverse cultures.Working as a TA canhelp you understand,learn about, and appre-ciate this very impor-tant skill set.

Change orientation:The ability to embrace change is also animportant quality. As a teaching assis-tant, you are constantly challenged toadapt to change. Very rarely are youstuck in one particular job, function, orrole. Just as roles can change over theacademic year or even within a semes-ter in a university setting, the same istrue in industrial jobs. You need to learnand adapt to new job or team functionsin order to excel and contribute to acompany’s success.

Time management: Learning to priori-tize and balance more than one projectat a time is another crucial skill set. Inwhichever field or industry you may

choose, it’s likely that you will be chal-lenged to manage and make progresson at least several different projectssimultaneously. Learning the art of bal-ancing multiple projects is vital, as arethe abilities to get things done on timeand to make appropriate decisions. Ona personal note, I think this is the mostvaluable skill I sharpened as a teachingassistant.

Effective communication: This skill setis essential for collaborating effectivelyon teams, influencing peers, and moti-vating groups. Whether you’re workingas an instructor or an industrial chemist,you must successfully communicatewith colleagues, teachers, supervisors, orothers. An additional facet of this skillset is the ability to give feedback, bothpositive and negative, and to deal withpeople who exhibit difficult attitudes orbehaviors.

In other words, all of the skills thatyou use and develop as a TA havedirect applications in industry. Themore comfortable you are with theskills described above, the more effi-

cient and effective you will be — andthus the greater your usefulness to youremployer. These skills represent a bigpart of working as a TA … and they’reeven more important for a successfulcareer in industry. iC

RAMA KONDURI earnedher Ph.D. from the Universityof Texas at Arlington in2003. She works as a prod-uct design specialist atGeneral Electric’s PlasticsResearch and DevelopmentCenter in Mt. Vernon,Indiana.

The Eyes Have It!Acceptable behaviors in one culture may be per-

ceived differently by people from other backgrounds.For example, “popping” one’s eyes can be interpreted

as a sign of surprise in the U.S.; however, people fromother cultures may instead interpret the action

as a sign of anger.

A Key Resource

PREPARING FOR A JOBsearch can be scary, but theACS Chemjobs Online

Career Center(http://chemistry.org/careers) canhelp with advice, publications,resources, and even access tochemistry career consultants.Online publications for managingan effective job search include: • Job-Search Strategies for

Chemical Professionals, • Résumé Preparation, and • Interviewing Skills.There are even tips for conductingan electronic job search.

When you are ready to startlooking for a position, you shouldpost your résumé in theChemjobs database(http://chemjobs.org). ACS mem-bers and Student Affiliates get firstaccess to job listings. If you will beat one of the upcoming ACSnational or regional meetings, signup for the Chemjobs CareerCenter onsite. Offerings vary frommeeting to meeting, but generallyinclude career workshops, résuméreviews and mock interviews.National and many regional meet-ings will also provide onsite inter-views with potential employers.

Once you have the job offer,be sure to check the salary offer-ing against the ACS SalaryComparator. The comparator isavailable only to ACS membersand Student Affiliates. Based ondata from the annual startingsalary survey and Chemcensus,the comparator calculates thesalary range for the type of joband the area of the country thatyou specify.

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istryForensic Chemists...Apply scientific disciplines to physical evidence

A forensic chemist is a professional chemist who analyzesevidence that is brought in from crime scenes and reaches aconclusion based on tests run on that piece of evidence. Aforensic chemist’s job is to identify and characterize the evi-dence as part of the larger process of solving a crime. Forensicchemists rarely conduct any investigative work; they handlethe evidence collected from the crime scene. Evidence mayinclude hair samples, paint chips, glass fragments, or bloodstains. Understanding the evidence requires tools from manydisciplines, including chemistry, biology, materials science, andgenetics. The prevalence of DNA analysis is making knowledgeof genetics increasingly important in this field.

Chemical Careersin Brief

This career brief on Forensic Chemists is part of a setof 30 such reports intended to educate teachers and stu-dents about job opportunities in the chemical sciences.Other briefs in the series include: chemical education,chemical sales, medicinal chemistry, science writing, andmany more. Paper copies of the career briefs are avail-able to Student Affiliates by contacting [email protected]. Allstudents can access free copies of the career briefs byvisiting www.chemistry.org/vc2/3wk/wk3.html. TheChemical Careers in Brief series is made possible by agrant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

INTRODUCTION BY ADAM M. BOYD

Unlike the characters of CSI and other television hits,real forensic chemists rarely conduct investigative work,often specialize in one field, and regularly spend hoursperforming tests until they can reach a conclusion about aparticular piece of evidence. It’s less glamorous, maybe,but still a very cool job.

Evidence comes to forensic chemists in all forms: finger-prints, shards of glass, hair, fire debris, DNA, blood stains,and many other types. Using varied analytical methodsand techniques, forensic chemists help to solve real-lifemysteries by methodically analyzing evidence, interpretingtheir findings, and testifying about those findings in court.Their analyses are integral to catching and convicting crimi-nals and, as a result, make chemistry one of the mosteffective weapons against crime.

Being a forensic chemist also strikes a balance betweenanalysis and articulation. Even a sound chemical analysisby a brilliant chemist would be useless without the abilityto explain to a jury how the analysis was done and what itmeans. Because physical evidence can be so influential incourt, forensic chemists must conduct careful analysis, andprovide impartial explanations of the science used to eval-uate evidence. For this reason, accuracy, precision, andstrong communication skills are highly prized characteris-tics in this line of work.

If you’d like to apply your knowledge of chemistry tothe pursuit of justice, then perhaps you should consider acareer in forensic chemistry. To learn more, read on.

ForensicChemistry

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Explain and defend resultsForensic chemists agree that public

speaking skills and being comfortablewith what you do are important per-sonal characteristics for this career. Asseen on Court TV, forensic chemistsare often called upon to explain whatwas found and how they arrived attheir conclusions.

Not all cases go to trial, but when onedoes, giving expert testimony in court isa significant piece of a forensic chemist’sjob. Some employers require their foren-sic chemists to go through severalmonths of mock courtroom testimonytraining along with their regular training.Forensic chemists must be able to give animpartial explanation to the jury that willassist in a final judgment — forensicchemists analyze the evidence but do notdetermine the verdict.

Have various opportunitiesThe career path for most forensic

chemists is through federal, state, orcounty labs associated with the medicalexaminer’s office. However, there are dif-ferent types of careers available, includingthose in other fields of forensic science,academe, or administration. Chemists canalso move up within a particular organi-zation, changing responsibilities along theway. For example, the director of a crimelab may supervise other forensic scientistsrather than being involved in day-to-dayanalysis. A director may also be responsi-

ble for case review and general lab man-agement. Some forensic chemists also usetheir technical training to pursue a careerin patent law.

FACT FILE: ForensicChemists

WORK DESCRIPTION — Forensic chemistsapply knowledge from diverse disciplinessuch as chemistry, biology, materials sci-ence, and genetics to the analysis of evi-dence found at crime scenes or on/in thebodies of crime suspects. The field is acombination of criminalistics and analyti-cal toxicology. Criminalistics is the quali-tative examination of evidence using

methods such as microscopy and spottesting, whereas analytical toxicologylooks for evidence in body fluidsthrough a range of instrumental tech-niques from optical methods (UV,infrared, X-ray) to separations analyses(gas chromatography, HPLC, and thin-layer chromatography). Mass spectrome-try is also frequently used since it pro-vides the strongest evidence in court.Most often, forensic chemists do notknow the nature of the sample beforethey analyze it. The results of their workare used in police investigations andcourt trials, at which they may be calledupon to provide expert testimony andexplain their findings to a jury.

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WORKING CONDITIONS —Forensic chemists generally workin government labs, which canbe small, understaffed, andunderfunded. They spend timepreparing and giving testimonyin court. Formerly under thejurisdiction of police depart-ments, forensics has traditionally beentotally male dominated. However, overthe last 15 years, the field has opened upto women, who are moving up in itsranks.

PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT — Most labsare associated with a federal, state, orlocal police department, medical examin-er’s office, forensic services lab, or branchof the Federal Bureau of Investigation.There are some private labs that carryout forensic analyses.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS — Versatilityand patience are the most often citedqualities of a forensic chemist. Forensicchemists must be able to spend hours rig-orously applying analytical techniques toevidence and then defending their workin a court of law. They must be able toclearly and concisely answer challengesto their findings. Integrity is also animportant characteristic, because it is notunusual for the different interests in a

case to try to sway the forensic chemist’sposition.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING — A strongbackground in chemistry and instrumen-tal analysis as well as a good groundingin criminalistics is vital. A forensic sciencedegree at both the undergraduate andgraduate level is recommended. Thoseinterested in working with trace evi-dence, such as glass, hair, and paper,should focus on instrumentation skillsand take courses in geology, soil chem-istry, and materials science. If forensicbiology and DNA analysis are preferred,take microbiology, genetics, and bio-chemistry courses. Those interested inthe toxicological aspects of this workshould study physiology, biochemistry,and chemistry.

JOB OUTLOOK — The forensic sciencefield is guardedly optimistic about jobprospects for the future. Greater interestin the use of DNA analysis is expected

to create more jobs. Those interested inDNA work should keep up with the rap-idly changing technology and developskills that distinguish them from the pack.

SALARY RANGE — For forensic chemistswith a B.S. degree, incomes start in thehigh $30,000s per year. The median salaryis $50,000. Chemists at the high end arepaid more than $60,000 per year.Scientists involved with fingerprint analysisare on the lower end of the pay scale.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW — Contactlocal forensics labs and find out when aforensic chemist will be testifying incourt. Attending courtroom testimonywill give you a sense of whether thisaspect of the work is right for you.Hands-on technical experience is moredifficult to get. Most labs do not haveinternships but may take on volunteers.Academic requirements are tightening.Give some thought to graduate work andresearch projects that show you are capa-ble of problem solving. To prepare forcourt presentations, scientists recommendparticipation in the debate team andschool theater.

ADAM M. BOYD is an associate editor of inChemistry and is an education associate in theACS Undergraduate Programs Office.

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONAmerican Academy of Forensic Science

P.O. Box 669 Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0669719-636-1100 www.aafs.org

Forensic Science Society (United Kingdom)Clarke Hose 18A Mount ParadeHarrogateNorth Yorkshire HG1 1BXUnited Kingdomwww.forensicsciencesociety.co.uk

You can also contact schools with academic programs inforensic science. University of New Haven (CT), GeorgeWashington University (DC), and John Jay College ofCriminal Justice of the City University of New York all havegraduate programs. Michigan State University has programson the graduate and undergraduate level.

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CALLFORPAPERS

UNDERGRADUATE

More than 12,000 chemical science and engineering

professionals will gather in Chicago, Illinois.

How about you?

Join the American Chemical Societyfor its 233rd

national meeting from March 25—29, 2007

to present a research or chapter poster,prepare yourself for a career in the

chemical sciences, network with otherchemists, and have a good time!

UndergraduateProgrammingScheduled for

March 26, 2007!

Abstract Deadline:November 14, 2006

How to Submit Your AbstractTo be considered for a presentation, submit an

abstract via the ACS website, chemistry.org, byNovember 14, 2006. Just log on tochemistry.org/meetings, select the OASYS icon, andclick on CHED. Select the appropriate disciplinefor undergraduate research posters (URPS) orSAACS for chapter posters. Submit your researchabstract under one of these URPS categories:

■ Analytical Chemistry ■ Biochemistry

■ Chemical Education ■ Computational

Chemistry ■ Environmental Chemistry

■ Geochemistry ■ Inorganic Chemistry

■ Medicinal Chemistry ■ Nanotechnology

■ Organic Chemistry ■ Physical Chemistry

■ Polymer Chemistry

There are no faculty presentations, and no latesubmissions will be accepted. Active StudentAffiliates chapters may apply for travel grants toassist with registration fees. For more information,e-mail [email protected].

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35th Northeast Regional MeetingOctober 5–7, Binghamton, NYhttp://www.nerm2006.org/

The students of the Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY,SAACS Chapter will host the UndergraduateProgram!

Friday, October 6Career Connections Symposium, Undergraduate Reception, Undergraduate Poster Session

Saturday, October 7Professional Recruiting Breakfast, Undergraduate Research Symposium

19th Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting October 14–18, Tucson, AZhttp://www.rmacs2006.arizona.edu/

The students of University of Arizona, Tucson, SAACS Chapter will host the Undergraduate Program!

Saturday, October 14Dinner with Industry, Chemical Solution Mixer

Sunday, October 15Graduate School Breakfast, Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Social, Undergraduate Poster Session

41st Midwest Regional MeetingOctober 25–27, Quincy, ILhttp://membership.acs.org/m/mwrm2006/

The students of the Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, SAACS Chapter will host the Undergraduate Program!

Wednesday, October 25Undergraduate Poster Session

Thursday, October 26History Posters and Demonstrations

Friday, October 27 Graduate School Roundtable Discussion, Undergraduate Award Session

61st Southwest Regional MeetingOctober 19–22, Houston, TXhttp://www.chem.uh.edu/swrm06/

This meeting will include a variety of activities symposia, workshops, and more.

58th Southeast Regional MeetingNovember 1–4, Augusta, GAhttp://www.sermacs2006.org

The students of the Augusta State University, GA, SAACS Chapter will host the Undergraduate Program!

Friday, November 3Chocolate Feast!

Saturday, November 4Undergraduate Poster Session

2006 ACS Regional Meetings

All events are tentative. Please consult final program for any changes.

Mark your calendars for the 2007 Spring ACS Regional Meetings.

39th Middle Atlantic Regional MeetingMay 16–18, 2007, Collegeville, PA

39th Central Regional MeetingMay 21–23, 2007, Covington, KY

62nd Northwest Regional MeetingJune 17–20, 2007, Boise, ID

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StudyAbroad

ParticipantCall forPapers

Have you recently com-pleted research basedon a study-abroad orother international

experience? If so, theACS Committee on

International Activitiesencourages you to pres-ent your research at the

spring ACS nationalmeeting in Chicago,Illinois. Students pre-senting research based

on an internationalexperience are eligible

to receive an awardfrom IUPAC and theACS Committee on

InternationalActivities! Be sure to

designate yourself as aninternational researchparticipant when sub-mitting your abstract.

To confirm your participation, e-mail

Beth Rudd [email protected].

Science Revolutionin Minority Communities:

What Progress Have We Made?

The Society for Advancement ofChicanos and Native Americans in Science is holding its 2006 AnnualConference:

October 26-29, 2006Tampa Convention Center333 S. Franklin StreetTampa, Florida 33602

For more information:visit www.sacnas.org or e-mail [email protected]

Undergraduate Meeting Highlights

Thursday, October 26Welcome Reception4:00 – 5:00 PM

Inquiry, Apply, Interview & Enroll: Graduate School - Part I8:30 – 9:30 PM

Friday, October 27Inquiry, Apply, Interview & Enroll: Graduate School - Part II8:00 – 9:45 AM

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Poster Session I3:15 - 5:45 PM

Study Methods and Scheduling,Preparing for the GRE8:00 – 9:00 PM

Saturday, October 28Undergraduate and Graduate Student Poster Session II9:00 - 11:30 AM

At the Frontiers of Chemistry1:45 – 3:45 PM

Abstract Writing4:00 – 6:00 PM

SACNAS Annual Awards Ceremony7:30 – 8:30 PM

For students, the AIChE annual meetingis an ideal place to learn, network andreceive recognition. An emphasis of themeeting will be globalization and thediversity of industries the chemicalengineering profession serves.Thereare 17 Topical Conferences, 21 alignedprogramming groups and over 600 ses-sions at this year's event that willinclude covering innovations, advancesin chemical engineering fundamentalsand emerging technologies.

For more information, visitwww.aiche.org

The American Instituteof Chemical Engineers2006 Annual Meeting

November 12-17, 2006San Francisco, CA

THEAMERICAN INDIAN

SCIENCE ANDENGINEERING

SOCIETY

28TH ANNUALNATIONAL CONFERENCE

GENERATIONS OFINNOVATION

NOVEMBER 2-4, 2006DETROIT, MI

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISITWWW.AISES.ORG

Annual Meeting, San Francicso, CA

g r a d u a t e s c h o o l l i n k sg r a d u a t e s c h o o l l i n k s

Click on the web links below to get information about the schools listed.

University of Central Florida:http://www.cas.ucf.edu/chemistry/index.php

University of Nebraska-Lincoln:http://chem.unl.edu/main/

SUNY, College of Environmental Science & Forestry:www.esf.edu/chemistry

University of Tennessee:www.chem.utk.edu

University of Cincinnati:www.che.uc.edu

University of San Francisco:www.usfca.edu/mschemistry

Oklahoma State University:www.chem.okstate.edu

Wayne State University:www.chem.wayne.edu

Indiana University, School of Informatics:www.informatics.indiana.edu

University of New Orleans:www.chem.uno.edu

McMaster University:www.chemistry.mcmaster.ca/graduate

All URLs were accessed and accurate while this issue was in production.


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