DED UN 18 O 98
F
N
Y
O
T
R
E I
T
H C
E N O A E S S S L T A E A C R C I N S M S E E H C C TI N O CA November 2007 Vol. LXXXVI, No. 3 N • AMERI
Monthly Meeting Norris Award to Professor Diane M. Bunce Arno Heyn Prize to Myron S. Simon Paul Wender's Birthday Symposium By Michael Filosa The Time of Your Life Award Address by Morton Z. Hoffman Sukant Tripathy Memorial Symposium November 30, 2007 at UMASS Lowell 2 The Nucleus November 2007 The Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. Contents Office: Marilou Cashman, 23 Cottage St., Natick, MA 01360. 1-800-872-2054 (Voice or FAX) or 508-653-6329. Paul Wender's 60th Birthday Symposium 4 e-mail: mcash0953(at)aol.com ______Any Section business may be conducted By Michael P. Filosa via the business office above. NESACS Homepage: Symposium 4 http://www.NESACS.org ______David Cunningham, Webmaster Sukant Tripathy Memorial Symposium at UMASS Lowell ACS Hotline, Washington, D.C.: 1-800-227-5558 Monthly Meeting 5 Officers 2007 ______Chair: Norris Award to Diane M. Bunce. Mukund Chorghade Arno Heyn Memorial Book Prize to Myron S. Simon. 14 Carlson Circle, Natick, MA 01360 508-651-7809 and 308-3891 NESACS ChemLuminary Awards 6 Chorghade(at)comcast.net ______Chair-Elect: Marietta Schwartz Three awards to NESACS members Chemistry Department, Umass-Boston Boston, MA 02125 Award Address 6 617-287-6146; marietta.schwartz(at)umb.edu ______Immediate Past Chair: "The Time of Your Life" by Morton Z. Hoffman Patricia Mabrouk Chemistry Department, Northeastern University Summary of Governance Actions and Reports 8 Boston, MA 02115 ______613-373-2845; p.mabrouk(at)neu.edu 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007 Secretary: Michael Singer Arno Heyn Memorial Book Prize 11 Sigma-Aldrich ______3 Strathmore Rd., Natick, MA 01360 2007 Prize awarded to Myron S. Simon 508-651-8151X291; msinger(at)sial.com Treasurer: National Meeting Photos 13 James Piper ______19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451 Photos by Robert Lichter 978-456-3155, piper28(at)attglobal.net Auditor: Cover: Anthony Rosner Professor Diane M. Bunce of Catholic University of America. 2007 win- Archivist: ner of the James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teach- Myron S. Simon ing of Chemistry. Photo courtesy of Professor Bunce. 20 Somerset Rd. Newton, MA 02465; 617-332-5273 Deadlines: Romysimon(at)mindspring.com January 2008 Issue: November 12, 2007 Trustees: February 2008 Issue: December 10, 2007 Joseph A. Lima, Esther A. H. Hopkins, Michael E. Strem Councilors Alternate Councilors Term Ends 12/31/2007 Thomas R. Gilbert Arlene W. Light Michael J. Hearn Timothy B. Frigo Michael Singer Mary Mahaney Pamela Nagafuji Mark Froimowitz Term Ends 12/31/2008 Doris I. Lewis Patrick M. Gordon The Nucleus is published monthly, except June and August by the Northeastern Section of the American Morton Z. Hoffman Michael P. Filosa Chemical Society, Inc. Forms close for advertising on the 1st of the month of the preceding issue. Text Christine Jaworek-Lopes Lawrence Scott Mary Burgess Liming Shao must be received by the editor six weeks before the date of issue. Donald O. Rickter S.B. Rajur Editor: Michael P. Filosa, Ph.D., editor, ZINK Imaging LLC, 1265 Main Street, Term Ends 12/31/2009 Waltham, MA 02451 Email: Michael.Filosa(at)zink.com; Tel: 781-386-8479. Catherine Costello Julia H.Miwa Associate Editors: Myron S. Simon, 20 Somerset Rd., W. Newton, MA 02465, Tel: 617-332-5273 Patricia Mabrouk Alfred Viola Sheila E Rodman, Konarka Techologies Inc., 116 John St. Suite 12, Lowell, MA Michaeline F. Chen Jerry P. Jasinski 01852 email:srodman(at)konarka.com tel 978-569-1414 Dorothy J. Phillips Eva B. Binnun Amy Tapper Barney Grubbs Board of Publications: Vivian K. Walworth (Chair), Mary Mahaney, David Cunningham Business Manager: Karen Piper, 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451, Tel: 978-456-8622 All Chairs of standing Advertising Manager: Vincent J. Gale, P.O. Box 1150, Marshfield, MA 02050, Committees, the editor Tel: 781-837-0424; FAX: 781-837-1453 of THE NUCLEUS, and Contributing Editors: Morton Hoffman, Feature Editor; Dennis Sardella, Book Reviews the Trustees of Section Calendar Coordinator: Sheila Rodman, email: srodman(at)konarka.com Funds are members of the Photographers: Morton Z. Hoffman and James Phillips Board of Directors. Any Councilor of the American Chemical Society Proofreaders: Donald O. Rickter, Myron S. Simon, Vivian K. Walworth, E. Joseph Billo residing within the section area is an ex officio Webmaster: David Cunningham, webmaster(at)nesacs.org member of the Board of Directors. Copyright 2007, Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. The Nucleus November 2007 3 th Paul Wender’s 60 Corporate Patrons ($2000+) Abbott Laboratories Birthday Symposium Lyophilization Service of New England Merck By Michael Filosa National ACS Novartis Pfizer Sepracor Vertex Pharmaceuticals Patrons ($1000-$1999) Astra-Zeneca R&D Boston IRIX Pharmaceuticals Millenium Pharmaceuticals Shasun Pharmaceuticals Strem Chemicals ZINK Imaging Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. Donors ($300-$999) Cambridge Major Laboratories Occidental PCI Synthesis Royal Society of Chemistry Wender Group in 2007 Serono Research Institute Members of Paul Wender's research group at Harvard (1974-80). Pictured at the Symposium Ban- Wyeth Pharmaceuticals quet held in Palo Alto in August 2007. First Row (L-R): John Schaus, Katherine Brighty, John Hubbs, Paul Wender, Leo Letendre. Second Row: Jeff Howbert, John Lechleiter, Michael Eissenstat, Scott Sieburth. Back Row: Alan White, Geoff Dreyer, Michael Filosa, Donald Wolanin. Not Pictured: Stephen Eck and Karl Fisher. Photo provided by Scott Sieburth. A special reunion of Wender Group Symposium members occurred at Stanford from August 10-12, 2007. The occasion was Sukant Tripathy Annual a celebration of Professor Paul Wen- th Memorial Symposium 2007 to der’s 60 birthday and 30+ years of be held at UMASS Lowell scientific excellence. Group members and former group members came from The University of Massachusetts Low- all over the world to attend this special ell will hold its seventh anniversary event. The festivities began with a Fri- symposium on November 30, 2007, to day night get together at the Palo Alto honor the memory of the late Prof. Sheraton. The Friday event was high- Sukant Tripathy, renowned researcher lighted by a slide show as well as a and former Director of the Center for video with commentary by Paul’s Advanced Materials, University chemical father, Prof. Fred Ziegler of Provost and Vice Chancellor. This Yale University. Fred described the annual event brings together group in those days from 1969-1973 researchers and colleagues from uni- versities and industries, as well as for- when Paul not only synthesized ere- Wender Group in 1976 mophilone but also worked with liquid Members of Paul Wender's Group in 1976-77 mer and present students and HCN in their method for converting pictured in front of Converse Memorial Labora- associates of the Center for Advanced ketones to nitriles. Scott Sieburth of tory. First Row (L-R): John Hubbs, Edward Materials, to discuss latest research Temple University and Don Wolanin Smith, Anthony Feliu, Leo Letendre. Second activities in materials science. Row: Michael Eissenstat, John Schaus, Craig Sukant was recognized around the were responsible for this part of the Hillemann, Stephen Eck. Back Row: John Lech- entertainment. leiter, Alan White, Michael Szymonifka, Michael world for his research in thin polymer The Friday soiree was followed Filosa. Picture courtesy of the Wender Group films and their electrical and linear and early Saturday morning by an all day Archives. nonlinear optical properties. Born in symposium in the Mudd Chemistry Continued on page 12 Continued on page 11
4 The Nucleus November 2007 Monthly Meeting Biography Diane Bunce received her B.S. in chem- The 882nd Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American istry from Le Moyne College in Syra- Chemical Society cuse, NY, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Cornell University, and Presentation of the James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding a Ph.D. in Chemical Education from Achievement in Teaching Chemistry to Prof. Diane M. Bunce University of Maryland, College Park. She served as one of the original Thursday, November 8, 2007 authors on the American Chemical Harvard Faculty Club, Society’s high school textbook, Chem- 20 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA. Com; Chemistry in Context, the ACS textbook for college nonscience majors 4:30 pm Board Meeting and Chemistry, the ACS textbook for 5:30 pm Social Hour chemistry majors. Diane is past chair 6:15 pm Dinner of the Division of Chemical Education (2000) and founding feature editor of 8:00 pm Evening Meeting, Dr. Mukund Chorghade, Chair, presiding the Chemical Education Research Fea- Presentation of the Arno Heyn Book Prize ture of the Journal of Chemical Educa- to Myron S. Simon by Vivian Walworth, Chair, NESACS Board of tion. She is the recipient of several Publications teaching awards, including the Ameri- James Flack Norris can Chemical Society’s Helen Free Award for Public Outreach (August Myron S. Simon, NESACS 2001); Western Connecticut Section of Introduction of the Norris Award Winner the American Chemical Society’s Vis- Michael P. Doyle, University of Maryland iting Scientist Award (May 2001); Presentation of the Norris Award Chemical Manufacturing Chemists Prof. J. Donald Smith, Chair, Norris Award Committee Catalyst Award for National Excel- lence in Chemistry Teaching, 1998; Norris Award Address Society of College Science Professor Diane M. Bunce, The Catholic University of America Teachers/Kendall Hunt Award for Out- “Teaching Is More than Lecturing and Learning Is More than standing College Science Teaching, Memorizing” 1995; CASE (Council for Advance- Dinner reservations should be made no later than noon, Thursday, Novmeber 1, ment and Support of Education) 1993, 2007. Please call or fax Marilou Cashman at 800-872-2054 or e-mail at Undergraduate Professor of the Year - Mcash0953(at)aol.com. Please specify vegetarian. Reservations not cancelled at District of Columbia; and the James E. least 24 hours in advance must be paid. Members, $30; Non-members, $35; Dornan Memorial Teacher of the Year Retirees, $20; Students, $10. Award 1991 and 2005, The Catholic THE PUBLIC IS INVITED University of America, Washington, D.C. She was elected a Fellow of the Anyone who needs special services or transportation, please call Marilou Cash- American Association for the man a few days in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made. Free rd Advancement of Science (AAAS) in parking in the Broadway St. Garage (3 level or higher). Enter from Cambridge N 2003. Street via Felton Street.
Abstract 30% for a typical general chemistry and help facilitate their learning by course. This presentation will intro- incorporating the results of research on Students enter our chemistry classes duce the audience to some of those learning and teaching into their with many insecurities and fears about fears in the students’ own words. courses. This presentation will intro- their ability to be successful in chem- Research into teaching and learning duce several teaching and curriculum istry. These fears often prevent stu- has identified several aspects of the approaches that can be integrated into dents from trying or persisting in their learning process that are common to all typical general chemistry classes. The study when the material becomes chal- learners and across all disciplines. effect of these innovations on student lenging, resulting in an average There are several ways that teachers learning and persistence in the study of N national withdrawal and failure rate of can address the concerns of students chemistry will be investigated.
The Nucleus November 2007 5 NESACS Receives Award Address Three ChemLuminary The Time of Your Awards Life By Morton Z. Hoffman, Professor (Emeritus) of Chemistry, Section Is Finalist in Six Categories Boston University Photo by R. Lichter
Christine Jaworek-Lopes receiving ChemLuminary Award from Ingrid Montes (L) and Ann Nalley ( R). Photos by R. Lichter The Northeastern Section was the winner of three awards at the 9th Annual ChemLuminary Awards event on Tuesday, August 21, 2007. The event was held in the Westin Copley Place Hotel at the 234th National ACS Meeting in Boston in Morton Z. Hoffman receiving 2007 ACS Award for Volunteer Service from recognition of the efforts of its volunteer members. ACS President Katie Hunt. All photos by R. Lichter I would like to begin by thanking the ACS for this award and to acknowledge the support of my family and friends over the years. I want to congratulate all in the audience this evening who are representing units within the ACS that are finalists for ChemLuminary Awards. This ceremony recognizes those who have volunteered their time and effort for the furtherance of chemistry and the American Chemical Society, and I am honored to be able to “kvell” with their families and friends. First, something about the word “kvell” for those who haven’t heard it before. The intransitive verb “to kvell” comes from the Yiddish of Eastern Europe through the Mit- telhochdeutsch verb, quellen, meaning to well up or gush. Will Lynch (L) with Dan Eustace, ChemLuminary, and Immediate Past To “kvell” is to burst with unabashed and uncontained pride, ACS President Ann Nalley ( R). usually about one’s children and grandchildren. And, since The awards were in the following categories: Outstand- we here are each other’s intellectual, scientific, and profes- ing Local Section Career Program Award from the Commit- sional parents, children, and, indeed, grandchildren, it is per- tee on Economic and Professional Affairs; Most Original fectly acceptable tonight to “kvell” beyond the bursting Hands-on Activity of Chemical Demonstration in National point. Chemistry Week Award from the Committee on Community Certainly, on this evening of celebration, you are hav- Affairs; Most Innovative New Activity or Program in a ing the time of your life: enjoyment, camaraderie, and just Local Section Award from the Local Section Activities plain fun. “The time of your life;” what an interesting and Committee. enigmatic phrase. What one considers to be “the time of NESACS was also a runner-up for the following awards one’s life” certainly depends on age and the context of the (winning local section in parentheses): Outstanding Local activity. The time of one’s life for a teenager, for example, Continued on page 13 Continued on page 7
6 The Nucleus November 2007 Time of Your Life Jar” and herself a greatly admired poet. She was born in Boston; her parents, who were of Austrian and German Continued from page 6 descent, were members of the faculty of Boston University. is certainly not the same as for those like me who are long in In fact, Sylvia’s mother, Aurelia, was one of the teachers, the tooth. But, when you think of the time that you have influential mentors, and friends of my wife, Sandy. Talk available in your life and the opportunities to do, or not do, about six degrees of separation! something important with it, the statement, “the time of I would like to share with you now one of Amichai’s one’s life,” becomes rather profound and a bit frightening. best-known poems, “A Man in His Life,” in which “time” is Time is, indeed, our most limited, and therefore price- the central theme. less, existential quantity. We may never run out of money A Man in His Life or other material possessions in our lives, but we will cer- tainly run out of time. It is, therefore, our moral obligation A man doesn’t have time in his life to contribute our time without the hope of any financial to have time for everything. remuneration to those activities that really contribute to the He doesn’t have seasons enough to have betterment of the world and the human condition. That is a season for every purpose. Ecclesiastes was wrong about the essence of being a volunteer. that. My thoughts about “time” as the theme of my address A man needs to love and to hate at the same moment, tonight led me to a poem by the contemporary Israeli poet, to laugh and cry with the same eyes, Yehuda Amichai, who is considered by many to be the with the same hands to throw stones and to gather them, greatest modern poet to write in colloquial Hebrew. His to make love in war and war in love. works have been extensively translated into English and more than 30 other languages. And to hate and forgive and remember and forget, Amichai was born Ludwig Pfeuffer in 1924 in to arrange and confuse, to eat and to digest Würzburg, Germany. His family of shopkeepers migrated what history to Palestine in 1935 when the circumstances for Jews in takes years and years to do. Nazi Germany were going from bad to worse, and were A man doesn’t have time. soon to become as holocaustic as they could possibly be. When he loses he seeks, when he finds His poetry was “discovered” by Ted Hughes, the future Poet he forgets, when he forgets he loves, when he loves Laureate of Great Britain. Now, Hughes, you may remem- he begins to forget. ber, was married to Sylvia Plath, the author of “The Bell continued on page 13
The Nucleus November 2007 7 SUMMARY OF GOVERNANCE ACTIONS AND REPORTS AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 234th ACS NATIONAL MEETING BOSTON, MA AUGUST 19-23, 2007 The following is a summary of key the remainder of a 2006-2008 term on Directors-at-Large – 2008-2010 actions of the ACS Council and Board the Council Policy Committee. Janan Hayes: Merced College of Directors at the 2007 Fall national By written ballot the Council elected (Retired), Merced, CA meeting. Frank Blum, Carol Duane, Ruth Hath- Bonnie Lawlor: NFAIS, Philadel- ACTIONS OF THE away, Arlyne Sarquis, and Pamela phia, PA COUNCIL Shapiro for the 2008-2010 term on the Kent Voorhees: Colorado School of Committee on Nominations and Elec- Mines, Golden, CO Election Results tions. By written ballot the Council elected Frankie Wood-Black: Trihydro Cor- Candidates for President-Elect and Ken Anderson, Lawrence Barton, Lissa poration, Ponca City, OK Board of Directors Dulany, Larry Krannich, and Will Director, District II 2008-2010 The candidates for the fall 2007 ACS Lynch for the 2008-2010 term, and Joseph Peterson: University of Ten- national election were announced as Roland Hirsch for the remainder of a nessee (Retired), Knoxville, TN 2006-2008 term on the Committee on follows: Diane Schmidt: The Procter & Committees. President-Elect 2008 Gamble Company, Cincinnati, By written ballot the Council elected Thomas Lane: Dow Corning Cor- OH Mary Orna, Dorothy Phillips, Yorke poration, Midland, MI Director, District IV 2008-2010 Rhodes, and Kathleen Schulz for the Howard Peters: Peters, Verny, LLP, 2008-2010 term, and Peter Stang for Palo Alto, CA Eric Bigham: GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC Gregory Robinson: University of Georgia, Athens, GA Petitions The Council VOTED to accept the Petition on Local Section Affiliations. The petition addresses a difference in current Society bylaws regarding the responsibilities of the Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC) and the Committee on Divisional Activities (DAC) in oversight of the establish- ment of affiliations by local sections and divisions, respectively. Responsi- bilities for LSAC in approving local section affiliations will now parallel those currently established for DAC. To be valid, the petition next must be confirmed by the Board of Directors in 90 days. The Council received three Petitions for consideration: Petition on Election Procedures for President-Elect and District Director, which seeks to move toward a preferential ballot, both to make the balloting procedure more
8 The Nucleus November 2007 Governance Actions Registration Report and 2008 Guidelines for consideration. These National Meeting Registration Fee guidelines apply to those members of Continued from page 8 As of August 21, 2007, the ACS fall the academic community whose job uniform and to avoid the complications national meeting had attracted 15,344 functions impact directly or indirectly and expense of run-off elections; Peti- registrants. Totals in select categories on scientists practicing the profession tion on Local Section and Division are as follows: Regular attendees of chemistry. The Council will vote on Election Procedures, which provides 8,792; Students 3,518; Guests 574; the Academic Professional Guidelines options other than run-off elections to Exhibit Only 784; and Exhibitors at the 2008 spring meeting in New local sections and division for resolv- 1,676. In keeping with the objective of Orleans. ing tie votes; Petition on Membership the National Meeting Long Range Special Discussion Item Categories and Requirements, which Financial Plan, previously approved by represents a comprehensive revision of the Board of Directors and Council, A special discussion item was put on the qualifications required for member- the Meetings and Expositions Commit- the Council agenda. The discussion ship and for affiliate status in the Soci- tee approved an increase of ten dollars focused on ACS policy development ety. Action is expected on these three for the 2008 national meetings and advocacy efforts. ACS President petitions at the 2008 spring national advanced registration fee. Catherine (Katie) T. Hunt framed the meeting. discussion by posing three questions: The Society’s Membership 1) How can ACS encourage more Committee Review and Other members to participate by bringing Committee Changes The Committee on Membership Affairs reported that as of July 2007, the ACS their expertise to the development of As part of a regular review, the Coun- total membership is 1,100 ahead of more targeted policy positions? 2) cil VOTED to continue the Committee that at the same date last year, and the What can ACS do to increase member on Nomenclature, Terminology and number of unpaid members is 295 less involvement in public policy advo- Symbols. The Council also VOTED to than that at the same date last year. cacy? 3) How can ACS be a more support the request of the Committee effective leader in policy activities in on Chemists with Disabilities that its Review of the Academic Profes- the broader science and technology status be changed from an “other com- sional Guidelines communities? Councilors entered into mittee” of the Board to a joint Board- The Committee on Economic and Pro- a robust exchange, offering several Council Committee. fessional Affairs submitted its latest useful comments and suggestions. As a The Council VOTED to amend the version of the Academic Professional Continued on page 10 acronym of the Committee on Project SEED and update the committee’s charge. The acronym will be changed from “Summer Educational Experi- ence for the Disadvantaged” to “Sum- mer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged.” Governance Review – Committee Summit The Council Policy Committee (CPC) received a report on the activities of the Governance Review Task Force, specifically those related to the Sum- mit on ACS Committee Structure held in July 2007. As a followup to this review, CPC was informed of several recommendations to be directed to the Committee on Committees, the Board of Directors, the Council Policy Com- mittee, and to other specific commit- tees. Recognizing its work as completed, the Council Policy Com- mittee voted to discharge the Gover- nance Review Task Force, with thanks, subject to the concurrence of the Board of Directors.
The Nucleus November 2007 9 Governance Actions the Board voted to approve Society mended by the Committee on Pensions nominees for the 2008 Perkin Medal and Investments; and the activities of Continued from page 9 and the 2008 Othmer Gold Medal. On the Publications Division, Chemical followup, President Hunt invited coun- the recommendation of the Committee Abstracts Service, and the Society’s cilors to visit her website at
10 The Nucleus November 2007 Symposium Myron S. Simon to Receive Continued from page 4 Bihar, India, he did his undergraduate Arno Heyn Book Prize work at the Indian Institute of Technol- ogy at Kharagpur. He received his Ph.D. in polymer science from Case The Arno Heyn Memorial Committee fifteen years. Myke’s name has fre- Western Reserve University in 1981, has unanimously chosen Myron S. quently appeared in The Nucleus as an and then joined GTE Laboratories. At (Myke) Simon as recipient of this author as well. GTE Labs, he became manager of the year’s Arno Heyn Book Award. This In addition to his present service organic and polymer science depart- award recognizes significant contribu- as Section Archivist, Myke continues ment. In 1985, Sukant joined the fac- tions to NESACS publications. Among to provide wise counsel to the Board of ulty of University of Massachusetts his many roles in NESACS, Myke has Publications. The award will be pre- served as Associate Editor of The sented to Myke at NESACS’s Novem- Lowell. He founded and served as N Director of the Center for Advanced Nucleus since 1988. He was a strong ber meeting. Materials from 1992. He also served supporter to Arno, who was Editor for the University as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs from 1994 to 1996. In 1993, he was Robert Miller, Genzyme Corporation, Registration awarded the Carl S. Marvel Creative Waltham, MA Pre-registration is required by Novem- Polymer Chemistry Award of the Rajeswari Kasi, University of Con- ber 16, 2007 to Michele_Vercellin@ American Chemical Society Division necticut, Storrs, CT uml.edu. Lunch and refreshments will of Polymer Chemistry. He had pub- Bruce Foxman, Brandeis University, be provided. lished over 200 papers in his areas of Waltham, MA Details and Changes interest and held two dozen patents. Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, Univer- All updates about this symposium will Sukant died on December 12, sity of Connecticut, Storrs, CT be posted on the website www.uml.edu 2000, in a swimming accident in Todd Emerick, University of Massa- /tripathysymposium/ or you may con- Hawaii after lecturing at a conference chusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA tact [email protected] or of the Polymer Chemistry Division of Xinqiao Jia, University of Delaware, N 978-934-3695. the American Chemical Society. Each Newark, DE year, to commemorate this anniversary, and on the Friday of the MRS Confer- ence week in Boston, this symposium is held as a commitment to continue the work he started. This year’s symposium will be held on Friday, November 30, 2007 from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Univer- sity of Massachusetts Lowell, MIL Conference Room, Wannalancit Mills, 600 Suffolk St., Lowell, MA 01854. Scheduled speakers are: Anil Netravali, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Russell Gaudiana, Konarka Tech- nologies Inc., Lowell, MA Governance Actions
Continued from page 10
The Nucleus November 2007 11 th Paul Wender’s 60 Kalamazoo College he came to Har- own creation, which incorporated his vard in the fall of 1974 to work on his affinity for postage stamps with the Continued from page 4 senior honors thesis. In the fall of 1975 signatures of those in attendance. Paul building. Since neither Paul nor his he returned as a doctoral student. also received a framed copy of his students are known to be short with The Saturday night banquet was a “scientific lineage.” words and the schedule was ambitious, truly special event. It was high lighted The party did not end on Saturday the symposium, predictably, ran over by remarks from Paul’s chemical night. A group summertime tradition, by 45 minutes. grandfather and Synthetic Chemistry which started in the Harvard days with The symposium comprised eight- icon, Professor Gilbert Stork. Professor trips to Plum Island (74-80), was a een talks presented by speakers from Stork particularly marveled at the beach outing on Sunday to Natural industry and academia. Speakers were depth of Paul’s insight into synthesis in Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz. mainly from the United States, but his ability to visualize the non-obvious. There, Paul’s first two graduate stu- included academicians from Canada, Professor Stork was followed by Prof. dents, Mike Eissenstat and I, helped Japan, Chile, Germany, France and John Brauman (Stanford’s department two of Paul’s first-year students pre- Brazil. Professor Marc Snapper of chair when Paul was hired away from pare the court for what proved to be a Boston College gave one of the final Harvard) and John Lechleiter (Ph.D. vigorous game of beach volleyball. talks, entitled “The Development of number three from the Wender Group Thus continued another group tradition Cyclobutadiene as a Useful Reagent.” and currently President and COO of of vigorous physical activity. All that The lead-off talk was presented by Dr. Eli Lilly.) was missing were the tennis, softball Cindy Kan, a post-doc with Sam Dan- We had another video, courtesy of and touch football games played on the ishefsky at Sloan-Kettering Institute, Drs. Sieburth and Wolanin which Harvard athletic fields of 30 years ago. who described her efforts towards the amusingly traced Paul’s career right The reunion was special for those chemical synthesis of erythropoietin. back to his roots in Wilkes-Barre and of us who started with Paul at Harvard The last talk, presented by Dr. Stephen then followed his career through the in those early years. Of the seventeen Eck of Pfizer (now of Eli Lilly) was on eyes of various co-workers and men- graduate students who earned Ph.D.’s “Changing the Strategy for Drug Dis- tors up to the present day. Professor with Paul at Harvard, fifteen were covery and Development: Better Mike Harmata of the University of present at the reunion. Although many Drugs, Faster & Cheaper.” Dr. Eck Missouri-Columbia was also a prime of us had not seen each other for close owns the distinction of being Paul’s organizer of this event and presented to thirty years, the bonds were strong first student at Harvard. As a senior at Paul with a special birthday card of his and the reminiscences never-ending. I did have to correct some urban legends with respect to my words and actions, but I do not believe I was particularly successful. For example, I do not believe for a minute I trashed that Chemistry Department vending machine that cheated me. Nor did I ever take the keys from a driver who annoyed me while riding my bicycle and throw them in a field. However, I do agree that I still “owe” Leo Letendre. I had been looking forward to this event since it was announced and it totally lived up to my expectations. Many kudos to Mike Harmata, Scott Sieburth, Dave Smith, Robert Wilhelm and Terri Tippets of the organizing committee and to Paul and Jacqueline Continued on page
12 The Nucleus November 2007 DIRECTORY Time of Your Life Three Awards SERVICES
Continued from page 7 Continued from page 6 And his soul is seasoned, his soul Section Younger Chemists Committee is very professional. (Minnesota); Outstanding Community Only his body remains forever Involvement in National Chemistry an amateur. It tries and it misses, Week (Indiana); Outstanding Perform- gets muddled, doesn’t learn a thing, ance by a Local section, Very large drunk and blind in its pleasures Size category (North Jersey). and in its pains. In addition, the address for the 2007 Volunteer Service to the Ameri- He will die as figs die in autumn, can Chemical Society Award was shriveled and ripe and sweet, given at the ceremony by Morton the leaves growing dry on the ground, Hoffman, Professor Emeritus at the bare branches pointing to the place Boston University, entitled, “The Time where there’s time for everything. N of Your Life.” (From “The Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai,” C. Bloch and S. Mitchell, eds.; University of California Press, tribute to the purpose and objectives of Berkeley, 1996) the Society, its many other volunteers, Now, I hope the poem didn’t and its wonderfully dedicated staff. depress you excessively on this occa- My charge to you now is to con- sion of joy and celebration. The fact tinue to be part of the ACS in all your is, however, that we must all husband futures, and have the time of your life. our disposable time very carefully, and I say to you, as my immigrant grand- your choice, as well as mine, to offer it mother kvellingly said to me, “Oy, I’m to the ACS, which is, undoubtedly, our so proud, I could bust, already.” N favorite professional organization, is a Thank you and good luck. National Meeting Photos All Photos by Robert Lichter Speakers and organizers of the German Exchange (L-R): K. Begitt, C. Schaefer, G. Bechtold, T. Gros- mann, M. Hoff- man, J. Breffke, L. Dafik, E.-M. Jahn, C. Corten Laila Dafik, NESACS YCC Chair speaking at the Ger- Roald Hoffmann man Exchange Symposium pictured with the speakers at the 70th Birthday Symposium held in his honor. (L-R) Saundra McGuire, Louisiana State University; Hen- ning Hopf, Tech- nische Universität Braunschweig, Germany; Katie Hunt, ACS President; Roald Hoffmann, Cornell University; Michael Weisberg, University of Pennsylvania; Odile Eisenstein, Institut Charles Ger- Mike Strem presents an ACS hardt, Montpellier, France; Peter Wolczanski, Cornell University; Salute to Excellence to Dr. Hector Abruna, Cornell University; Oliver Sacks, Albert Einstein Kurt Begitt, Deputy Direc- College of Medicine, New York City; Bassam Shakhashiri, University tor of the GDCh. of Wisconsin, Madison
The Nucleus November 2007 13 BUSINESS DIRECTORY SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES
Front Run OrganX,inc.
Custom Synthesis & Process Chemistry WHEN QUALITY MATTERS High Purity, Scalable Solutions
to Challenging Organic Synthesis
Starting Materials to Pre-clinical Single to Multi-Step mg to Kgm
98% min. purity Phone 978-356-7133 Fax 978-356-7449 Email [email protected] www.FrontRunOrg.com
14 The Nucleus November 2007 BUSINESS DIRECTORY SERVICES SERVICES CAREER SERVICES
Index of Advertisers Am. Instrument Exchange...... 14 Arendt & Associates IP Group...... 15 Bruker Daltronics, Inc...... 13 Chemir Analytical Services...... 15 Chemo Dynamics LP ...... 9 Desert Analytics Laboratory ...... 7 DuPont Analytical Solutions...... 14 Eastern Scientific Co...... 12 G. Finkenbeiner, Inc...... 14 Front Run OrganX, Inc...... 14 HT Laboratories, Inc...... 14 Huffman Laboratories, Inc...... 15 IQSynthesis ...... 10 Laboratory Compliance Services..14 Mass-Vac, Inc...... 8 Micron Inc...... 14 New Era Enerprises, Inc...... 15 Northeastern University ...... 2 NuMega Resonance Labs...... 15 Organix, Inc...... 14 PCI Synthesis ...... 11 PolyOrg Inc...... 15 Robertson Microlit Labs...... 14 Schwarzkopf Microanalytical ...... 14 Waters Corporation ...... 13
The Nucleus November 2007 15 Harvard, MA 01451 19 Mill Road
Nov 6 Nov 15 Professor Feng Gai (Univ. Penn.) Milli Dresselhaus (MIT) “Fast Folding Events in Solution and in G. B. Kistiakowsky Lecture, Title TBA Membranes” Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall 8:00 pm Boston College, Merkert 130 Professor Song Jin, (Univ. Wisconsin-Madison) 4:00 pm “How to Make a Christmas Tree: General Dr. Sudip Parikh (Science Advisor - Senate Chemical Synthesis of Silicide Nanowires and Appropriations Committee) Complex Nanowire Structures” “NIH Funding and Stem Cell Research: Mixing Boston College, Merkert 130 4:00 pm Science and Politics in the U.S. Senate” Nov 19 Tufts Univ, Pearson, P106 4:30 pm Dr. Lindsay Eltis (Univ. British Columbia) “Bacteria on steroids: the Good, the Bad and the Dr. Jonathan Kenny (Tufts Univ.) Ugly” “Multidimensional Fluorescence Analysis of Brandeis, Gerstenzang 122 Natural Waters” 3:45 pm New England Section: Society for Applied Spectroscopy Rama Ranganthan (U. Texas, Southwestern Hampton Inn –Speen St, Natick Medical Ctr.) 7:30 pm (5:30 pm refreshments, dinner 6:30 pm) TBA Nov 7 Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall 4:15 pm Professor Philip P. Power (U. C., Davis) Dr. Ashis Basu (U. Conn.) AMERICAN CHEMICAL TBA U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NONPROFIT ORG. TBA NORTHEASTERN Boston Univ., Life Sci. and Eng. Bldg. Northeastern Univ, 129 Hurtig Hall
SOCIETY SECTION Auditorium B01 4:00 pm 12:00 Noon Nov 20 Dr. John Verkade (Iowa State Univ.) “Recent Developments in the Usefulness of Dr. Robert Volkmann (Pfizer Central Research) Proazaphosphatranes in Organic Methodology “Linking the Structure and Effects of Medicines” and Some Other Interesting Chemistry” Univ. New Hampshire, Iddles, Brandeis, Gerstenzang 122 Rm L103 11:10 am 3:45 pm Nov 26 Dr. Harry A. Frank (U. Conn, Storrs) Michael Yaffe (MIT) Calendar “Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting by TBA Carotenoids –A Structurally Diverse and Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall Check the NESACS Homepage Colorful Class of Pigments.” 4:15 pm UMass Dartmouth ,Building Group II, for late additions: Room 115 Professor Karen Allen (Boston Univ. School of http://www.NESACS.org 4:00 pm Medicine) TBA Note also the Chemistry Department web Ivan Dmochowski (U. Penn.) Boston Univ., Life Sci. and Eng. Auditorium pages for travel directions and updates. TBA B01 These include: MIT, 6-120 4:00 pm http://chemserv.bc.edu/seminar.html 4:00 pm Nov 28 http://www.bu.edu/chemistry/events/ Nov 12 http://www.chem.brandeis.edu/colloquium.shtml Dr. Elizabeth Komives (U. Cal., San Diego) http://www-chem.harvard.edu/events/ Dr. Jon Amster (Univ. Georgia) “Biophysics of the NF-kappa B/ Ikappa B http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/ TBA Interaction” www.chem.neu.edu/web/calendar/index.html Brandeis, Gerstenzang 122 Northeastern Univ., 129 Hurtig Hall http://chem.tufts.edu/seminars.html [CHEM.] 3:45 pm 12:00 Noon http://ase.tufts.edu/chemical/seminar.htm Nov 13 Karen Goldberg (Univ. Washington, Seattle) [CHEM. ENGG.] Professor Catherine Drennan (MIT) TBA http://www.chem.umb.edu/ “Structural Insights into Enzymatic Harvard Univ., Pfizer Lecture Hall 4:00 pm www.umassd.edu/cas/chemistry/seminars.cfm Halogenation of Natural Products” www.uml.edu/Dept/Chemistry/speakers.html Jessica Robidoux Boston College, Merkert 130 http://www.unh.edu/chemistry/seminars.html “CSI and Chemistry” Nov 1 4:00 pm UMass Dartmouth, Building Group II, Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi UC Berkeley Room 115 4:00 pm David A. Weitz (Harvard Univ.) “Chemistry in Living Systems: Shedding Light Nov 29 “Dripping Jetting Drops and Wetting: The Magic on Glycans” Professor Ronald Raines (Univ. Wisconsin) of Microfluidics” Tufts Univ., Pearson, P106 “Stereoelectronic Effects on Protein Structure: Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall 5:00 pm 4:30 pm Lessons from Collagen” Nov 5 Nov 14 Boston College, Merkert 130 4:00 pm Dr. Chris Dinsmore (Merck) Dr. Christopher Walsh (Harvard Medical School) Bartosz Gryzbowski, (Northwestern Univ.) TBA “Natural Product Enzymatic Assembly Lines: TBA Brandeis Gerstenzang 122 3:45 pm Logic and Machinery” Harvard Univ. Pfizer Lecture Hall Jeff Bode (U. Penn.) Northeastern Univ., 129 Hurtig Hall 4:00 pm The Pfizer Symposium, Title TBA 12:00 Noon Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall James Boncella (Los Alamos National Lab) 3:30 pm TBA Notices for The Nucleus Joel Hawkins (Pfizer) MIT, 6-120 Calendar of Seminars should be The Pfizer Symposium, Title TBA 4:00 pm sent to: Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall 4:30 pm Sheila E Rodman Jonas C. Peters (MIT) 250 Kennedy Drive TBA Unit #403, Malden, MA 02148. Boston Univ., Life Sci. and Eng. Auditorium E-MAIL: serodman(at)hotmail.com B01 4:00 pm