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(+1) (608) 276-3000 Fax (+1) (608) 276-3006 www.bruker-axs.com [email protected] Germany: BRUKER AXS GMBH Tel. (+49) (721) 595- 2888 Fax (+49) (721) 595-4587 www.bruker-axs.de [email protected] Netherlands: BRUKER AXS BV Tel. (+31) (15) 215-2400 Fax (+31) (15) 215-2500 www.bruker-axs.nl [email protected] American Crystallographic Association * REFLECTIONS *see page 9 for notes on our new name and for new logo possibilities Cover: Images from Warren Award Recipient Charles Majkrazk and his colleagues; see page 25. ACA HOME PAGE: hwi.buffalo.edu/ACA/ Table of Contents 3 President’s Column Guest Editorial: Miriam Rossi on the State of Science Education 6 Letters to the Editor from Frank Allen and Patrick Carroll 7 Intelligent Design Update from the Editors 8 Awards, Announcements, and News 10 Call for Nominations for 2007 Etter Award ACA Summer Course in Small Molecule Crystallography 11 Highlights of Fall ACA Council Meeting 13 2006 Roster of ACA Officers and Appointments 14 2006 Roster of ACA Standing Committees Web Watch 17 2006 Roster of SIG Officers 20 Index of Advertisers 21 2006 Roster of USNCCr Officers & Members 22 Robinson D. Burbank (1921 - 2006) Ruben Rudman (1937 - 2006) 23 Corporate Members 25 On the Cover 26 Alwyn Jones: Recollections about Patterson Award Address 29 New Structural Genomics Consortium 30 The Future of Neutron Crystallography Book Reviews 32 63rd Pittsburgh Diffraction Conference 34 News from Latin America Contributors to this Issue 35 2006 ACA Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii 36 Calendar of Meetings Contributions to Reflections may be sent to either of the Editors: Please address matters pertaining to advertisements, membership inquiries, or use of the ACA mailing list to: Connie Chidester ...................................... Judith L. Flippen-Anderson 2115 Glenwood Dr. ............................................. 3521 Launcelot Way Marcia J. Colquhoun, Director of Administrative Services Kalamazoo, MI 49008 ...................................... Annandale, VA 22003 American Crystallographic Association tel. 269-342-1600 ..................................................tel. 703-346-2441 P.O. Box 96, Ellicott Station Buffalo, NY 14203-0906 fax 716-898-8695 ...................................................fax 716-898-8695 phone: 716-898-8692; fax: 716-898-8695 [email protected] ..................... [email protected] email: [email protected] Deadlines for contributions are: February 1 (Spring), May 1 (Summer), August 1 (Fall) and November 1 (Winter) ACA Reflections (ISSN 1958-9945) Number 1, 2006. Published four times per year in the spring, summer, fall and winter for the membership of the American Crystallographic Association, P.O. Box 96, Ellicott Station, Buffalo, NY 14205-0096. Membership in the ACA includes a non-deductible charge of $1.75 from membership dues to be applied to a subscription to the ACA Newsletter. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, New York. POST- MASTER: Send address changes to ACA, 700 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203. President's Column / Guest Editorial Spring 2006 At the outset, let me thank my advantage of this option are urged to check out: xray.chem.ufl. predecessor Louis Delbaere for edu/aca2006/accommodations.html as soon as possible. Our the excellent way he led the sincere thanks to Local Chairs Charles Simmons and Karl Seff and ACA, and welcome our new Program Chair Judy Kelly for their tireless efforts toward making V.P. Alan Pinkerton to the fold. this meeting a big success. At this time it is also appropriate The Transactions symposium in Hawaii will be on Neutron Crys- to thank those who contribute to tallography: "The Future of Neutron Crystallography: Smaller the smooth functioning of the Crystals, Larger Molecules" which should raise our awareness of organization, and much credit exciting opportunities that will soon “change the landscape” as is due our Chief Executive far as single-crystal neutron diffraction is concerned. We expect Officer, Bill Duax, and our Chief that the new ultra-high-intensity Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Financial Officer, S.N. Rao as currently being built at Oak Ridge, Tennessee (and other similar well as our Newsletter Editors facilities under construction in other parts of the world) will, by Judy Flippen-Anderson and Connie Chidester. Because these greatly reducing the size of crystals needed and the time required people and our ACA Council; SIG officers; Standing Commit- for a neutron analysis, do for neutron diffraction what synchrotrons tees and Local and Program Chairs are all volunteers who lead have done for x-ray data collection. There will also be symposia very busy lives apart from the ACA, very little would get done to honor the 2006 Buerger and Warren Award winners Helen without our competent professional staff. We are grateful to Berman and Charles Majkrzak, and the Etter Early Career Awardee our Director of Administrative Services, Marcia Colquhoun, Carrie Wilmot. The symposia organizers and some details about and to Patti Coley, Erica McMehan and Jennifer Curtice for the exciting workshops planned are on page 35. their invaluable services. Please be aware that the nomination deadlines for the 2007 Sadly, with this issue we must also mourn the passing of two Fankuchen, and Trueblood Awards to be presented at next year’s ACA colleagues, former ACA President Robinson Burbank and Salt Lake City Meeting are coming up soon (May 1, 2006). Reuben Rudman, who was a long time loyal member. (The Etter Award deadline is September 1st.) See hwi.buffalo. At our Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, July 22-27, 2006, edu/ACA/Awards.htm for details about these awards and forms. we will have a unique opportunity to discuss science in an Finally, the sites and chairs of some future meetings have been idyllic setting, and I hope that many of you will take advantage decided. For the 2007 meeting in Salt Lake City, Chris Hill will of this rare opportunity. Hawaii was selected partly with the be the Local Chair and Jill Trewhella the Program Chair. In 2008 intention of attracting crystallographers from other Pacific Rim at Knoxville, Jason Hodges will be Local Chair and Paul Butler communities, as well as, hopefully, representation from Latin and Dean Myles will share the Program Chair responsibilities. To American countries. To make it easier for people to attend this all of these individuals who have graciously agreed to donate their meeting, we have made a special effort to negotiate reduced time and services, we owe a big “Thank You”! hotel rates for students and postdocs; those interested in taking Bob Bau Guest Editorial: Comments on the State of Science Education by Miriam Rossi, Mary Landon Sague Professor of Chemistry, Vassar College Diminishing standards for science and math in pre-college education as well as the declining numbers of students entering a career in science are the subject of many current news articles. The National Academies of Science issued a 2005 report (books.nap.edu/catalog/11463. html) describing this dismal state of affairs. Moreover, this trend is not restricted to the US and it has far reaching implications since many technical professions have a scientific basis (e.g., mechanic, nurse, plumber). As scientists, we need to ask ourselves what can be done to stop this apparently gloomy outlook which foretells a future with few scientists and numerous scientifically uninformed lay persons. Some reflection is in order about this situation. We need to ask how scientists are portrayed and how they are viewed; we need to investigate how math and science are taught in the K-12 world and at the introductory university level. Finally, policy decisions at all levels need to be made that reverse this tendency toward poor science education and negative public perception. Photo courtesy of Christine Zardecki, PDB. Children are (and always were) excited by science and technology; nowadays, they are exposed to it at an increasing level as our society becomes more technological. Besides, many of the movies they are most attracted to – from Harry Potter to the Star Wars series - promote a positive image of science and technology. It would appear that the conditions are right for rising awareness towards science. Why, then, are these children not overwhelmingly seeking careers in scientific and technological fields? How is science and math taught? First, we need to be aware that the K-12 world is rapidly changing. As our society evolves, so does what it means to be a child and to grow up. Children have easy access to computers, the internet, and electronic games. Play-dates frequently have to be arranged and physical activity needs to be scheduled. While the health consequences of physical 3 CRYSTALLOGRAPHY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE POWERFUL... 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