Chemical Bond, December 2014

December 2014

LDF Workshop expounds on emotional intelligence

The Leadership Development Forum (LDF) series continues to draw good crowds of both section members and non-members alike who are seeking to improve their skills as leaders.

The workshop on Emotional Intelligence and the Power to Lead was held on November 18 at The Edge of Webster Groves next to Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, a follow-up to the October 23 seminar on the same topic.

It started off with dinner from Honey Baked Ham provided by Mallinckrodt. After dinner Eric Bruton, chair of the LDF committee, started by speaking briefly on the local Section’s activities and goals and then about the LDF’s purpose for organizing these events. Then he introduced our workshop leader, Deborah Lee, Associate Consultant at CMA Business Consultants.

Deborah reviewed a little about emotional intelligence from the seminar and then got the group started on activities from a booklet that was handed out as members arrived. After the workshop a raffle was held to give away a $10 gift card. Many stayed to network and to fill out a survey about the event. Slides from the two speakers at the seminar and the booklet of workshop activities can be downloaded, so you can see what you missed (if you didn’t go).

Still time to reserve: Continuity Dinner 2014

Thanksgiving is just a dim memory; you need another banquet (right?). Reservations are open through December 8 for the dinner on December 11.

The December Board of Directors meeting is also our Continuity Dinner, a fancier than usual affair to celebrate the year’s achievements, recognize certain members, announce the Distinguished Service Award (conferred in March), and pass the gavel to the incoming section officers. And then there is the Henry Godt Memorial Lecture, given by a surprise speaker, which lightly and briefly (we promise: briefly) recaps the year-in-chemistry-in-St-Louis. If you’re not a regular ACS meeting attendee, come renew or create acquaintances.

There will be a General Meeting of the Section to vote on … well, come and find out. And there are almost always some new and old members whom we see only at this event. So come!

December 11, 2014
Océano Bistro, 44 N Brentwood Blvd, Clayton, MO 63105 (free parking at meters after 5 pm)

5:30 Social hour, cash bar
6:30 Meeting and Dinner

Cost of dinner is $25. Please register by Dec 8: contact Leah O’Brien (618.650.3562 or lobrien@siue.edu)

Election results

We hope you didn’t stay up all night on October 31 to hear the results of the local section election. If you did, you now know we don’t work that way. But the results are now certified, so here they are.

Chair-elect: In this contested election for chair-elect, Joe Ackerman won over John Mihelcic. Joe now enters the “chair succession” as chair-elect next year, chair in 2016, and as immediate past chair in 2017. Thanks to both candidates for their interest in leading the section and for running a clean campaign.

All of the other elective positions were filled by unopposed candidates:

Secretary: Natalie LaFranzo

Treasurer: Vic Lewchenko

Councilor (three-year term): Donna Friedman

Alternate Councilor (three-year term): Hal Harris

Director (two-year term): Jeff Cornelius, Bill Doub, Steve Kinsley, Brent Znosko

Seeking retirees eager to make an educational impact

One of the most popular outreach programs sponsored by the St Louis ACS section is Chemistry is pHun! Sheryl Loux, who runs this program unopposed (kind of like most of our elections) in West County school districts, is seeking a retiree to take over this rewarding program or to offer programs in far-flung school districts. If you are interested in early science education, you can make a huge difference; please contact Sheryl J Loux by email, sjloux@gmail.com or phone 636.237.5149 to discuss. Training is available.

2014 Program Impact

The twenty-four Chemistry is pHun programs in calendar year 2014 — all given by Sheryl — have impacted 822 students in 10 or more schools. Program activity for the 2014-2015 school year has started strongly this fall. The program modules offered by Sheryl are “States of Matter”, “Chemistry is pHun”, “What is Matter?”, “Using the Scientific Method for a Science Fair Project”, and “Polymers are Marvelous Molecules”. Sheryl thanks Don Sartor and Amy Kerkemeyer for helping with some programs.

The “States of Matter” program is designed for elementary students and is popular in 2nd- and 3rd-grade classes. States of matter are explored with solid, liquid, and gas states of mainly water, demonstrating the addition or release of energy in the form of heat when changing physical states. Examples of plasma are mentioned and “Gluep” is made to show a substance that has properties of both liquids and solids.

Another program for grades K-3 is “What is Matter?” introduces the periodic table of elements and has kids constructing water molecules with marshmallows and toothpicks.

“Using the Scientific Method for a Science Fair Project” is designed for grades 5-8. “Polymers are Marvelous Molecules” includes DNA extraction from strawberries, and is suitable for grades 7-12.

Of the 822 students participating this calendar year, 610 students enjoyed the “States of Matter” program, 160 students have enjoyed the “Chemistry is pHun” program, and 52 students extracted DNA in the “Polymers are Marvelous Molecules” activity.

Nominate for awards

Repeating from last month … nominations are still open …

… for two awards that recognize excellence outside the mainstream of PhD-level industrial/academic/institutional chemistry: the Chemical Science & Technology award for non-terminal–degree holders and the High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year award for … well … high school chemistry teachers. Read about ’em below, think about people you know who might be deserving, and then act.

The Chemical Science & Technology Award

The Saint Louis Chemical Science & Technology Award is presented to a chemist in the St Louis area who has demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and scientific contribution. Criteria used to judge the award include technical proficiency, presentations, coaching/teamwork, and additional professional activities.

The award will consist of a plaque, a $500 honorarium, and dinner for the awardee and a guest at the annual Recognition Night.

To be eligible, the nominee should have an Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s Degree in chemistry or a chemistry-related curriculum. The nominee need not be a St Louis Section–ACS member to be eligible. Letters of nomination must be received by December 19, 2014. The nominating letter should address the criteria above. A current work address, phone number and email address must be provided for each nominee.

To submit a nomination, contact the Chemical Science & Technology Award coordinator:

Adrienne Mazdra
phone 314.513.4035
email amazdra@stlcc.edu

The High School Science Teacher-of-the-Year Award

The St Louis Section–ACS is seeking nominations for the 2014 High School Chemistry Teaching Award. This award is to recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding teachers of high school chemistry within the St Louis Section. The award winner will receive a $500 check and a plaque, presented at an awards dinner and program next April.

Please consider nominating a teacher in the Greater St Louis Area who exemplifies excellence in the teaching of high school chemistry. The nomination packet must include the following items:

From the Nominee:

1. the Nominee Information Form
2. your current teaching assignment including course titles and grade levels. What is your involvement in extracurricular activities?
3. on a separate sheet, a statement of not more than 500 words in which you present your teaching philosophy or otherwise describe your commitment to the profession.
4. a curriculum vitae or résumé that includes a list of honors, professional activities, and additional evidence of service to the profession; limited to no more than two pages of activities within the last five years.

From the Nominator:

5. the Nominator Information Form
6. nominator recommendation of not more than 1,000 words. This statement should clearly demonstrate as many of the following attributes as possible:
   · the quality of the nominee’s teaching: unusually effective methods of presentation should be emphasized
   · the nominee’s ability to challenge and inspire students
   · extracurricular work in chemistry or a chemical science by the nominee, including science fairs, science clubs, and activities that stimulate the interest of young people in chemistry and related sciences
   · a willingness to keep up-to-date in the field, as evidenced by the pursuit of a higher degree in chemistry or a chemical science, enrollment in refresher courses and summer institutes, regular attendance at scientific meetings, membership in professional organizations, and other means of self-improvement
   · evidence of leadership or active involvement within the profession
7. at least one, but not more than three, letters of support; one must be from the teacher’s current principal or supervisor. Additional letters of support may be sent by colleagues, members of the American Chemical Society who are familiar with the nominee’s achievements, or former students and parents of former students.

Please submit the nomination packet by December 10, 2013. The nomination packet may be submitted electronically or by snail mail to Kathleen Dwyer, ACS High School Teaching Award Chair:

Kathleen Dwyer
Maplewood Richmond Heights High School
7539 Manchester Road
Maplewood, MO 63143
kathleen.dwyer@mrhschools.net

Board of Directors

St Louis Section–ACS Board of Directors meets the second Thursday of each month, usually at the Glen Echo Country Club (map and driving directions). Meetings are open to all members, and all are encouraged to attend. Elected officers and chairs of major committees vote on questions put to the Board; others in attendance have voice but no vote.

If you want to attend for dinner, please contact the section Chair at least a week in advance. Usual cost of the dinner is $21 ($12 for post-docs and unemployed members). Bar service and dessert are optional extras. Members wishing to become active in section activities are welcomed for their first dinner as guests of the section.

Date: Dec 11 (see above for special location and reservation info)
Social hour, cash bar: 5:30 pm
Business meeting: 6:30 pm (suspended for dinner when served)
Future meetings: Jan 8, Feb 12

Saint Louis University

Seminars are on Fridays at 12 noon in Carlo Auditorium, Tegeler Hall, unless noted otherwise. Refreshments follow. For more information, contact Jim Edwards, jedward5@slu.edu.

Dec 4
Derek Pratt, University of Ottawa
TBA (research area: free-radical oxidation of lipids in development of degenerative diseases)

University of Missouri–St Louis

Mondays at 4 pm in 451 Benton Hall, unless otherwise specified. Refreshments 15 minutes prior to seminar time. For more information, contact the Chemistry Department, 314.516.5311.

Dec 1
George W Gokel, University of Missouri–St Louis
TBA

Dec 8
Patrick L Holland, Yale University
Nitrogen fixation using low-coordinate iron complexes

Washington University

Seminars are in McMillen 311 at 4 pm unless otherwise noted. For information, contact: Liviu Mirica, mirica@wustl.edu.

As of publication time, no seminars were scheduled for this month.

The Chemical Bond is published at www.stlacs.org January through May and September through December by the St Louis Section–American Chemical Society. If you would like to receive email notification when each issue is posted, you can subscribe to our email list and join the “Chemical Bond reminders” group.

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