Volume 56 September, 2013 Number 3 The CSRA Chemist Savannah River Section of the American Chemical Society I n s i d e T h i s I s s u e Activities Calendar...page 2 Local Elections...page 3 Adopt-a-Highway...page 3 50/60 Year Recognition Luncheon...page 3 October Dinner Meeting...page 4 Strategic Plan...page 5 NCW Volunteer Opportunities...page 7 Younger Chemist Committee...page 8 Travel Grants and Awards...page 10
Activities Calendar Date Time Location Description Sept 8-12 Indianapolis, IN Fall ACS Meeting Sept 21 11:30 am Malia s Restaurant, Aiken, SC 50/60 Year Member Recognition Oct 8 USC Aiken YCC Webinar Oct 9 6:00 pm Woodside Country Club, Aiken, SC Dinner Meeting Oct TBD TBD National Chemistry Week Oct 26-29 Atlanta, GA SERMACS Nov 2 9:30am Country Inn & Suites, Aiken, SC Adopt-A-Highway Dec TBD TBD Holiday Dinner Meeting September 8-12, 2013 Indianapolis, Indiana 2
Local News Local Elections Adopt-a-Highway From October 1st until October 24th the ballot will be open for the election of Local Section members to the positions of: Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Councilor. Nominations of members to serve in these positions will be accepted until 5 pm, September 19th, 2013. 50/60 Year ACS Member Recognition In recognition of our members who have served ACS for 50 and 60 years in 2013,the Section will be hosting a luncheon at Malia s Restaurant in Downtown Aiken on September 21st at 11:30AM. If you would like to attend please let Lindsay Sexton (lindsay.sexton@srnl.doe.gov or 803-725-8869) know by Thursday, September 18th. The section will pick up the tab for our 50/60 year members. ACS-SR is continuing to participate in the South Carolina Adopt-a-Highway Program. ACS-SR is committed to maintaining a one mile section of highway located in Aiken County (Whiskey Rd. near the Country Inn & Suites). The August pick-up was canceled due to the rain! A clean-up is currently scheduled for November 2. We are currently looking for volunteers for the November 2 clean-up! We will meet at 9:30 AM at the Country Inn & Suites parking lot, and the clean-up will be followed by an informal social gathering, sponsored by ACS-SR. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sophie Meissner at sophie.meissner@ srnl.doe.gov or 803-725-2034. The members to be recognized are: (50 years) Alf Danzie; Robert O. Rau; Robert Wayne Taylor (60 years) William Robert McDonell; James C. McPherson 3
October Dinner Meeting Local News ACS-SR will host our fall dinner meeting on October 9, 2013. The meeting will be held at Woodside Country Club at 6 P.M. The cost will be $30.00 per person ($25.00 for students). To RSVP please contact Lindsay Sexton at Lindsay.Sexton@ srnl.doe.gov or 803-725-8869. Menu: Salad Assorted bread rolls Entrée choice: Chicken Picatta or Salmon Provencial (Vegetarian option also available by request) Chef s choice of starch and vegetable Apple pie Coffee, tea and water (Additional beverages for charge) Topic: Where Everything Comes From: Industrial Chemistry 101 How does chemistry get from the oil well to the Organic text book? How do we manufacture literally trillions of pounds of chemicals each year? Why do we make more sulfuric acid than any other chemical? And more importantly, where do all these pounds go? This presentation explores the sources of chemicals and the major processes that transform them into products that make modern life possible. Special attention is paid to the 100 largest volume chemicals manufactured and the taxonomy, ecology and interdependence of chemicals, processes and industries. And by the way it doesn t all come from the oil well or the organic text book. 4 The guest speaker will be Dr. William F. Carroll, Jr. Bill holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. He received an M.S. from Tulane University in New Orleans, and a B.A. in chemistry and physics from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. He is currently Vice President, Industry Issues for Occidental Chemical Corporation and also Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Indiana. Bill is Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Chemical Society, and also a Past President (2005). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a member of the advisory board for the Tulane School of Science and Engineering. In 2009 he was chair of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
Strategic Plan ACS-SR held a strategic planning session, attended by a cross-section of the membership and led by members of the ACS-National Extraordinary Leaders training team. From this session we developed a Vision of what the Section should be doing, a Mission of how to achieve that Vision, a set of specific Goals that relate to the Mission, and a set of activities to be held during 2013-2014 that will lead to the accomplishment of the Goal. Each activity has a champion and each champion is looking for volunteers to assist them in making the activity a success. As the activities and goals are completed additional activities and goals will be implemented. I encourage each member of the section to consider how they could contribute to the Section s plan, to feel free to contact that Goal s champion and assist in some small way. Details of the strategic plan will be hosted on the web-page and one of the officers will be happy to answer additional questions. The Vision of the ACS-SR is to enhance the quality of life in the CSRA by spreading knowledge and excitement for chemistry. The three pronged Mission of the ACS-SR to achieve this Vision is to: a. Improve our community through educational and outreach programs b. Protect our environment through ethical and responsible chemistry c. Provide a networking and collaboration platform for local chemical professionals The initial three Goals of the ACS-SR to fulfill this Mission are: 1. Increase active volunteer participation by 50% from current levels (30 people currently). 2. Improve community and educational outreach programs and expand communication initiatives in the CSRA. 3. Expand personal and professional services to local section members. 5
Strategic Plan The Activities to Reach Goal 1 (Increase volunteers) are: 1. Evaluate current volunteer levels Ricardo Torres (ricardo.torres@srnl.doe.gov) 2. Hold ACS-SR orientation socials Tad Whiteside (tad.whiteside@srnl.doe.gov) 3. Use technology to recruit/schedule volunteers Chris Klug (cklug@gru.edu) 4. Establish student chapters at the local universities Gerard Rowe (gerardr@usca.edu) The Activities to Reach Goal 2 (Improve ACS-SR programming and community communication) are: 1. Evaluate and prioritize section programs Lindsay Sexton (lindsay.sexton@srnl.doe.gov) 2. Create scientific articles for publication in the Metro-Spirit Chris Bannochie (cj.bannochie@srnl.doe.gov) 3. Conduct informational meeting with local school boards Neera Young (neera.young@ccboe.net) The Activities to Reach Goal 3 (Expand services to members) are: 1. Host an ACS Career Consultant who will review resumes Glenn Fugate (glenn.fugate@srnl.doe.gov) 2. Host an ACS Acing the Interview course Chris Bannochie (cj.bannochie@srnl.doe.gov) 3. Create a career services area on ACS-SR website Gerard Rowe (gerardr@usca.edu) 6
Volunteer Opportunities Needed: National Chemistry Week Illustrated Poetry Contest Coordinator Works with local schools/students in organizing the NCW Illustrated Poetry Contest. The coordinator would begin contacting schools now. If received in time, entries will be displayed at the Augusta Fairgrounds during the Georgia-Carolina State Fair in October. The deadline for submittal of winners to ACS is typically the end of October. Needed: Assistant Coordinator/ Aiken for National Chemistry Week 2013. Work with last year s coordinator to make 2013 our best event yet. National Chemistry Week promotes science by offering hands-on chemistry experiments for children and tools for their parents. You would be assisting in planning the experiment, working with venues, and would have the main responsibility at the Aiken events. Playing with kids, laughing, and T-shirts are all just bonuses. Tentative event dates are Oct 12, 19, and 26th but we d like to start planning now. There s some work involved but it s a lot of fun too. Contact Linda Youmans-McDonald 803-952-7885 or ldyoumans@gmail.com if you are interested. 7
YCC In August, the Younger Chemist Committee (YCC) was invited back to the Children s Hospital of Georgia for the second consecutive year to perform our kitchen chemistry experiments with patients, families, and staff. The children (and adults) enjoyed getting messy with corn starch goo, home-made slime, and an erupting volcano. This year, the YCC was fortunate to receive a generous donation of supplies from a benefactor of the Salvation Army of North Augusta. The YCC plans to use the funds that had been set aside for these supplies to purchase children s safety glasses to use and give away at future events/demonstrations. Several YCC members also enjoyed an Augusta Greenjackets baseball game and fireworks on August 2nd, which was a great opportunity to socialize and relax before the busy fall season ahead. ACS-SR YCC member volunteers (complete with homemade slime) with our host, Child Life Specialist Jami Wolfe (center), at the Children s Hospital of Georgia. Generous donation of Kitchen Chemistry supplies from the Salvation Army of North Augusta. Items included baking soda, vinegar, corn starch, food coloring, dish detergent, Elmer s glue, Play-Doh, etc. The venue Lake Olmstead Stadium Home of the Green- Jackets The gang Grand Finale: Friday night fireworks show 8
ACS Webinar YCC The YCC will be hosting a second ACS Webinar this year on Tuesday, October 8th at USC-Aiken. The webinar, Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Managing Your Paper and Online Resumes, will be geared toward local undergraduate and graduate students getting ready to enter the job market. Join us as Director of ACS Careers, Dr. David Harwell, shares easy-to-follow tips that will make your resume stand out from the crowd, followed by a live Q&A with a distinguished panel of recruiters and employment specialists.this is a free event that will include refreshments and prizes, a great way to kick-off the new school year! For more information, contact Katie Heroux at Katie.Heroux@srnl.doe.gov. Dr. David Harwell, Director of ACS Careers 9
Grants & Awards Savannah River Section Undergraduate Travel Grant The Savannah River Section of the American Chemical Society will be giving a $500 travel grant to an undergraduate student attending a spring or fall regional or national ACS meeting or other scientific conference. Students must fill out a nomination form and submit it before the deadline of November 1st. Winners will be chosen based on the application submitted. A student does not have to be a presenting a paper or poster in order to apply but preference will be given to presenters. Please contact Tad Whiteside, tad. whiteside@srnl.doe.gov for an application packet. Awards ACS has many scholarships and awards available. If you need funding, please visit: http://www.acs.org/content/acs/ en/funding-and-awards.html to explore the various awards available. Remember that many of the technical divisions offer scholarships as well and the competition for these monies is not extremely competitive. If you have a question or need assistance please contact Tad Whiteside, tad.whiteside@ srnl.doe.gov for additional help. 10
The CSRA Chemist Executive Committee - 2012 Chair Dr. Ricardo Torres 803-725-9269 Chair-Elect/Program Chair Dr. Lindsay Sexton 803-725-8869 Imm. Past-Chair Dr. Tad Whiteside 803-725-8267 Secretary Dr. Matthew Wellons 803-725-0412 Treasurer Dr. Lewis Baylor 803-652-7270 Councilor Dr. Chris Bannochie 803-725-8088 Alternate Councilor Dr. Alice Murray 803-725-0440 Elections Dr. Tad Whiteside 803-725-8267 Hospitality Membership Dr. Kathryn Taylor-Pashow 803-725-8215 Projects Coordinator Ms. Linda Youmans-McDonald 803-952-7885 Publicity Ms. Sophie Meissner 803-725-2034 YCC Chair Dr. Katie Heroux 803-514-0472 Publications Editor Dr. Maria Kriz 803-725-9454 Please feel free to contact us by phone or email: ACS-SR acssavannahriver@gmail.com The CSRA Chemist: This newsletter is published approximately six times per year by the Savannah River Section of the American Chemical Society. Circulation is 300 per issue. Opinions expressed by the editor or contributors do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Section. Mailing Address: Savannah River Section - American Chemical Society, c/o Dr. Maria Kriz, Savannah River National Laboratory, Building 735-11A, Aiken, SC 29808. All newsletter articles should submitted by e-mail to maria.kriz@srnl.doe.gov. Meeting Announcements: The CSRA Chemist will announce scientific meetings of interest to chemists and chemical engineers (when space is available). For information and deadlines, contact Maria Kriz. Change of Address: On the web at http://www.acs.org; by telephone at 800-333-9511; by email: service@acs.org. The Local Section receives roster updates on a monthly basis from ACS National. 11
American Chemical Society Savannah River Section c/o Dr. Maria Kriz Savannah River National Laboratory Building 735-11A Aiken, SC 29808 Please Do Not Delay - Contains Dated Announcements Receive The CSRA Chemist by e-mail: send a request to: kathryn.taylor-pashow@srnl.doe.gov ACS-SR Home Page - http://www.acs-sr.org