April Undergraduate Research Night at Siena College

ENY ACS sponsored an Undergraduate Research Poster Session on April 15th, hosted by Siena College. Almost 30 students represented RPI, Siena College, Skidmore College and Union College.

The evening was a tremendous success for promoting some fantastic work by area college researchers. It had been a number of years since the ENY ACS Local Section sponsored an Undergraduate Research Night. Thanks to everyone who presented and attended, this is sure to be an annual event.

In addition to the posters, three oral presentations were given to conclude the evening.

Taela Durst – Siena College

Kinetic Studies of the Release of Methylene Blue Dye in Water from PAH/PAA Multilayer Thin Films

Jason Marion – Siena College

Layer-by-Layer Self Assembled Thin Film Materials Using Conventional and Microwave Assisted Techniques

Stephen McCarron – Siena College

Assembled Nanoparticle Films with Disubstituted Dibenzocrown Ether Derivatives as Sensors for Metal Ions

Buck-Whitney Award – Eastern New York ACS

The Eastern New York section of the American Chemical Society is soliciting nominations for the Buck-Whitney Medal to recognize original work in pure or applied chemistry. This award honors two of the section's deceased members, Johannes S. Buck, former Associate Research Director of the former Sterling-Winthrop Research Institute and, Willis R. Whitney, the first Director of the General Electric Research Laboratory.

The nominee must have made outstanding contributions to chemistry and be a resident of North America. We are interested primarily in identifying a chemist whose work has not yet received a significant national or international award, and whose career will be advanced by such recognition. A bronze medal and citation, an honorarium of $1000, and a grant toward the travel expenses of the recipient to address our local section will be offered. The nominee's work can be in either experimental or theoretical aspects of any field of pure or applied chemistry.

To nominate someone, please provide the nominee's name and affiliation and list the specific contributions of the nominee to chemistry, including a description of his or her accomplishments. Your nominations will be reviewed by the Awards Committee who will forward the name of the chosen candidate to the Chair and the Executive Committee of the Eastern New York Section for approval.

Nominations for the Buck-Whitney Medal should be mailed by May 15, 2009 to: Michael Hagerman, Buck-Whitney Award Committee Chair, Department of Chemistry, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308.

Click here for a more information on the Buck-Whitney Award and a list of previous Award Recipients.

Iota Sigma Pi Officer Elections April 30, 2009

On April 30th the local Cadmium Chapter of ISP elect the new officers and install them in office. This will take place in the Boardroom of the Classroom Bldg at the Albany College of Pharmacy at 7:00pm on April 30th.

Interested in joining ISP?

Iota Sigma Pi (ISP) is a national honor society for women in chemistry. The group’s mission is:

• to promote interest in chemistry among women students
• to foster mutual advancement in academic, business, and social life
• to stimulate personal accomplishment in chemical fields

More information on ISP can be found on their website at http://www.iotasigmapi.info/

If you are interested in joining ISP, please attend the meeting on April 30^th. Students need a one-time $40.00 check or Professionals need a one-time $75.00 check. Please respond to Sunanda Sukumar by e-mail Sunanda.Sukumar@acphs.edu to RSVP for the meeting.

Directions:

From the North: Take I-87 South to I-90 East (exit 1E). Follow I-90 to Route 85 (exit 4). Follow directions below.* From the South or West: Take the New York State Thruway to exit 24. Continue on I-90 East after the toll-booths to Route 85 (exit 4). Follow directions below.*

From the East: Take I-90 West to Route 85 (exit 4). Follow directions below.*

*Take Route 85 to the Krumkill Road exit (approximately 1.5 miles). Turn left at the light at the top of the ramp onto Krumkill Road. Turn right at the first light and take Krumkill Road to New Scotland Avenue. Turn left onto New Scotland Avenue. Travel approximately 1.5 miles on New Scotland to ACPHS and turn right into the visitors parking entrance. The visitors parking entrance is located at the west end of the O'Brien Building, immediately after the New York State Department of Health's Axelrod Institute. Follow the driveway in front of ACPHS to the designated parking area.

Directions to the ACPHS Student Center, Classroom Building and Albert M. White Gymnasium.

Follow the directions above but do not turn into the ACPHS visitors parking entrance on New Scotland Avenue. Proceed to the light immediately after ACPHS at the intersection of New Scotland Avenue and Holland Avenue. Turn right onto Holland Avenue. Travel about 1/8 of a mile and turn right onto Notre Dame Drive. Turn right on Union Drive and follow the signs for Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences parking.

Announcement: April 7 Career Panel for Undergraduates in Chemical/Biological Sciences and Iota Sigma Pi Elections

Undergraduates may have many questions about pursuing their passion in this tough economic climate, such as 'How do I manage a chemistry career in a challenging job market?' or 'How can I use my degree in a job other than research?' of 'How could I plan for career moves between research, technical writing, law, and education?'

All those interested in discussing these questions and more are invited to a Panel Discussion on Careers in Chemical Sciences featuring professionals in the chemical/biological sciences within government, industry, and academia.

The panelists will include:
Ricki Lewis, Science Writer and Adjunct Professor at the Alden March Bioethics Institute
Carrie Kirkton, New York State Crime Lab
David Gascoyne, Chemist, GE Global Research
Nancy Baum Delain, Esq., Registered Patent Attorney, Delain Law Office.

7-8:30pm, Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Milano Lounge, Hale House, Union College
Complementary food and drinks will be offered.
RSVP to Amanda Misner (misnerk@union.edu) or Sunanda Sukumar
(sunanda.sukumar@acphs.edu) to receive more detailed parking info and directions.

Iota Sigma Pi Members: We will also be holding annual elections at this meeting. If you cannot attend but would like to vote, contact Sunanda Sukumar (sunanda.sukumar@acphs.edu)