April is upon us and, as is tradition within the Rochester Section, April serves as the eve of a lot of major activities.

This month, the Undergraduate Symposium is taking place Saturday, April 21st at RIT. There is also the annual High School Chemistry Olympiad test taking place April 28th. Of course, do not forget about the popular monthly “Mixer” (at MacGregor's at 300 Jefferson Road) on April 24th!

Then we head into May when we have a new “joint” event planned, as well as three High School Chemistry Award evenings. There is still space available for the May 12th joint event with the Western New York Section (Buffalo area). Please look for the flyer on the Section's website. The deadline for reservations for this event is May 5th and space is limited to only 27 people. The cost is only $15.00 and includes bus transportation as well as lunch and a tour of the Niagara Falls Power Authority with members of the Western New York Section.

The High School Chemistry Award evenings are May 17th (Canandaigua), May 22nd (Franklin) and May 29th (Leroy). These award evenings are a great chance for those members who want to offer a hand some help in the Section without a major commitment. We need several ushers for those evenings. If you are interested, please send a note to Jim Reynolds (james.reynolds@kodak.com).

Professor Richard Eisenberg of the Chemistry Department at the University of Rochester has been awarded the 2007 Morley Medal by the Cleveland Section of the American Chemical Society. The Morley Medal is presented annually to a chemist for outstanding contributions to chemistry while residing in an area within a 250-mile radius of Cleveland.

Prof. Eisenberg will be honored with the medal, a monetary prize, and a special lectureship, the Edward W. Morley Lecture, on May 30, 2007 in Cleveland, OH.

The Rochester Section is seeking nominations for the 2007 ROCHESTER TECHNICIAN AWARD.

All technicians, as defined by the ACS and with a minimum of five years experience, are eligible for nomination. Membership in the ACS or the Rochester Section's Technician Affiliate Group (TAG) is not required. All technicians working in the areas covered under the 34 divisions of the ACS are eligible for nomination. This includes, but is not limited to, process, environmental, health/safety, quality assurance, medical, analytical and R&D technicians.

The Award will be presented at the local ACS Award dinner on October 26, 2007.

Nominations are due by May 1, 2007.

Please send Nominating Letters to:
Joan K. Williams
Eastman Kodak Company
Building 82C
Rochester NY 14650-2124
(585) 477-0990
joan.williams@kodak.com

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007 Rochester Section election. Positions that will be on this year’s ballot are:

* Chair-Elect (3 year commitment – one year each as chair-elect, chair and past-chair)
* Treasurer (2 year term)
* Councilor (3 year term)
* Alternate Councilor (3 year term)
* Three positions for Member-at-Large (2 year term)

All candidates must be members of the ACS.
According to the Rochester Bylaws (Bylaw V Sec. 2.), candidates for the office of Chair-Elect should have been active within the Section in some form of elected, appointed, or volunteer role.

Please send any nominations to this year’s Chair of the Nomination and Election Committee (Joan Williams, joan.williams@kodak.com) no later than September 11, 2007. It would be helpful to discuss your nomination with the potential candidate before submitting their name. Along with their name, please provide a phone number or e-mail address.

Duties associated with each of the offices up for election are described in detail (pages 5-11) in the latest Rochester Section Handbook (PDF File).

The 52nd Annual Rochester ACS Section Undergraduate Research Symposium will be held Saturday, April 21st at RIT.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Suzanne O'Handley (585-475-2751, sfosch@rit.edu).

The Rochester Section's Younger Chemists Committee is planning a White Water Rafting trip to Letchworth State Park on Saturday, May 19th. No experience is required, and everyone is welcome to participate. The rapids are Class I (mild, but still exciting!). Cost is $30 per person.

Rafters will meet in the Trustee Parking Lot at the University of Rochester at 11:30 AM to carpool to the park. After the 2.5 hour scenic raft ride, participants will enjoy a delicious picnic.

Please RSVP by May 11 to Amy Ensign (aensign@mail.rochester.edu, 585-275-2980)

University of Rochester Chemistry graduate students Amy Ensign and Lisa Carlson have been selected to participate as members of the US student delegation to the 57th Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Graduate Students in Lindau, Germany. Since 1951, Nobel Laureates in chemistry, physics, and physiology/medicine have convened annually in Lindau for open and informal meetings with young researchers. The Laureates lecture on a topic of their choice in the mornings and participate in less formal, small-group discussions with students in the afternoons and evenings. Amy and Lisa, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, respectively, will be part of a delegation of the nation's top young student researchers at the meeting in July 2007.

Amy is a member of Todd Krauss's and Kara Bren's research groups, and Lisa is a member of the Krauss research group.

Congratulations to both Amy and Lisa for this recognition!

The next Retired Chemists Meeting will be held Tuesday, May 8 at Napa Gino's Fine Italian Restuarant (2200 Penfield Rd, Penfield). The speaker will be Scott Cicora, one of 1000 volunteers who have trained with Al Gore to deliver the message in "An Inconvenient Truth". The title of Scott's talk is "A Climate in Crisis". According to the abstract, this is a non-partisan presentation based on sound science about one of the greatest moral issues of our time - the ability of our planet to support human life for generations to come.

Social time: 11:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00 Noon
Cost: $12 Buffet Luncheon
RSVP to: Lew Allen (585-586-9983, lallen10@rochester.rr.com

Spouses, guests, friends, and non-ACS members are all welcome.

The Rochester Section is planning two future events with neighboring Local Sections.

On Saturday, May 12, a trip to the Niagara Falls Power Vista is planned with the Western New York Section.

On Saturday, June 23, there will be a trip to the Corning Museum of Glass with the Corning ACS Section.

Further details and reservation forms are available on the Rochester Section's website.

The next Rochester Section networking mixer will be held at MacGregor's Bar & Grill in Henrietta Tuesday, April 24 from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.

2007 Rochester Section Chair Dick Cobb has initiated a "Talent Search" to match up section members and their skills or interests with Section activities. If you would like to pursue opportunites within the Rochester Section, please fill out the form under the link below.

Two RIT Biochemistry Majors are 2007 Goldwater Scholars.

Three RIT undergraduates, Brandy Pappas from Corning, New York, Jessica Smith from Hamlin, New York, and Matthew Woodruff from Clifton Park, New York, have been named 2007 Goldwater Scholars. Andrew Varble from Henrietta, New York won an honorable mention. Brandy and Jessica are both Biochemistry majors.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award for students interested in pursuing a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering. The award is based on academic merit, and virtually all winners plan on pursuing a Ph.D. Many have extensive undergraduate research experience as well. This year, 317 sophomores and juniors were selected from 1,110 nominees. The $7,500 per year scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and room and board.

Goldwater Scholars compose an elite group with 69 Rhodes Scholarships and 86 Marshall Awards being awarded to past Goldwater Scholars.