Science & Technology Award: we have a winner!

Neall West graduated in 2007 from Saint Louis Community College with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Chemical Technology as well as an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. He began working in the QC lab at Jost Chemical Company, their first chemist on second shift and weekends. Due to his education and training, he is able to work autonomously with minimal supervision. This, in addition to being able to provide microbiological testing on weekends, allowed the company to dramatically expand production.

Besides the quality control testing of Jost’s many specialty chemicals, Neall is responsible for the maintenance and coordination of the company’s raw materials inventory. He is also tasked with providing assistance as needed for the R&D team and is an essential contact person when production line crews need lab support.

Neall’s high work standards contributed to the successful development of a new line of microencapsulated products, which will surely result in an even more diverse job description for Neall in the near future.

The success experienced by Jost Chemical due to having off-shift lab support contributed to Jost’s decision to hire two additional chemists so that the QC lab is now staffed almost around the clock.

Neall is currently working on his bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri–Saint Louis. He lives in south Saint Louis County with his wife, four children, and a bewildering array of pets.

High School Chemistry Contest: students (and their teachers) shine

Places are based on a written test given in March. There are two divisions: the Regular Division exam is open to students who are in their first year of high school chemistry (other than an AP course); the Advanced Division to those taking their second high school chemistry course or AP chemistry. Each exam has a multiple-choice section and then a “tie breaking” section that consists of short-answer and essay questions.

The 2013 winners are listed below. This year’s Advanced Division top finisher is a repeat winner: Runpeng Liu also won in 2012 and went on to qualify for the International Chemistry Olympiad for USA qualifiers held in Colorado Springs last summer.

Regular Division
Place	Student	School	Teacher
1st	Amanda Cao	John Burroughs School	Sandra Mueller
2nd	William Meng	John Burroughs School	Eric Knispel
3rd	Stephen He	Parkway Central High School	Beth Karfs
4th	Zach Heiman	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
5th	Andrew Roykhman	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	David Ryffel	Clayton High School	Mike Howe
HM	Kim Minki	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	Jeffrey Friedman	Clayton High School	Mike Howe
HM	Alex Mesnier	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	Aby Sarangee	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	Ross Leung Wagner	Clayton High School	Mike Howe
HM	Nathaniel Rowe	Clayton High School	Mike Howe
HM	Andrew Efimov	John Burroughs School	Eric Knispel
HM	Pietro Vannucci	Clayton High School	Brad Krone
HM	Nathan Hock	Saint Louis University High School	Mary Russo
Advanced Division Students who do well in the Advanced Division qualify for the National Chemistry Olympiad. Names of qualifiers for the National Chemistry Olympiad exam are in italics. No more than two students may qualify from a single school. HM = honorable mention
Place	Student	School	Teacher
1st	Runpeng Liu	Ladue Horton Watkins High School	Marina Smallwood
2nd	Noah Youkilis	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck
3rd	Doren Lan	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck
4th	Harrison Garrett	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck
5th	Ellie Gund	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck
HM	Elaine Reichert	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	Jeffrey Cheng	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck
HM	Curtis Rother	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck
HM	Joshua Zeid	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	Stephen Eastman	Francis Howell Central High School	John Kozlowski
HM	Kirk Smith	John Burroughs School	Sandra Mueller
HM	Joseph Roddy	John Burroughs School	Sandra Mueller
HM	Jonathan Brand	Parkway Central High School	Ken Greathouse
HM	Felipe d’Andrea	Lafayette High School	Jeff Marx
HM	Sophia Rotman	Clayton High School	Nathan Peck

Science Fairs at mid-season

It’s two down and one to go in Science Fair season. With the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Fair reported below, only the Greater St Louis Science Fair remains to be contested ... and judged. If you’d like to volunteer (no experience necessary!) (if you’re reading this, you’re qualified), call or email Sheryl J Loux at 636.237.5149 or sjloux@gmail.com.

• 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).

And now, as promised, the results of the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Region 12 Science Fair held March 23, 2013:

• Grades 9–12
  First Place: Timothy LaVelle, Grade 12, Marion Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Does Ribosomal RNA Refold Specific Protein Structures?
  Second Place: Luke Vest, Grade 11, Marquette Catholic High School, Alton, Investigation of Colligative Properties and the van’t Hoff Constant
  Third Place: Ben Pinkley, Grade 11, Lighted Path Academy, Edwardsville, Observing the Relation of pH Levels and the Presence of Lead
• Grades 5–8
  First Place: Edgar McClintock, Grade 5, Albert Cassens Elementary, Glen Carbon, The Copper Cathode’s Best Friend
  Second Place: Nicolas Jarman, Grade 8, Gillespie Middle School, Gillespie, The Green Machine
  Third Place: Trevor McLeland, Grade 7, Shiloh Middle School, Shiloh, Cold Breaker
  Honorable Mention:
   Allie Johnston, Grade 7, Good Shepherd Lutheran School, Collinsville, Acid Attack
   Jason Pan, Grade 7, Liberty Middle School, Edwardsville, Oh the Stink

Leadership Development Forum numéro deux folds its tent

The second Leadership Development Module—Execution—completed its run with a discussion on February 28 and a workshop on March 21.

The Edge of Webster, next to Covidien in Webster Groves, was the venue for the Discussion. Dinner, drinks, and the facility were generously provided by Covidien. Lisa Balbes of Balbes Consultants and ACS Career Advisor and Presenter, gave a brief synopsis of the source articles on Execution with questions before opening the floor for discussion. Attendees shared their personal experiences of various execution styles that worked, and some that didn’t. The discussion lasted for some time, and afterward folks networked.

The Workshop was held at St Louis College of Pharmacy. Steve Finkelstein, senior partner at Experience on Demand, gave a short presentation on essential components of execution, and then led the workshop. The attendees were divided into three groups. Each group worked on executing a project as a team. Using provided templates for project planning, each team was required to brainstorm ideas, lay out the details needed to complete the project. Each team then presented their strategies and plan to the rest of the attendees. After wrapping up with feedback from others, many stayed to network and ask Steve questions.

One of the projects will be promoted from virtual to real after the workshop. Details for the real-life project, a picnic, will be coming soon! Stay tuned!

St Louis Award nominations going once ... going twice ...

One of our most important activities is recognizing excellence in the professions of chemistry. The St Louis Section’s signature award is one of the big ways we do that. Please help ensure that we have the best possible candndate pool. If you know any chemists who meets the eligibility criteria, don’t keep them to yourself: 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.

The International Chemical Safety Forum is based right here

Be sure to check out the International Chemical Safety Forum at www.ycclabsafetystl.org. The site has tons of laboratory safety resources and compiles safety videos from many sources. Join the discussion on lab safety! Brought to you by the St Louis YCC through a Global Innovations Grant from the ACS Office of International Activities.

Undergraduate Research Symposium, Apr 12: registration still open

Our traditional event featuring posters and oral presentations by undergraduate research students from any and all area colleges and universities: April 12, 5–7:30 pm, at the Sigma-Aldrich Research Center, 2909 Laclede Avenue, St Louis, MO 63103.

Certificates of Participation are awarded to all; awards presented for exceptional talks and posters. Everyone must register to attend, whether presenting or not. Registration details and venue map are here. For additional information, contact Pegah Jalili, Pegah.Jalili@sial.com.

Young Researcher Awards available for fall meeting travel support

The YCC will once again open applications for the Young Researcher Award for 2013. The award provides funding for an undergraduate student to attend and present their research at the Midwest Regional Meeting held October 16–19 in Springfield, MO. More information will be posted in the fall.

Chemistry Career Day at UMSL is set for May 17

High school chemistry teachers: help introduce your students to careers in chemistry and biochemistry: to hear about it and see it being done. After a brief introduction to 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.

If you would like 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.

Parking, lunch, and the event itself are all free. 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).

CCED (but you knew that)

It’s not too late to volunteer to participate in Chemists Celebrate Earth Day at the Saint Louis Science Center on April 20, 2013 from 10 am to 4 pm. This year’s theme “Our Earth: Handle with Care!” focuses on water, air, plants, soil, and recycling. This is the 10th year of the ACS joining Earth Day celebrations, and you are encouraged to take part in the celebration. Share your joy and passion for chemistry by being part of this public outreach event. To volunteer or for further information, please contact Greg Wall at gwall37@msn.com.

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: Apr 11
Social hour: 5:30 pm
Business meeting: 6:30 pm (suspended for dinner when served)
Future meetings: May 9, Jun 15 (picnic only), Sep 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 Ryan McCulla, rmccull2@slu.edu.

Apr 5
Nicholas Hud, Georgia Institute of Technology
A Self-Assembly Approach to the Origin of RNA

Apr 19
Edgar Arriaga, University of Minnesota
TBA

Sigma-Aldrich Lectures
Peter Dervan, California Institute of Technology
May 1, 3–5 pm in Pere Marquette Gallery, DuBourg Hall
May 2, 9:30–10:30 am in the Sigma-Aldrich R&D Center, 2909 Laclede Avenue, St Louis, MO 63103, Room 1610
Dr Dervan’s research focuses on design and synthesis of small molecules that exhibit sequence-specific regognition of DNA, with implications for customized control of gene expression; his seminar titles were TBA at publication time.

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.

Apr 1
Keith Woerpel, New York University
Stereoselective Reactions of Oxocarbenium Ions: Conformational Analysis, Stereoelectronic Effects, and Reactivity

Apr 22
John Freskos, Mallinckrodt
Discovery and Commercialization of the Hydroxyethyl Sulfonamide HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors

Apr 29
Catherine Murphy, University of Illinois–Urbana/Champaign
TBA

May 6
Distinguished Alumni Lecture
Kim Gorman, President, Paternity Testing Corporation
Life after Benton Hall: Places the Chemistry Path can Lead

Washington University

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

Apr 4
Ulrich Scheler, Leibniz Institute
Complex Polymer Materials - Charges, Interfaces and Stress

Apr 10
4:15 pm in Crow 201, 3:45 pm Coffee in Compton 245
Roald Hoffmann, Cornell University
The Chemical Imagination at Work in Very Tight Places (link)

Apr 11
Richard Robinson, Cornell University
Chemical and Structural Engineering of Nanomaterials for Energy Devices

Apr 18
Oliver Gessner, Lawrence-Berkeley National Lab
Fundamental Dynamics in Molecules, Clusters, and Interfacial Systems Studied with Novel XUV and X-ray Light Sources

Apr 25
John McLean, Vanderbilt University
Structural Mass Spectrometry for Systems, Synthetic, and Chemical Biology

May 2
Bart Bartlett, University of Michigan
Designing Chemically Robust Metal Oxides for Visible-Light Photocatalysis: Toward Solar Z-Scheme Water Splitting