Phyllis Bennet (1929–2011)

Phyllis R Bennet passed away January 26 after a brief illness. She had been a member of the American Chemical Society for more than forty years, and was active in the Section throughout her career.

Phyllis began her scientific career in the Phosphate Division of Monsanto Company in Anniston, Alabama. In 1957, she relocated to her native Dayton, Ohio, and channeled her efforts into investigating phosphate leavening agents and their reaction rates and rheological effects on bread doughs and cake batters. A year later she came to the Monsanto facility in Creve Coeur and was one of the first occupants of N Building where she continued her work on the rheology of doughs and batters.

Phyllis married fellow chemist Dr William Bennet in 1958. She semi-retired to raise their two sons, Thomas and David, but continued her studies of chemistry and earned an MS degree in 1979 from the University of Missouri–St Louis. Upon graduation she was employed by Ralston-Purina, and later by its spin-off, Protein Technologies International, where she conducted research on HPLC analysis and evaluation of soy protein isolates as food ingredients. Phyllis also developed other analytical methods in connection with process development and new product applications. Her presentation at a symposium on Opportunities for Women in Chemistry in 1989 was published in a special issue of The Chemist. Phyllis provided management training for minorities in technical and business programs by serving as a summer intern supervisor in the Inroads program in 1993 and 1994.

Phyllis served the St Louis Section in numerous capacities. She was advertising manager of the Chemical Bond in 1981 and Editor in 1982. She chaired the Publicity and Public Relations Committee in 1983 and served as Publication Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the 1984 National ACS Meeting in St Louis. Phyllis published a special issue of the Chemical Bond for the attendees at the National Meeting; the advertising revenue from this issue provided additional funding for the Midwest Award. Phyllis was Chair of the Section in 1986, a year in which the Section won an Award for Outstanding Performance by a Medium-Large Section. Phyllis frequently participated in Career Day for high school students during Chemical Progress Week and in the Career Awareness Fair for 8th grade students. She organized a special General Meeting in 1992 in which Helen Free, then ACS President-Elect, was the speaker. Phyllis also served on the Audit Committee and on numerous nominating committees and award juries. She faithfully attended Recognition Night, and kept accurate records of the awards the Section received throughout the years. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 1997 in recognition of her dedication and service to the Section. Phyllis will be dearly missed.

March Banquet Season

As we solicit nominations for our flagship awards (below), we enjoy the fruits of last year’s nominations and honor some winners.

Recognition Night

Recognition Night March 12th: save the date

March 12 is Recognition Night 2011. Please join us at Bartolino’s (I-44 and Hampton, inside Drury Inn), 2103 Sulphur Ave, St Louis, MO (map).

5:30 pm—Social hour with open bar (beer, wine, soft drinks)
6:30 pm—General Meeting of the Section to vote on proposed Bylaw Amendments. All St Louis Section members are eligible to vote on this issue, and your voice is needed! You need not attend the Recognition Night event to vote on the bylaw amendments.
6:45 pm—Recognition Night dinner and festivities

• Immediate Past Chair Shelley Minteer will give a short retrospective talk on her tenure as chair or on a related topic. In other words, it could be just about anything.
• The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Lisa Balbes.
• Many 50+ year ACS members will attend, and those celebrating their 50th and 60th years of membership will be specially recognized.

Reservations are required for Recognition Night. Cost is $30 per person. To reserve your place(s) at this grand event, please return the reservation form or facsimile with choice of entrée and check by March 5 to:

Jeff Cornelius
1 Maybeck Place
Principia College
Elsah, IL 62028

or email jeff.cornelius@prin.edu

Make checks payable to St. Louis Section–ACS
Name(s) _______________________________________________________
Number attending _____ × $30 each = amount remitted $____________
Choice of entrée (number of each): steak _____ or fish _____

Awards Night: Dinner and awardees galore

Join us on April 11 in honoring the winners of:

• High School Chemistry Contest
• Outstanding Students at area colleges and universities
• Leopold Marcus Award
• Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher Award

Maggiano’s, 2 Boulevard Saint Louis, Richmond Heights (across Brentwood Blvd from the Galleria), map. Free parking in the garage.
5:30 social hour, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 program
Cost is $20. RSVP by April 4 to Vic Lewchenko, viclewchenko@yahoo.com or 314.973.1308. Send check payable to St Louis Section–ACS to:

Vic Lewchenko
354 Larkhill Ct
Webster Groves, MO 63119

Battle of the Burets winners and ... more winners

On Thursday February 24th, fifteen teams from eight local high schools braved the cold, rain, and sleet to participate in the Battle of the Burets competition sponsored by the St Louis Section–ACS and St Louis Community College–Florissant Valley. Teams of two students were judged on their ability to accurately determine the normality of an unknown acid solution within a six-minute time period.

The top team from each of three preliminary rounds advanced to a winner-take-all championship round. Teams from Freeburg, Maplewood/Richmond Heights, and Clayton competed for this year’s title. Tyler Markham and Dee Luo from Clayton High School took top honors, but all 30 titrators were winners.

Place	Teammates	School	Teacher
1st	Tyler Markham and Dee Luo	Clayton	Nathan Peck
2nd	Stephanie Bechard and Madeleine Knapp	Freeburg	Kim Lintker
3rd	Mioshi Scott and Daniel Jamrozik	Maplewood/Richmond Heights	Kathleen Dwyer

 You be the judge

for the St Louis Section’s Science Fair chemistry special awards!

There are only two more area science fairs left in this fair season. Volunteer by contacting Sheryl J Loux at 636.237.5149 or email sjloux@gmail.com. These events are real team efforts; your participation as a judge would be greatly appreciated!

• Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences Regional Science Fair, Saturday, March 26, 9:30 am–1 pm
  Morris University Center at SIU–Edwardsville (#8 on campus map, park in Lot E). This regional fair hosts over 200 5th–12th grade student projects from a ten county area. Meet at 9:30 am; judging from 10 am to 1 pm in divisions grades 5-8, 9-12, and honors 9-12.
• Greater St Louis Science Fair, May 4
  Greensfelder Recreation Complex, Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Rd, Ballwin, MO
  — Elementary (K-5th): participation Awards distributed to chemistry-related projects. Three people needed for about one hour each between 3 and 8 pm. No Judging involved.
  — Secondary (6th–12th): judging of chemistry-related projects 3–8:30 pm. Please come for at least 2½ hours. Free dinner for judges (5–6 pm). Judges must be present at 8:30 to pick winners.

Meanwhile, in related news, results from the Missouri Tri-County Regional Science and Engineering Fair are in:

• Honors Division
  • 1st Place–Tia Harper, Catalytic Investigation of a Novel Phosphinooxazoline-Ruthenium Complex Utilizing Gas Chromatography, Grade 12, Wentzville Holt High School, Wentzville, MO
  • 2nd Place–Raisa Buenaventura, The Effect of Increasing Ampicillion Concentrations on the Development of Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia Coli, Grade 12, Wentzville Holt High School, Wentzville, MO
  • 3rd Place–Chandler Est, The Effect of Iron on Algal Growth and Lipid Biosynthesis, Grade 12, Wentzville Holt High School, Wentzville, MO
  • Honorable Mention–Allyssa Shannon, The Effects of Bisphenol A on the Reproductive Rate of Caenorhabditis elegans, Grade 12, Wentzville Holt High School, Wentzville, MO
• Grades 9–12
  • No awards were given this year, though there was one entrant in chemistry or a chemistry-related field.
• Grades 5–8
  • 1st Place–Casey Mareschal, Cleaning up Oil Spills with Common Materials, Grade 5, Westhoff Elementary School, O’Fallon, MO
  • 2nd Place–Abigal Dolson, Milk, Crystals, and Acid…Oh My!, Grade 6, First Baptist Christian Academy, O’Fallon, MO
  • 3rd Place–Caitlyn Chapman, Sun Shades, Grade 5, Rock Creek Elementary School, O’Fallon, MO
• Grades K–4
  • A congratulatory letter plus a purple participation ribbon were each given to 73 chemistry-related entrants this year.

 Award Season is Open

Our Section’s two premier awards, the St Louis Award and the Midwest Award, are conferred in separate ceremonies in October, but the run-up begins now, with calls for nominations. Surely you know some real winners! This year, the Midwest Award will be conferred here, as the St Louis Section hosts the Midwest Regional Meeting. Let’s make sure we have great local nominees to dazzle the award jury.

Call for Nominations: Saint Louis Award

Nominations are solicited for the Saint Louis Award, which is sponsored by the Monsanto Company and administered by the St Louis Section–ACS. Nominees should be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the profession of chemistry and demonstrated potential to further the advancement of the chemical profession. The awardee is selected by a review committee constituted by the St Louis Section. The award, consisting of a $1,500 honorarium and a plaque, is presented at the St Louis Award Banquet held in October during National Chemical Week.

At the time of the nomination, nominees must not have previously received the Midwest Award or any national ACS-sponsored award. Nominees must be members or affiliates of the St Louis Section of the ACS. Nomination packets received by April 29 are considered for award presentation in October.

Nominations can be sent at any time to:

Joseph J H Ackerman
Department of Chemistry
Campus Box 1134
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63130

Nominations should include a nominating letter, two or more seconding letters from individuals who have had a close professional affiliation with the nominee, a brief biography, a description of the nominee’s accomplishments, and a list of publications and patents. Additional details, including a list of previous winners, and citations for recent winners, can be found at www.stlacs.org/events/stlouisaward.html.

Call for Nominations: Midwest Award

As the Midwest Award Chair for the St Louis Section of the American Chemical Society, I solicit your assistance in identifying candidates for the 2010 Midwest Award. The St Louis Section of the ACS established the ACS Midwest Award in 1944 to recognize outstanding achievements 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. These 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. Nominees can be from industry, academia, government, or private practice, and need not be members of the ACS.

The 2011 ACS Midwest Regional Award will be presented at the 46th Midwest/39th Great Lakes Joint Regional ACS Meeting to be held in St Louis, Missouri, October 19-22. Both the Midwest Award Symposium and the Midwest Award Banquet will be on Thursday, October 20. It is at the banquet where the award (medallion and honorarium) is conferred and the recipient delivers the Midwest Award Lecture. A condition of the Midwest Award is that the recipient gives the Midwest Award Lecture and attends the Awards Banquet.

Nominations should include a nominating letter, two or more seconding letters, a curriculum vitae, a brief biography, documented and objective information regarding the outstanding achievements of the nominee, and if the nominee is an academician, a list of persons who have received advanced degrees under her or his direction. Please submit nine copies of all nomination materials to me at the address given below. All nomination materials must be received on or before the deadline of March 31, 2011. Additional details, including a list of previous winners, and citations for recent winners, can be found at www.stlacs.org/events/midwestaward.html.

If you have any questions, please contact me at obrien@jinx.umsl.edu. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Dr Jim O’Brien
Chair, 2011 Midwest Award
ACS St Louis Section and
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Missouri–St Louis
One University Blvd
St Louis, MO 63121-4400

The Undergraduate Research Symposium is ON ... on April 9

All undergraduate students at colleges and universities within the St Louis Section borders are eligible to present posters or oral presentations based on their research. Each presenter receives a Certificate of Participation; awards are given for “Exceptional Presentations.” This year’s symposium is scheduled for 8:30–10:30 am, April 9, in Science-Math Room 111, Saint Louis Community College–Florissant Valley.

Participants must preregister. Return the registration form to Dr Donna G Friedman, who is also your contact for additional information: dfriedman@stlcc.edu or 314.513.4388.

Marcus Award competition slated at SLU

The 2011 Leopold Marcus Award competition will be held Wednesday, April 6, at 4:00 pm in Baer-Fuller Hall (Lecture Hall 2) on the campus of Saint Louis University. Baer-Fuller Hall is one of the underground lecture halls behind Busch Center at the intersection of Grand and Lindell Boulevards.

The Leopold Marcus Award was established by the late Jack and Gertrude Marcus in memory of his father. It is administered by the Department of Chemistry at Saint Louis University and the St Louis Section–ACS.

The competition consists of presentations based on the undergraduate research projects of senior chemistry majors at Saint Louis University. The candidates, chosen by the faculty, will be making fifteen-minute presentations.

The winner of the award is determined by vote of the professional chemists in the audience. All ACS members are invited to attend and are eligible to vote. Refreshments will be available after the competition. For further information, contact Bruce Kowert, 314.977.2837 or kowertba@slu.edu. The winner will be honored at the Awards Night Banquet, April 11.

Chemists, too, celebrate Earth Day

Winter is on its way out, spring is in the air, buds are swelling, grass is greening. It’s time for Chemists Celebrate Earth Day, April 23 at the St Louis Science Center from 10 am until 4 pm. Many activities are already lined up, but the more the merrier. This year’s theme “Energy—It’s Everywhere” offers opportunities for local chemists to energize the community about the role that chemistry plays in conservation, environment, and enriching everyday lives.

You can give back to the community by volunteering to participate. Contact Greg Wall, gwall7@msn.com or phone 314.435.6487, or Sheryl Loux, sjloux@gmail.com.

It’s IYC2011

This year is International Year of Chemistry, a year-long celebration in which anyone can participate. (It’s also the year of the rabbit, but that’s another story.) Chemists will celebrate the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind, and parlay their stories into increased public awareness and appreciation of chemistry. It is a global initiative to emphasize that chemistry is a creative science essential for sustainability and life itself. The official slogan is “Chemistry—Our Life, Our Future”.

You can coordinate an activity, engage in a project, or simply share an idea. Get involved now. Become part of something special. For more information, go to www.chemistry2011.org/. To volunteer or to promote your activity through the St Louis section, contact Greg Wall, gwall37@msn.com, or phone 314.435.6487.

Glitter speaker on tour here

ACS tour speaker Dr Robert D Blackledge wrote the book on Forensic Analysis of Glitter, and will tell us all about it on March 4 at 7:30 pm, Lab Sciences 300, Washington University Danforth Campus. Please join this retired senior forensic chemist from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS): reserve this evening to learn more than you thought there was to know about glitter and crime. An even more tempting preview is here (with parking details).

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). 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 $24 ($12 for post-docs and unemployed members). Members wishing to become active in section activities are welcomed for their first dinner as guests of the section.

Date: Mar 10
Social hour: 5:30 pm
Dinner: 6:30 pm
Business meeting: 7:15 pm
Future meetings: Apr 14, May 12 (last of the season until the picnic)

Saint Louis University

Seminars are on Fridays at 12 noon in Carlo Auditorium, Tegeler Hall, unless noted otherwise. Refreshments follow. For more information, contact Ryan McCulla, rmccull2@slu.edu.

Mar 4
Kenneth Showalter
West Virginia University
Synchronization and Spatiotemporal Dynamics in Chemical Systems

Mar 18
Lo Gorton
Lund University
Biosensors and biofuel cell anodes based on non-conventional sugar-oxidizing enzymes

Apr 1
Nate Lacher
Pfizer
Use of New Chromatographic Technologies for Improved Throughput and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies

Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville

SIUE will host its 2011 Probst Lecture April 4 and 5. The guest lecturer delivers an evening talk keyed to general audiences, and an afternoon seminar intended for a more technical audience.

Apr 4, 7 pm, Morris University Center, Meridian Ballroom
Jerald Schnoor delivers Probst Lecture for general audiences
University of Iowa College of Engineering
Water Sustainability in a Changing World

Apr 5, 11 am, Science Building, Room 3114
Jerald Schnoor concludes the Probst Lectures with a technical talk
Phytoremediation from Molecular to Field Scale

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.

March 7
Brian Pagenkopf
University of Western Ontario
Synthesis of Functional Organic Molecules, from Natural Products to Materials

Mar 14
John-Stephen Taylor
Washington University
Towards Nucleic Acid-based Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agents and Delivery Systems

Mar 21
Jonathan Chaires
University of Louisville
Structure and Stability of Human Telomeric G-quadruplex DNA

Apr 4
14th Annual Robert W Murray Lecture
4 pm in 104 Stadler Hall (reception adjacent at 3:30 pm)
Steven V Ley
BP Professor of Chemistry, Cambridge University
New Tools for Molecule Makers
Reception follows talk in the Center for Nanoscience

Washington University

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

March 3, 2 pm, at WU School of Medicine Farrell Learning & Teaching Center, Holden Auditorium
PEN Seminar
Niren Murthy
Georgia Institute of Technology
New Materials for Drug Delivery and Molecular Imaging

Mar 3
David Russell
Texas A & M University
Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for Studies of Peptide/Protein Structure...What Can We Learn from the Gas Phase?

Mar 8, in Lab Sciences 300
Muhammad Yousaf
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
TBA

Mar 8
Brian Pagenkopf
University of Western Ontario
Synthesis of Functional Organic Molecules, from Natural Products to Materials

Mar 10
Suzanne Lapi
Washington University School of Medicine
Radioactive Transition Metals: Cyclotron Production and Uses in Medical Imaging

Mar 17
Ekaterina Kadnikova
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Adventures in Enantioselective Biocatalysis and Functionalized Nanoparticles

Mar 24
Hanna Reisler
University of Southern California
Imaging Energy Flow and Bond Breaking in Weakly Bound Molecules and Clusters

Mar 31
Christine Aikens
Kansas State University
Optical Absorption, EPR, and Chiroptical Properties of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles

About the Chemical Bond

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 the bond.remind listserv. You can also follow the link to “Manage bond.remind options” from the home page at www.stlacs.org.

If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to our  RSS feed, which includes notices of Chemical Bond issues and timely postings about chemistry-related events in the Saint Louis area.

Editor	Eric Ressner	314.962.6415 editor@stlacs.org
Assistant Editor & Advertising Manager	Sue Saum	314.513.4808 advmgr@stlacs.org
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