Reprising 2011, our St Louis Section again plays host to the ACS Midwest Regional Meeting, again jointly with the Great Lakes Region (co-hosted by the East Central Illinois local section).
The meeting, October 18–21 at the St Charles Convention Center, takes the theme “Scale Up Your STEM.”
Technical program
- Oral and poster sessions in all major chemistry topical areas
- 25 special symposia will showcase recent results in cutting-edge research
With up to 12 concurrent sessions throughout the meeting, you are sure to find presentations and activities of interest. One of the highlights of the meeting will be a plenary talk on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. given by the 2023 recipient of the ACS Midwest Award, Gary Patti from Washington University in St. Louis.
The meeting will kick off with a special event Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. highlighting the attraction, training, and retention of talent in the regional bioscience sector. Learn about ongoing efforts in academia, industry, and workforce development that are turning this region into an area where chemistry professionals want to live and work. “Don’t Flyover — Land (in St.
Louis)” will bring together panelists from across the region to share their stories, successes, and ongoing challenges. A networking reception will follow.
ACS communications personnel will offer a “Trust in Science” workshop on Friday 1:30–5:15 p.m.
ACS career consultant (and St Louis Section career services coordinator) Lisa Balbes will lead a workshop, “Acing the Interview: Setting Yourself Up for Success in an Interview,” and will offer individual résumé reviews.
A Small Chemical Business (SCB) roundtable discussion is scheduled for Friday morning.
Exposition
A Wednesday evening reception and poster session will kick off the exposition. Vendors will display new equipment, accessories, and supplies. This is a great opportunity to learn about the latest products on the market. The expo will continue on Thursday 8:15 a.m.–5:15 p.m. and on Friday 8:15 a.m.–noon.
Exhibitors who have not yet reserved space can find an application on the meeting’s website.
Undergraduate programming
Just for you, just before the expo grand opening, undergraduates can join in an Undergraduate Ice Cream Social on Wednesday 5:30–7:00 p.m.
If you are undecided about what to do after you complete your undergraduate degree, we have programming that could provide some guidance. Various sessions on career path options will be available, including presentations on Saint Louis start-ups on Thursday afternoon and a career panel on Friday afternoon. Several sessions of a graduate school fair will take place throughout the meeting to minimize schedule conflicts.
Graduate programs that have not yet reserved space can find an application on the meeting’s website.
High school teacher programming
In addition to the Thursday and Friday technical sessions, which include symposia on recent research in chemical education, you are the target audience for the Saturday morning mini-symposium and workshop titled “Laboratory Safety for the High School Chemistry Lab”. This event particularly emphasizes the storage and management of chemicals in the high school setting.
Workshop materials will build on the free ACS online course “Foundations for Storing, Organizing and Disposing of Chemicals in Educational Settings”.
Awards
Several awards will be presented at the meeting for both the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. These include
- the Stanley C Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences
- the E Ann Nalley Regional Award for Volunteer Service to ACS
- the Division of Chemical Education Region Awards for Excellence in High School Teaching
- the ACS Partners for Progress and Prosperity Award
- and the ACS Midwest Award (reception immediately following)
The Awards Banquet will take place Thursday evening, and registration is required.
Social events
You are also invited to sign up for the Diversity Luncheon on Thursday, featuring a panel of minority business leaders, and the Mentoring Luncheon on Friday, to learn about mentoring, coaching, and networking.
The Younger Chemists Committee is hosting a “Cocktails with Chemists” event on Thursday evening. No matter what your age, you are invited to join for great conversation and networking. The first beverage is complementary.
Registration
Early-bird registration for the meeting and for the reservation-only special events ends at 11:59 p.m. (CDT) September 27, but on-site registration will be open throughout the meeting. If you have any question, please contact the meeting General Chairs, Susan Hartmann and José Andino, via info@mwrm2023.org.
Adapted from an article by Leah O’Brien and Nina Notman, originally published in Chemical & Engineering News.
“Computers and the physics of complex biological systems”
