Chemical Bond — February 2015

Vol. 66, No. 2, February 2015

Recognition Night March 7, 2015

Join us on March 7th, 2015 as we celebrate and recognize those with 50 and 60 years of membership in the ACS. We also present the 2015 Distinguished Service Award for the St. Louis Section to Myron Reese, who has been active in High School Chemistry Awards and High School Chemistry Contest. Past Chairs of the St Louis Section will be honored, and the immediate Past Chair of the Section Jim O’Brien will give an entertaining after-dinner talk.

Maggiano’s Little Italy is across Brentwood Blvd from Saint Louis Galleria (map).

Agenda:
6:00 – Reception/social hour
6:45 – Dinner
7:45 – Program: • Past Chair’s Address • Introduction of 50- and 60-year members • Distinguished Service Award presentation

Please RSVP by March 2 to:
Pegah R Jalili, Chair of the St Louis Section–ACS, with the following information:

Name(s) ______________________________________________________
Number attending ______ × $30 each = amount remitted $_______

Make checks payable to St Louis Section–ACS, and mail to:
Vic Lewchenko
354 Larkhill Ct
Webster Groves, MO 63119

The Budget for 2015 has been approved

As is the case every year, the January board meeting was devoted primarily to discussion of budget items for the 2015 year of governance, service, and outreach activities. The Board thanks the committee chairs for preparing budget requests that were reasonable and justifiable, and to the Steering Committee for putting it all together.

If you are new to perusing this annual Bond item, note that modest deficit is usually budgeted at the beginning of the year. But not to worry, the actual spend almost always is less than budgeted, leaving enough to break even or better. This is evident by reviewing the budget and actual spend for 2014. There is enough history of this happening that the practice is considered safe by the highly risk-averse financial moguls in the Section.

With but a few minor adjustments, the full budget was passed by acclamation.

Income	2015 Budget	2014 Actual	2014 Budget
Affiliate dues	$10	$20	$10
Member dues	$12,500	$12,345	$12,500
National ACS allotment	$14,379	$14,379	$14,379
Other general income	—	—	—
New Members	$200	$200	$200
Total Income	$27,107	$26,962	$27,107
Expenses	2015 Budget	2014 Actual	2014 Budget
Officers
Chair	$280	$10	$280
Chair travel	$500	—	$500
Chair-elect	$570	$472	$570
Chair-elect travel	$360	$106	$360
Past Chair	—	—	—
Past Chair travel	$800	$1033	$800
Secretary	$1100	$1107	$800
Treasurer	$250	$86	$250
Officers subtotal	$3,860	$2,814	$3,560
Other expenses
Board meeting expenses	$1,200	$1,138	$1,200
Councilor’s travel	$5,000	$2,950	$5,000
Other expenses subtotal	$6,200	$4,088	$6,200
Awards Committee	$8,400	$5,404	$8,150
Education Committee	$5,200	$3,839	$5,025
Professional Activities Committee	$5,935	$4,262	$5,695
Publicity & Public Relations Committee	$550	($252)	$550
Special events	$1,850	$1,841	$1,500
Total expenses	$34,495	$23,193	$33,180
Surplus/(Deficit)	($6,988)	$3,769	($6,079)

Call for Nominations for the 2015 ACS Midwest Award

Your assistance is solicited in identifying candidates for the 2015 Midwest Award.

The St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society established the ACS Midwest Award in 1944 to recognize the outstanding achievements an individual made in chemistry in the Midwest Region. The award is conferred annually on a scientist who has made meritorious contributions to the advancement of pure or applied chemistry, chemical education, and the profession of chemistry. The contributions must have been made during a period of residence in the geographical area defined by the territories of the Local Sections that participate in the Midwest Regional Meeting of the ACS. These 17 Sections are listed in the programs for Midwest Regional Meetings (or call me to confirm eligibility). Nominees can work in industry, academia, government, or in private practice – they need not be members of the ACS.

The 2015 Midwest Award will be presented at the 50th Midwest Regional ACS Meeting to be held in St. Joseph, MO, October 21-24, 2015. Ceremonies feature a Midwest Award Symposium and the Midwest Award Lecture. The Award consists of a medallion and a cash honorarium; it is presented by the St. Louis Section Chair at the Midwest Awards Banquet. Conditions of this Award include that the recipient gives the Midwest Award Lecture, and attends the Midwest Awards Banquet; both events usually occur on the Thursday of the Midwest Regional Meeting – October 22, 2015 this year.

Nominations should consist of: a nominating letter for the nominee and two or more seconding letters; a CV for the nominee; a brief biography for the nominee; and documented and objective information regarding the outstanding achievements of the nominee. If the nominee is an academician, a list of persons who have received advanced degrees under her or his direction should be provided. Activities that support the ACS in the Midwest Region constitute an added criterion. Please submit nominations electronically via a single pdf file to the e-mail address given below. All nominations must be received on or before the deadline, Monday March 31, 2015.
If you have questions, please contact Jim O’Brien or call (314) 757-5717 (cell).

Nominations should be directed to:

Dr. Jim O’Brien,
E-Mail address: obrien@jinx.umsl.edu
2015 ACS Midwest Award Coordinator, and
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Missouri-St. Louis
One University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63121

STL Section of ACS Career Day

St Louis Section of the American Chemical Society
and the
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Chemistry & Biochemistry Department

January 26, 2015
Dear Science Educator,

We invite you and your students to Career Day sponsored by the American Chemical Society. This is to be held at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department. The date for this event is uncertain at this time. UMSL’s preference is Friday, May 8th, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. but we are open to other suggestions. In recent years, the date selected corresponded to a test taking week for many schools. Please let Jim O’Brien know of a better date if May 8th is not appropriate – this assumes your school would come at the other preferred time.

Our aim is to introduce your students to careers involving chemistry and biochemistry and have them witness activities in those areas. The event includes tours of research laboratories and instrument facilities, and Chemistry Demonstrations (by UMSL’s Chemistry Club). A lunch (pizza, etc.) starting at about 11:30 a.m. concludes the event. In a brief introduction, Just What is Chemistry will be considered and available career options will be summarized – chemistry and biochemistry are very much “central sciences” and careers such as ones in healthcare also involve these disciplines. In the tour, research in biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry will be featured and major instruments to be shown and demonstrated include X-ray Diffraction, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Mass Spectrometry and Electron Microscopy.

Your school schedule is likely already very crowded, but please consider how valuable this experience may be for your students as they consider their future career options.

• Please respond by e-mail with a better date if May 8, 2015 is not suitable by Friday February 20, 2015.
• If May 8th is selected, respond to Michelle Haley (516-5311, e-mail haleym@umsl.edu by April 24, 2015 to inform us that you will attend.
• Please let us know how many students will accompany you so that complete arrangements for food and setting up tour groups may be made.
• For those who can attend, additional information will be provided subsequently by e-mail. Please include an e-mail address in your response to this invitation.
• We again are contacting science educators by e-mail rather than by traditional mailing.
• Please note: our budget for this event does not include the cost of transportation for attendees but free parking will be provided.
• Additional details concerning the program that is planned can be obtained from Keith Stine or Jim O’Brien; their contact information is given below.

Yours sincerely,

Keith Stine email Keith Stine or call (314) 516-5346
or
Jim O’Brien email Jim O’Brien or call (314) 516-5717

Recruiting Science Fair Judges

You can be a science fair judge for the St. Louis Section’s Science Fair Chemistry Awards!

Volunteer by contacting Sheryl J. Loux at sjloux@gmail.com or (636-237-5149)

2015 Fairs the American Chemical Society (ACS) St. Louis Section are judging:

• 1) Missouri Tri- County Regional Science and Engineering FairSt. Charles Community College,
  College Student Center
  on Saturday, February 21, 2015.
  Judging from 9 AM-Noon.
  K-4 participation awards distributed.
  Judging: 5-8 grades, 9-12 grades, Honors 9-12.
  Free Judges breakfast 8-9 AM.
• 2) Illnois Junior Academy of Sciences Regional Science FairSIUE Regional Science Fair! Saturday, March 28, 2015
  in the Morris University Center (#8 on campus map, park in lot E),
  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE),
  Edwardsville, IL 62026

  The SIUE regional fair hosts over 200 of the finest 5th through 12th grade student projects from a ten county area.
  Meet at 9:30 AM and judging from 10 AM to 1 PM
  Judging: 5-8 grades and 9-12 grades. 9-12.
  (Light judges buffet available.)

• 3) Greater St. Louis Science Fair will be Wednesday April 29, 2015Greater St. Louis Elementary and Secondary Science Fairs
  located in West St. Louis County at
  Edgar M. Queeny Park Recreation Complex,
  550 Weidman Rd,
  Ballwin, MO 63011

  Elementary (K-5) Participation Awards distributed to chemistry-related projects.
  Three people needed for about 1 hour each between 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM Wednesday, April 29, 2015
  No Judging involved.

  Secondary (6-12) Judging of chemistry-related projects
  3:00 PM to 8:30 PM (Please come for at least 2.5 hours) Wednesday, April 29, 2015
  All secondary judges must be present at 8:30 PM to pick winners.
  Please allow about 1 additional hour for this process.
  Dinner for judges is free at site (5-6:00 PM).

Your Participation As a ACS Judge would be Greatly Appreciated!

St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society Science Fair Chemistry Awards
Coordinator Sheryl Loux ( sjloux@gmail.com , 636-237-5149; and for the Greater St. Louis Awards, Philip Ferko, pferko8@gmail.com , (678) 592-4710 will coordinate.

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.

Lincoln Diuguid, first “Salute to Excellence”, dies

Dr Lincoln Diuguid was the recipient of the first “Salute to Excellence” ever awarded by the St Louis Section, November 11, 2000. On January 27, 2015, at the age of 97, Dr Diuguid died at Beauvais Manor. He had been diagnosed with pneumonia and flu.

Dr Diuguid’s obituary in the February 1, 2015, St Louis Post-Dispatch, related a poignant moment in his early professional life. After earning his PhD, as Diuguid mounted his job search,

[a]n executive at a chewing gum company in New York City offered him a coveted position as assistant research director. There was just one catch: It was the 1940s. He had to agree to “pass” as a white man and to never hire a black man. Diuguid … was a light-complexioned African-American. He refused—and didn’t get the job.
…
He moved to St. Louis and started his own business as an inventor and scientist.

Dr Diuguid’s “Salute to Excellence” citation told what we knew about him at the time, including a summary of his most significant inventions and research endeavors. In 2007, he received the first “Blacks in Science” award from the St. Louis Science Center. Until just a few years ago, he continued his work at the Du-Good Chemical Lab & Manufacturers at Jefferson and Hickory in downtown Saint Louis.

Battle of the Burets

The St Louis Section–ACS and SIU Edwardsville are pleased to announce this year’s Battle of the Burets. This competition for high school chemistry students will match teams from local high schools against one another in a test of titration accuracy.

The evening will get started with Pizza at 5:30 PM.
The First heat will begin at 6:00 PM.

Registration deadline is 4pm on Feb 16. Registration form and liability waiver are here. Mail or email completed forms to:

Dr Leah O’Brien
Department of Chemistry
Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL 62026

More event information will be emailed to teachers as registrations are processed.
Please email or call if you have questions: lobrien@siue.edu or 618-650-3562.

• WHEN: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:30pm – 8:30pm (Central time)
• WHERE:Chemistry Department, Science West Room 3085, SIU-Edwardsville‪ (map)‬‬

ACS Webinar – Chemistry on the Silver Screen

Live viewing of ACS webinar: all disciplines and professions are welcome – you need not be a chemist or scientist to attend! All ages welcome, too! Join us to learn how chemists and chemistry have influenced movies and TV shows such as Gravity, Battlestar Galactica and Defiance.

The event features food/drink, an outstanding webinar and the opportunity for networking with other local professionals.

Schedule of Event:
5:45pm – Food and Drinks
6:00pm – Webinar
6:30pm – Live Q&A
7:00pm – Activity & Networking
More details to follow, including location and registration link.

• WHEN: Tuesday February 24th, 2015. 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM (Central time)
• WHERE: TBD

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: Feb 12
Social hour, cash bar: 5:30 pm
Business meeting: 6:30 pm (suspended for dinner when served)
Future meetings: Mar 12, Apr 9

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. Refer to the SLU Chemistry Department seminar page for the most up-to-date information.

Feb 13
Matt McCarroll, SIU-Carbondale
TBA

Feb 20
Heather Hunt, Mizzou – Bioengineering
TBA

Feb 27
Gábor Lente, University of Debrecen
TBA

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. Refer to the UMSL Chemistry Department seminar page for the most up-to-date information.

Feb 9
Hillka Kenttamaa, Purdue
TBA

Feb 16
Timothy Wencewicz, Washington University
TBA

Feb 23
Lucy Ziurys, University of Arizona
TBA

Mar 2
Aron Fenton, University of Kansas Medical Center
TBA

Washington University

Seminars are in McMillen 311 at 4 pm unless otherwise noted. For information, contact: Liviu Mirica, mirica@wustl.edu. Refer to the Wash. U. Chemistry Department seminar page for the most up-to-date information.

Feb 3, 12:00 PM
TBA

Feb 5
Jason Held, Washington University School of Medicine
Analyzing Thiol Oxidation of Cysteines in the Proteome by Mass Spectrometry

Feb 12
Haitao Liu, University of Pittsburgh
On the Intrinsic Wettability of Graphene and Graphite

Feb 19
Liz Nolan, MIT
Siderophore-based Strategies for Combating Bacterial Infections

Mar 5
Stephen Buchwald, MIT
Leopold Marcus Lecture — TBA

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.

Correspondence, letters to the editor, etc., should be emailed to editor@stlacs.org

or mailed ℅ St Louis Section–ACS, PO Box 410192, Saint Louis, MO 63141-0192

Copyright © 2015 American Chemical Society and the St Louis Section–ACS

Co-Editor	Eric Ressner	314.962.6415 editor@stlacs.org
Co-Editor	Margaret Allen	editor@stlacs.org
Assistant Editor & Advertising Manager	Keith Stine	314.516.5346 advmgr@stlacs.org
Business Manager	Donna Friedman	314.513.4388 bizmgr@stlacs.org