Joyce Brown, Washington MO School District, is HSCToY

The winner of the 2012-2013 Award for High School Chemistry Teaching is Joyce Brown from the School District of Washington.

Mrs Brown has taught Chemistry I and Chemistry II at Washington High School for over 20 years and has served as Science Department Chairperson for the majority of her tenure. In 2008, she was recognized as the WINGS Educational Foundation Outstanding Teacher of the Year. In 1998, Washington MO Rotary Club honored her as the Outstanding Educator of the Year.

She is the National Honor Society sponsor, and has previously worked with students in Science Olympiad and Brain Bowl events. She is active in the local NEA chapter and with the Zion United Church of Christ in Union, MO. In her free time, she and her husband enjoy supporting the theatre and traveling to national parks.

ACS chemist delivers Faculty Lecture at SLCC–Meramec

Chemistry professor Michael Hauser presented the Faculty Lecture titled Teacher-Student InteREACTION, Establishing the Proper Chemistry in the Classroom to open the spring semester at St Louis Community College–Meramec January 7. Mike was selected by a committee of his peers to receive the highest honor bestowed on a member the Meramec faculty; Mike is the first chemist to receive this honor. He used the opportunity to talk about his teaching philosophy and the role of the community college in educating the public. The award includes a cash prize. Previously, Mike was also honored with the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award (2002).

Mike received his BS and MS in chemistry from the University of Missouri–St Louis. In 1992, after eleven years as a research chemist at Monsanto, Mike turned his talents to teaching, with a position on the Physical Science faculty at St Louis Community College–Meramec. He has been active in the St Louis ACS Section serving as the College Awards Chair for the last 18 years. Mike and his wife Lynn are the proud parents of two teenage daughters Katrina and Rachel.

Recognition Night is March 9th: plan to attend and recognize....

You are cordially invited to attend the annual Recognition Night banquet, Saturday March 9, 2013, 5:30–9 pm.

The agenda beginis with a social hour with cash bar at 5:30, dinner at 6:30, with the program of recognitions following. Who is recognized?

• All those members who have achieved 50 and 60 years of membership in ACS will have received a special invitation from the Chair. They and their companions will be the guests of the Section for dinner.
• The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Leah O’Brien: former Chair, long-time coordinator of the Women Chemists Committee, and General Chair for the Midwest Regional Meeting in 2010.
• Eric Bruton’s service as 2012 Chair will be acknowledged, and he will give the traditional Immediate Past Chair Address on a subject of his choice.

We look forward to spending an enjoyable evening with colleagues and friends, and very much hope you can join us.

Where: Sapore Italian Café, 451 S Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122
Cost: $25 per person
Please reserve your place by Sunday, March 3. You can reserve on-line (preferred) or send the information below to:

Ziad Ramadan
Nestlé Research Center–St Louis
One Checkerboard Square
St Louis, MO 63164
email: Ziad.Ramadan@rd.nestle.com

Name(s) ______________________________________________________
Number attending ______ × $25 each = amount remitted $_______._____
Choice of entrée (number of each): tilapia ____ pasta ____ chicken ____

Make checks payable to St Louis Section–ACS, and mail to:

Vic Lewchenko
354 Larkhill Ct
Webster Groves, MO 63119

Two iconic awards seeking nominees

One of our most important activities is recognizing excellence in the professions of chemistry. And two of the most important ways we do it are our signature awards: the St Louis Award and the Midwest Award. If you know any chemists who meets the eligibility criteria, don’t hide them under a bushel basket. Nominate!

Nominate for the St Louis Award

Nominations are solicited for the St 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–ACS. The award, consisting of a $1,500 honorarium and a plaque, is presented at the St Louis Award Banquet held in October during National Chemistry 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 30 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 can be found on the St Louis Award web page.

Nominate for the Midwest Award

Your assistance is solicited in identifying candidates for the 2013 Midwest Award. The St Louis Section–ACS established the ACS Midwest Award in 1944. The award is conferred each year 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 those working in private practice, and they need not be members of the ACS.

The 2013 award will be presented at the 48th Midwest Regional ACS Meeting in Springfield, MO, October 16-19, 2013, hosted by the Ozark Section. Ceremonies, usually held on Thursday of the Meeting (October 17 this year), will feature a Midwest Award Symposium and the Midwest Award plenary lecture by the awardee. The award, consisting of a medallion and a cash honorarium, is presented by the St Louis Section Chair at the Midwest Awards Banquet. A condition of the award is that the recipient gives the Midwest Award Lecture and attends the Midwest Awards Banquet.

Nominations should consist of: a nominating letter and two or more seconding letters; a CV for the nominee; a brief biography for the nominee; and objective documentation 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. Please submit nine copies of all nomination materials on or before April 1, 2013. Material postmarked by that day (April 1, 2013) or earlier will be accepted. If you have questions, or to submit a nomination, please contact:

Dr Jim O’Brien
Chair, 2013 ACS Midwest Award
ACS–St Louis Section
and
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Missouri–St Louis
One University Blvd
St Louis, MO 63121
email obrien@jinx.umsl.edu or phone 314.757.5717

The budget is in for 2013

... though our Congresscritters are not so agreeable.

As is the case every year, the January board meeting was devoted primarily to discussion of budget items for the 2013 year of governance, service, and outreach activities. Kudos to the committee chairs for preparing budget requests that were reasonable and justifiable, and to the Steering Committee for putting it all together into an easily ponderable and acceptable package.

If you are new to perusing this annual Bond item, note that we always budget a modest deficit, but almost always underspend enough to break even or better. 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 quickly passed by acclamation. We’ll spare you all the gory details, but the top-line summary of income and expenditures for 2013 will be as follows (with data from 2012 for comparison):

Income	2013 Budget	2012 Budget	2012 Actual
Affiliate dues	55	55	50
Member dues	15,000	15,000	13,875
National ACS allotment	15,467	15,373	15,373
Other general income	3,579	0	8,165
New members	500	500	675
Total income	34,601	30,928	38,138
Expenses	2013 Budget	2012 Budget	2012 Actual
Officers
Chair	280	280	82
Chair travel	500	500	610
Chair-elect	500	570	833
Chair-elect travel	340	270	(32)
Past Chair	0	0	0
Past Chair travel	800	800	0
Secretary	700	600	872
Treasurer	275	255	260
Officers subtotal	3,395	3,275	2,624
Other expenses
Board Meeting expenses	1,200	1,200	1,307
Councilors’ travel	5,000	4,000	3,894
Other expenses subtotal	6,200	5,200	5,201
Awards Committee	13,900	13,450	10,692
Education Committee	5,050	3,950	3,893
Professional Activities Committee	6,985	3,975	2,252
Program Committee	4,635	4,335	2,918
Publicity & Public Relations Committee	2,100	150	(1,043)
Special events	850	4,184	3,053
Total expenses	43,115	38,519	29,589
Surplus/(Deficit)	(8,514)	(7,591)	8,549

Notes:

• Several one-time costs in 2013 (High School Chemistry Contest, General Topics Group, and the website redesign) are special projects funded by the net income from hosting the 2010 Midwest Regional Meeting.
• The income from advertising on the website and in the Chemical Bond is booked as a negative expense. Since it more than offsets the actual expenses of the Publicity & Public Relations Committee, the actual spending is typically negative. However, we budget assuming that income is uncertain. This year, there is some additional expense projected for continued website development.

 You can be a Science Fair judge!

for the St Louis Section’s Science Fair chemistry awards

Volunteer for any or all of these opportunities by contacting Sheryl J Loux at 636.237.5149 or email sjloux@gmail.com. Time is getting short for the MO Tri-county Fair on Feb 23, so if you can make it, don’t wait to let Sheryl know.

• Missouri Tri-county Regional Science And Engineering Fair, Saturday, February 23
  St Charles Community College, College Student Center. Judging 9 am–noon. K-4 participation awards distributed. Judging for grades 5-8, 9-12, and honors 9-12.
  Free breakfast for judges 8–9 am.
• Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences Regional Science Fair, Saturday, March 23
  Morris University Center at SIU–Edwardsville (#8 on campus map, park in Lot E). This regional fair hosts over 200 5th through 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.
  Light judges’ buffet available.
• Greater St Louis Elementary and Secondary Science Fairs, Wednesday, May 1
  Greensfelder Recreation Complex, Queeny Park, Weidman Rd, Ballwin, MO
  — Elementary (K-5): Participation Awards distributed to chemistry-related projects. Three people needed for about one hour each between 3 and 8 pm. No judging involved.
  — Secondary (6-12): Judging of chemistry-related projects 3–8:30 pm. Please volunteer for at least 2½ hours. Judges must be present at 8:30 to pick winners.
  Free dinner for judges between 5 and 6 pm).

Your participation as a judge would be greatly appreciated!

Career Day for area schools: plan to bring your class

Professors Keith Stine and Jim O’Brien are pleased to invite area science educators and their students to ACS Career Day, tentatively Friday, May 3, 2013, 9 am–12 noon, at the University of Missouri–St Louis Chemistry and Biochemistry Department.

The aim is to introduce students to careers in chemistry and biochemistry: to hear about it and see it being done. After a brief introduction to What is Chemistry? and typical career options, graduate students will lead a tour of research laboratories and instrument facilities. The UMSL Chemistry Club will put on some chemistry demonstrations. And the morning will wrap up with a pizza-etc. lunch.

Your school schedule is likely already very crowded, but please consider how valuable this experience may be for your students as they weigh options for their future. If you want to bring a group to Career Day, please respond by Friday April 19, 2013, to either Donna Lemp (314.516.5313 or lempd@msx.umsl.edu) or Michelle Haley (314.516.5311 or haleym@umsl.edu); let us know how many students will accompany you so food and tour group arrangements may be made.

The day will involve a lot of events so please plan to be punctual. Our budget for this event does not include the cost of transportation for attendees, but free parking will be provided. Additional program details can be obtained from Keith Stine (314.516.5346 or kstine@umsl.edu) or Jim O’Brien (314.516.5717 or obrien@jinx.umsl.edu).

LDF Module 2 has kicked off...

...but you can still join the fun.

Our Leadership Development Forum Module 2 kicked off on January 17: the seminar event on Execution: Translating Strategy into Action. It was held at the Connor Auditorium on Washington University Medical Campus, accented with a wonderful dinner from the Pasta House.

Steve Finkelstein (Experience on Demand) and Eric Haupfear (Monsanto) kept the audience captivated with their presentations and demonstration of good execution. Steve explained the necessary ingredients of effective execution, using the formula: Assessment + Alignment + Accountability + Action = Results; Eric Haupfear spoke of his experiences as a leader in executing projects large and small. After the presentations and Q&A, the attendees had a chance to network and socialize.

To see th presentation slides from the seminar event, please join our online discussion group.

For more information on the events of Module 2 and to register for the next event on February 21 (even if you didn’t attend the kick-off), visit the LDF webpage.

The Battle of the Burets is on for February 20

The St Louis Section–ACS and St Louis Community College–Florissant Valley are pleased to announce the another 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.

This year, the contest will begin promptly at 6 pm on Wednesday, February 20, at SLCC–Florissant Valley. For more information on how to enter a team from your high school, contact:

Bruce Ritts
314.290.4744
bruce_ritts@steris.com

Yet more competition: high school chemistry contest on March 9 (or 8)

Although the contest is a purely individual competition, plan to bring a team. For students who cannot attend the Saturday, March 9, session, the alternative is the previous day: Friday, March 8, 4–6:30 pm, at the same location.

Students compete in two divisions, Advanced and Regular: Regular is for first-year chemistry students in other than advanced placement classes; Advanced Division is for all others. The Advanced Division exam is a qualifying exam for the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam given on April 13.

Winning students and their teachers will be recognized at the St Louis Section ACS Awards Night (date, time, and place to be determined).

Rules, request for proctors, and registration materials have been sent to contacts at all area high schools. Registrations are due by February 22. For any questions, if you have not received materials, or to volunteer as a proctor, contact Myron Reese at McKendree College.

The next big thing?

... This item in the Jan 21 issue of C&E News, quoting the teaser:

Arrays of copper oxide nanowires can convert CO₂ to methanol with high efficiency in a solar-powered electrochemical device, according to researchers at the University of Texas, Arlington (Chem. Commun., DOI: 10.1039/c2cc38068d). The study may lead to methods that use low-cost, Earth-abundant materials to transform CO₂ into fuels or chemical raw materials.

Maybe we’re being a little naïve or jumping the gun, but it seems like this could be the first hints of the beginnings of a whole new thing in renewable energy. There’s a ton of solid-state quantum photo-electrochemistry (or something) in just the abstract, so we bio- and orgo-chemists are soon out of our depth. Don’t you wish Shelley Minteer was still around, so we could ask her what we should think of it?

Chemists celebrate Earth Day (why shouldn’t we?)

In 2013, Chemists Celebrate Earth Day on April 20, 2013, from 10 am until 4 pm at the Saint Louis Science Center, Dinosaur Overlook. This year’s theme is Rethink Recycling: It is easy to be Green. While we can all incorporate green behaviors, chemists can do more: it is time to rethink your role as a chemist and volunteer for this annual public outreach program. By participating in this event you can share your passion and knowlege of chemistry with the community, and maybe influence others greenward. To volunteer, contact Greg Wall at gwall37@msn.com.

ASP meets here in July

The American Society of Pharmacognosy is meeting in St Louis, July 14–17, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch. If your research interests run toward natural products as sources or leads for pharmaceutical development, this is for you. The agenda features an outstanding lineup of experts presenting the latest information on the science of natural products, and meeting organizers are expecting at least 500 attendees.

For questions, check out the meeting website. For more questions, email Mark O’Neil-Johnson or phone 314.373.5181 x104.

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: Feb 21
at The Edge, next to Covidien in Webster Groves (map) Meeting time: 5:00 pm
Dinner: 6:00 pm
The special date, time, duration, and location are planned to allow sharing dinner and a follow-up event with the Leadership Development Forum discussion, which begins right after dinner and should be over by 9 pm.
Future meetings: Mar 14, Apr 11

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.

Feb 1
Kent Gates, University of Missouri–Columbia
Interstrand DNA-DNA cross-links generated by abasic sites in DNA: formation and potential biological relevance

Feb 8
Yinfa Ma, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Urinary Cancer Biomarker Discovery by Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Feb 15
Barbara Golden, Purdue University
An Integrated Picture of HDV Ribozyme Catalysis

Mar 1
Travis Holman, Georgetown University
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.

Feb 11
John Talley, SARmont
Discovery of COX-2 inhibitors

Feb 18
Dennis Whitfield, National Research Council Canada
Scaling up oligosaccharide synthesis

Feb 25
David Ferguson, University of Minnesota
Imidazoquinoline-based cancer vaccine adjuvants

Washington University

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

Feb 7
Christopher Cramer, University of Minnesota
Mechanistic characterization of homogeneous catalytic processes for water splitting and CO₂ reduction

Feb 21
Marcey Waters, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Peptides and small molecules as tools for study in biomolecular recognition

Feb 28
Ellen Fisher, Colorado State University
Deciphering complex systems: Toward molecular level understanding of mechanisms for plasma polymerization and surface modification of polymers

Leopold Marcus Lecture
Feb 28, 11 am and Mar 1, 11 am
Ad Bax, National Institutes of Health
Titles TBA