New Haven Section American Chemical Society Bulletin
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New Haven Section American Chemical Society Bulletin VOLUME 26, NUMBER 2, SEPTEMBER 2009 New Haven Section Chartered in 1912 Message from the Chair Chair 2009 Dr. Dennis Jakiela The Section was very active this past Spring. Section high school students [email protected] once again participated in the Chemistry Olympiad. The 14 top scorers were honored at an awards ceremony held June 3, 2009 at the Connecticut Chair-Elect 2009 Jefferson Chin Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. Eleven of these students were [email protected] selected to take the National Exam, and Alexander Siegenfeld of Hopkins School was selected to go to a study camp at the Air Force Academy and served Immediate Past Chair 2009 Dr. David Smudin as the first alternate to the team that represented the United States in the [email protected] international Olympiad in Oxford. Eight winners of our 2008 National Chemistry Week poster contest were also honored at the awards ceremony. Treasurer 2009-2011 Dr. Max Reeve Three fourth graders were honored for their poster on household lead [email protected] contamination in the Connecticut Science Fair as well. I want to congratulate these outstanding students again on their outstanding academic and artistic Secretary 2008-2009 achievements! Dr. Walter Krol [email protected] The Section had a very interesting slate of topics for our general membership meetings last Spring. On March 16, Rob Leonard, President of Councilor 2007-2009 New England Brewing Co, gave a talk and tour of his micro-brewery in William Cesario [email protected] Woodbridge and offered free samples to wash down the pizza provided. Attendees learned about the process of beer making from a master brewer. On Councilor 2009 April 23, members gathered at the Graduate Club in New Haven, to hear Dr. Jennifer Larese [email protected] Andrew Hamilton, professor and Provost of Yale University, speak on molecular recognition and potential therapeutic applications. Prof. Hamilton Alternate Councilor 2008-2010 will be moving to England in October to become Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Dr. Jerry Putterman [email protected] University. Our student awards ceremony was held June 3 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Speaker for the event was Dr. Sarah Burke, Alternate Councilor 2009-2011 Director of Bioscience Explorations (formerly BioBus), an organization that John Bayusik provides science education programs. Attendees were served strawberries. No, [email protected] not to eat. Instructions were given for extracting DNA from the strawberries. Chemistry Olympiad Photos from the enthusiastic participants in the experiment are below. Also, Dr. Olivier Nicaise read more about our Suitcase Science program, organized by Jeff Chin and [email protected] Jennifer Larese, and about the hands on demonstration of Suitcase Science given Bulletin Editor by Jennifer at a New Haven Reads outreach event in New Haven on May 2. Dr. Dennis J. Jakiela We are very encouraged that our attendance at our general membership meetings has been up over previous years and fully expect that trend to continue. Looking ahead, on Wednesday, September 23rd, speakers and meeting locations for approximately six Alex Siegenfeld, a junior at Hopkins School, will be the meetings of the general membership to be held in 2010. guest speaker. Alex is one of twenty national finalists in The first three meetings have usually been arranged by the 2009 U.S. Chemistry Olympiad, and will speak on the outgoing Chairman-elect by the time the new his experiences at the Chemistry Olympiad training camp Chairman-elect takes office. Attendance at a one- at the USAF Academy in Colorado this past summer. weekend New Leader’s Conference, where contact and More meetings are planned for October and December. interaction with other new leaders, past Chairs of local If you haven’t in recent years, consider attending one of sections, and ACS staff provide information on the our events. It’s a great way to meet colleagues in your operation of the ACS and the local section, is encouraged field, and a good opportunity to network. Simply by and supported by the Section. In the second year the attending, I have found out about many job opportunities Chair-elect assumes the Chairmanship of the Section, in recent years. The cost of these events is very and is responsible for overseeing the activities of the reasonable. Section, and presiding over the meetings of the general The Section will be very active in NERM, being membership. In the third year, as Immediate Past held in Hartford this year on October 7-10. Jeff Chin has Chairman, duties are to meet with the Executive organized symposia on “Biotech in the Northeast” and Committee to plan and oversee the activities of the “Topics in Analytical Research”, and Jennifer Larese has Section. organized a symposium on “Science Outreach: What Councilor Are People Doing?” I hope you will be able to attend The Councilor acts as liaison between the Section one ore more of these symposia. and the National ACS office. In particular, at least two As always, I encourage anyone interested to get of the Councilors and Alternate Councilors represent the involved in the Section. Even if not able to commit to an Section at the Councilors’ meetings at the Spring and Officer position, we welcome anyone to join us to help Fall National Meetings. The Councilor’s term of office out in any particular way you way may be interested in. is three years. If you have school age children, why not borrow one of 2009 Chemistry Olympiad our Suitcase Science kits and present a hands-on Suitcase The New Haven Section once again participated in Science demonstration to their class or scouting group? the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO), a Details are below. program that is part of the International Chemistry We all look forward to seeing you soon! Olympiad (IChO). USNCO, a multi-tiered competition sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS), Call for Nominations of Officers for 2010 celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. Dr. Olivier The Executive Committee of the Section is issuing a Nicaise (Trinity College) coordinated the first two call for nominations of members to run for offices, which installments of this competition, the Local Section Exam will become vacant at the end of the 2009. Upon and the National Exam. The exams were hosted by the election, these officers become members of the local Department of Chemistry at Yale University. Section Executive Committee. If you are interested in A total of 66 students, representing 9 high schools, first seeking nomination please contact Dr. Dennis Jakiela at participated in the Local Section Exam that was [email protected] or Jeff Chin at administered on March 28, 2009. A group of 11 students [email protected]. Offices that need to be filled for (the maximum number allowed by the ACS), 2010 are: representing 6 high schools, then qualified for the Chairman-elect (Program Chairman): National Exam that was given on April 25, 2009. These This is a three-year position. In the first year the students are named in the table. They were honored for individual elected becomes familiar with the operation of their outstanding achievement in high school chemistry the Section. With assistance from other members of the on June 3, 2009, at an award ceremony organized by the Executive Committee, this individual will arrange for 2009 Chemistry Olympiad Local Section Students Qualifying for the National Exam in the 2009 Chemistry Olympiad Name School Teacher Alexander Siegenfeld Hopkins School, New Haven Mrs. Sarah Leite Class of 2011 Jonathan Chien Hopkins School, New Haven Mrs. Sarah Leite Class of 2010 Andras Sagi Cheshire High School, Cheshire Dr. Stephen Bertenshaw Class of 2010 Connor Clairmont Cheshire High School, Cheshire Dr. Stephen Bertenshaw Class of 2010 Priya Sharma Pomperaug High School, Southbury Mrs. Coleen Merritt Class of 2010 Daniel Fallahi Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford Mr. William Morris Class of 2009 Divya Keerthy Hamden High School, Hamden Dr. Nancy Graham Class of 2009 Sally Jo Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford Mr. William Morris Class of 2009 Maria Soshea Daniel Hand High School, Madison Mr. Stephen Sekula Class of 2010 Bradley Napier Daniel Hand High School, Madison Mr. Stephen Sekula Class of 2010 Kenneth Westerman Pomperaug High School, Southbury Mrs. Coleen Merritt Class of 2010 Local Section Participants in Attendance at the June 3 Awards Ceremony. First row, from left to right: Yawei Ge (Top Ten Scorer), Christina O’Hara, Rebecca Curtis, Akash Reddy, Zhaowei Ding, Maria Soshea (National Exam qualifier), Priya Sharma (National Exam qualifier). Second row, from left to right: Connor Clairmont (National Exam qualifier and Top Ten Scorer), Daniel Friedman (Top Ten Scorer), Andras Sagi (National Exam qualifier and Top Ten Scorer), Kenneth Westerman (National Exam qualifier), Divya Keerthy (National Exam qualifier, hidden), Brandon Bukowski, Bradley Napier, Dennis Jakiela, Local Section Chair, Oliver Nicaise, Chemistry Olympiad coordinator. New Haven Section, and held at the Connecticut competition held in Cambridge, England, on July 18-29, Agricultural Experiment Station, in New Haven. Each 2009. In addition to the gift certificate that Alexander received a recognition pin commemorating the 25th received, he was also awarded a digital camera, and speak anniversary of the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, and on his USNCO experiences, especially his experiences at also a National Exam Participation Certificate. Some of the study camp, at the general membership meeting on the students who participated in the Local Section Exam September 23. also attended the event, and were also presented with a The New Haven Section wishes to acknowledge the commemorative recognition pin. Attendees at the award invaluable contribution of Dr. Jonathan Parr (Yale ceremony are in the photo.