Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society

Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society

Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting

Harvard Faculty Club

Thursday; 6th April, 2006.

The following members, friends and guests of the Board were in attendance: M. Chen, T. Gilbert, P. Gordon, M. Hearn, J. Ji, I. Korendovych, D. Lewis, P. Mabrouk, J. Neumeyer, J. Piper, D. Rickter, L. Shao, R. Tanner, A. Tapper and A. Viola.

The meeting was called to order at 4:43 p.m. with P. Mabrouk in the Chair.

The minutes of the March 2006 meeting were approved.

The Chair reported that Arlene Light is recovering from knee surgery, and it has been arranged that flowers and the well-wishes of the Section will be sent. The Chair reminded the Board that Assistant Chairs are to be designated for each of the committees. The Section Handbook is being revised and will need updates for the procedures for each committee as well. T. Gilbert is a candidate for Director of District I. D. Phillips is an At-Large candidate for Director. The Chair referred the Board to the several written committee reports distributed prior to the Board meeting.

For the Education Committee, it was reported that several student affiliate chapters of the Northeastern Section have been recognized by national ACS for their excellence. A story about this will be included in the summer issue of The Nucleus.

The Treasurer, Prof. Piper, discussed his report. Income from the Section’s dues allotment has come in, and by now seventy per cent of the yearly income has arrived. The finances of the Section are in good order. The Board voted to accept the Treasurer’s report.

The Board of Publications will soon meet, and the upcoming issue of The Nucleus is ready for press.

For Continuing Education, A. Viola indicated that the May program is finalized. A good attendance is expected.

For the Medicinal Chemistry Topical Group, a Symposium on “New Trends in Oncology” will be held at the Holiday Inn in Woburn on Thursday, 18th May.

For the Younger Chemists Committee, I. Korendovych noted that the April program is in place. To date, four companies will participate. There will be some 40-50 students for the Career Fair. The Committee is considering its organization for next year so that continuity will be maintained.

A. Tapper stated that there will be 72 golfers for the upcoming Northeastern Section Golf Tournament. This will permit 18 foursomes. The event is co-sponsored by the Women Chemists Committee.

For the Awards Committee, M. Hearn reported that the 2006 Levins Memorial Prize would go to Mr. Xiaoxuan Shen, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of New Hampshire. The Levins Prize will be presented at the May meeting of the Section during Education Night.

The Board rose at 5:17 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Hearn

Secretary pro tempore

Attached are the written reports for the April 2006 Board Meeting.

Chair: P. Mabrouk

The following Thank you communication was received from Dr. M. Wasielewski on receiving the Norris Award.

Hi Pam,

I want to thank you again for coming to the ACS Awards dinner and presenting me with the Norris Award. I also want to thank the Northeastern Section for their sponsorship of the award. It is a great honor for me to be included in the list of the previous winners of this award. Physical organic chemistry today reaches into many other branches of chemistry and is frequently called by other names. Its wide applicability is a testament to the usefulness of this approach to problem solving.

All the best,

Mike

Michael R. Wasielewski

Professor of Chemistry

Department of Chemistry

Northwestern University

Chair-Elect: M. Chorghade

I attended the Spring Meeting in Atlanta and attended numerous conferences such as the ACS Local Section Officers and Tour Speakers Caucus, the International Activities Committee etc.

The IAC meeting was particularly interesting in that

1) A New ACS Vision was announced and plans formulated for its implementation and promulgation.

2) The Society governance will be reviewed under the aegis of the Governance Review Task Force. Ideas being considered include a reduction in the numbers of councilors (streamlining the Council); consolidating some non-productive sections into larger ones etc

3) Decisions were made to explore ACS involvement in a program of international research experiences for undergraduates.

4) Outreach to Developing Countries will be increased

Secretary: M. Singer

The ACS Council – Councilor’s talking points on the activities of the ACS council in Atlanta are attached at the end of the written reports.

Archivist: M. Simon

In line with our need to provide new opportunities of participation for Section members, the archivist is interested in hearing from any members who might be interested in working on the archives. We might create an assistant archivist position for now.

Councilors Report: M. Hoffman

The following has been submitted to The NUCLEUS:

NESACS Members to Run for ACS Governance Positions

Three NESACS members will be candidates in this year’s ACS elections.

• Bassam Shakhashiri (University of Wisconsin, Madison), an honorary member of the Section, was selected by the ACS Council in Atlanta as a candidate for 2007 President-Elect; he will be opposed by Bruce Bursten (University of Tennessee). In an earlier vote, Councilors selected Tom Gilbert (Northeastern University) and incumbent Anne O’Brien (Wyeth-Ayerst Research) as candidates for District I Director for a 2007-09 term. The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced in Atlanta the selection of six candidates for the three Director-at-Large positions that are open for a 2007-09 term, one of whom is Dorothy Phillips (Waters Corporation); the other candidates are Jack Breazeale (Francis Marion University), incumbent Dennis Chamot (National Research Council), Peter Dorhout (Colorado State University), Paul Jones (University of North Texas), and Valerie Kuck (Bell Laboratories).
• The ACS elections will be held in the fall. All ACS members will vote for President-Elect, members in District I will vote for its Director, and Councilors will vote for the Directors-at-Large.

Local Arrangements: M. Burgess

Last month was as usual, busy and somewhat disorganized, however, we had a good meeting.

There were 65 members at the Harvard Faculty Club.

Dr. Paula Hammond was our guest.

I do not have the count for this week, April 6, but I expect that it will be the usual plus or minus 100, which includes the Esselen Family

Education Committee: R. Tanner

NESACS Students Win Awards in Germany

Four undergraduates and eight graduate students represented the ACS and NESACS at the Eighth Young Scientists’ Conference on Chemistry (Frühjahrssymposium), which was organized by the Younger Chemists Committee (Jungchemikerforum-JCF) of the German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker-GDCh) in Konstanz, Germany, March 16-18, 2006. Dan Killelea, a graduate student in the Chemistry Department of Tufts University, received a third place award for his oral presentation. Killelea, a graduate student of Prof. Arthur Utz, spoke on “Controlling Surface Chemistry via Selective Excitation of Rovibrational States.”
Two other NESACS students received certificates citing the exceptional quality of their research posters: Vikki Tsefrikas, a graduate student in Prof. Lawrence Scott’s laboratory at Boston College, on “Progress Toward the First Chemical Synthesis of a Single Walled Nanotube” and Leland Johnson, a graduate student at Boston University with Prof. James Panek, on “Expansion of [4+2] Annulation Strategies.”

National Award for Chemvention Competition

It was announced at the Atlanta ACS meeting that the Bridgewater State College student affiliatewon the ACS Chemvention competition. This nationalaward was announced Sunday, March 26 at the ACSStudent Awards Ceremony attended by ACS chapter affiliates and advisors. The award was for the "Green Machine," a toy designed to teach chemical principles through green chemistry. The award includes a plaque, and check for $2,000 to be used for the purchase of computer equipment. The BSC "green team" includes Lindsay McDonald, Bethany Collins, and Sarah Lane.

“The Green Machine: A Toy That Illustrates Chemical Principles and Green Chemistry”

Bridgewater State College, ACS Green Chemistry Affiliate Chapter: Lindsay T. McDonald, Bethany C. Collins, and Sarah M. Lane Co-advisors: Dr. Ed Brush, Dr. Cielito De Ramos-King, and Dr. Frank Gorga

In addition, the student affiliate chapter from Northeastern was a finalist in the competition.

Connections to Chemistry Program

The Connections to Chemistry program was presented in the CHED poster session for the Atlanta ACS meeting and presented in a paper in the CHED Division. We have been requested to put together a package for the ACS education office that describes the program and its organization for them to use as a model nationwide.

Teacher Fulbright Awarded to Steve Lantos

Steve Lantos, the Chair of the Undergraduate Committee (Education Committee) has been chosen for a Teacher Fulbright award, sponsored by the Japan Fulbright memorial Fund. Participants will examine the Japanese Lesson Study of teacher collaboration, a method of opening up teachers' practice amongst colleagues.

Northeast Student Chemistry Research Conference

The 8th annual Northeast Student Chemistry Research Conference (NSCRC) is scheduled for

Saturday, April 22, 2006, 9am-4pm, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The conference will feature undergraduate and graduate speakers in addition to poster presentations. The keynote address will be given by Professor Daniel Nocera of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

NCW:Christine H. Jaworek-Lopes

The theme for NCW 2006 is Your Home – It’s All Built on Chemistry.

The NCW kick-off event will be held at Wellesley College on October 15, 2006 tentatively from 10 am – 4 pm. Bassam Shakhashiri will speak at the Phyllis A. Brauner Memorial Lectures.

A second event will be held at the Museum of Science on October 21, 2006 from 10 am – 2 pm.

Career Services: M. Chorghade

I was privileged to be elected the National Program Chair for the Division of Professional Relations (PROF) Three standing symposia have been added: these will be presented in conjunction with CEPA, IUPAC and Department of Career Services at all future National meetings

• “To Ph. D. or not to Ph. D.-A Guide to the Perplexed Student?"
• “What does it take to succeed in the Pharmaceutical industry?"
• "Careers in Chemistry-Are there alternatives to working at a laboratory bench?"
• Experts will discuss job prospects and career success for chemists at various degree levels and various professional levels. Panelists include several professionals from the Northeastern section. These will be Presidential events from the next meeting in San Francisco

Awards Committee: M. Hearn

For the 2006 Levins Memorial Prize, the Awards Committee is pleased to report that the recipient will be Mr. Xiaoxuan Shen, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of New Hampshire. The Levins Prize will be presented at the May meeting.

Corporate Fund-raising Report: Dorothy Phillips

The Corporate Fund-raising Committee is planning three main activities to supplement the 2006 NESACS budget.

2006 Fund-Raising Activities

1. 2nd Annual Golf-Tournament, June 1, 2006 at Stow Acres Country Club. Amy Tapper will again be the organizer of this event. Funds come from the actual event and from contributions made by companies ($8900 in 2005). (update by Amy Tapper)

1. 2nd NESACS Vendor Fair. The event will be held Thursday, September 28 with the Medicinal Chemistry meeting. Additional committee members are still needed to support this fund-raiser. A list of the 2004 participants is given below; please forward names and contacts for additional companies to invite to Dorothy Phillips.

1. Corporate Solicitation from current contributors (see list in Nucleus) and new scientific companies in geographical proximity to the Section. Letters and an updated brochure of NESACS programs will be sent to the companies. (~$4000 in 2005)

Please let Dorothy Phillips know if you would like to work on one of these events. Her email address is .

Table 1: 2004 Participants in Vendor Fair

Company / Address 1 / Address 2
Erlab, Inc. / 1980 Turnpike Street / No. Andover, MA 01845
USFilter / 10 Technology Drive / Lowell, MA 01851
ChemSilico / 48 Baldwin Street / Tewksbury, MA 01876
K-Force / 1001 East Palm Ave. / Tampa, FL 33605
also: / 10300 W. 103rd St., Ste. 101 / Overland Park, KS 66214
Strem Chemicals / 7 Mulliken Way / Newburyport, MA 01950-4098
Biotage / 1725 Discovery Drive / Charlottesville, VA 22911
Waters Corporation / 34 Maple Street / Milford, MA 01757-3696
Wilmark Group, Inc. / 20 William Street / Wellesley, MA 02481-3805
ESA, Inc. / 22 Alpha Road / Chelmsford, MA 01824-4171
Phasex Corp. / 360 Merrimack Street / Lawrence, MA 01843
Toxicon / 15 Wiggins Avenue / Bedford, MA 01730
Dionex / 1228 Tital Way / Sunnyvale, CA 94088
TransForm Pharm. / 29 Hartwell Avenue / Lexington, MA 02421
Mass. C/Pharmacy / 179 Longwood Avenue / Boston, MA 02115

COUNCILOR TALKING POINTS

SUMMARY OF GOVERNANCE ACTIONS/REPORTS

American Chemical Society

231st ACS National Meeting

Atlanta, GA

March 26-30, 2006

The following summary is provided to help councilors report to their local sections and divisions on key actions of the ACS Council and Board of Directors at the 2006 spring national meeting.

ACTIONS OF THE COUNCIL

Election Results

• The Committee on Nominations and Elections presented to the Council the following nominees for selection as candidates for President-Elect, 2007: Bruce E. Bursten, Richard Eisenberg, Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, and Matthew V. Tirrell. By written ballot the Council selected Bruce E. Bursten and Bassam Z. Shakhashiri as candidates for 2007 President-Elect. These two candidates will stand for election in the Fall National Election.

• The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the results of the election to select candidates from the list of nominees to represent District I and District V on the Board of Directors for the term 2007-2009. Nominees for District I included: D. Richard Cobb, Thomas R. Gilbert, Peter C. Jurs, and Anne T. O’Brien. Nominees for District V included John E. Adams, Judith L. Benham, Richard S. Givens, and Josef Michl. By mail ballot the Council selected Thomas R. Gilbert and Anne T. O’Brien as District I candidates; and as District V candidates, John E. Adams and Judith L. Benham. Ballots will be mailed on or before October 10 to all members in District I and District V for election of a Director for each District.

Candidates for Directors-at-Large

• The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the selection of the following candidates for Directors-at-Large for a 2007-2009 term: William H. (Jack) Breazeale, Jr., Dennis Chamot, Peter K. Dorhout, Paul R. Jones, Valerie J. Kuck, and Dorothy J. Phillips. The election of three Directors-at-Large will be conducted in the fall. Two candidates will fill the 2007-2009 term, and one will fill a two-year vacancy for 2007-2008 created by the resignation of Director-at-Large James D. Burke (effective December 31, 2006). Ballots will be mailed to the Council on or before October 10.

Committee Review

• As part of a regular review, the Council VOTED to continue the Committee on Admissions and the Committee on Professional Training. The Committee on Admissions has the power to interpret and apply the requirements for membership, including determining status of applicants educated in foreign countries. The Committee on Professional Training promotes and assists in the development of high standards of excellence in all aspects of post-secondary chemical education, and undertakes studies important to their maintenance.

The Society’s Finances

• The Society ended 2005 with a net contribution from operations of $11.6 million, which was $9.1 million favorable to the approved budget. The favorable variance was primarily attributable to higher-than-budgeted print and electronic information services revenue and investment income, as well as expense savings from staff vacancies and reductions in information technology spending. The Society also realized $21.0 million in investment gains. In total, unrestricted net assets increased just over $26 million in 2005 to $211 million, and the Society ended 2005 in full compliance with the Board-established financial guidelines.

Registration Report

• As of March 28, 2006, the ACS spring national meeting had attracted 12,546 registrants as follows: Regular attendees 6,323; Students 4,158; Exhibitors 1,288; Exposition only 413; and Guests 364.

Society Initiatives

• Many ACS committees and councilor caucuses discussed and/or provided input into three key Society initiatives:

1. The Society’s new vision statement: “Improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry,” which resulted from the input of several thousand ACS members, was unveiled and discussed at this meeting.

1. The Board-Council Policy Committee Governance Review Task Force was charged with reviewing the Society’s governance, and Constitution and Bylaws, to ensure that the Society has a governing framework to enable it to best fulfill its mission, meet member needs, and remain a world-class organization. The task force developed a framework that emphasized five key elements of the Society’s governance, which are: membership, geographical organization, disciplinary organization, governance structure, and governance operations.

1. A Program Review Advisory Group (PRAG) has been established to assist the Committee on Budget and Finance in reviewing all programs of the Society (with some exemptions) on a periodic and regular basis. The PRAG consists of councilors, members of the Board of Directors, members of the Committee on Budget and Finance, and representatives from the committees with oversight over the programs under review in a given year.

Member Statistics

• ACS closed 2005 with 158,422 members, reversing a 4-year downward trend in Society membership. Of the 15,532 applications processed in 2005, nearly 900 came from the Member-Get-A-Member campaign, in which many councilors participated. The membership retention number remained stable at 92.4%.

Special Discussion

• A special discussion item was put on the Council agenda for this meeting. The discussion focused on membership – specifically, the requirements for ACS membership, and whether they should be made more or less restrictive, or kept the same. ACS President E. Ann Nalley invited the co-chairs of the Board-Council Policy Committee Governance Review Task Force, James D. Burke and William F. Carroll, to help frame the discussion by presenting the results of a councilor survey on ACS membership requirements.

2006 Member Dues