Near the end of this month, Friday, October 26th to be exact, we will be hosting our annual Rochester Section Recognition Dinner (formerly known as the Awards Banquet).  It is a night where we can salute special members of our Section who have reached milestones in their membership or chemical professionals who are being recognized as the best in their area of expertise. There is probably no finer or prouder moment for a Chair of this Section than to be part of this acknowledgement.  Thus, I am hoping you will join me at this event to salute these special people.

Membership milestones are very important.  The ACS is taking great strides to acknowledge those who have maintained their membership in the Society for multiple years.  We get the chance to salute them on the local level when they reach the 50-year membership level and, new for 2007, the 60-year level.  In this article, I want to personally acknowledge their names in recognition of their special anniversaries.

2007 50-YEAR MEMBERS
Dr. Charles J. Battaglia
Dr. John B. Bourke
Mr. Dugald A. Brooks
The Late Mr. John F. Carroll
Dr. Robert E. Heeks
Mr. Lewis L. Lincoln
Mr. Joseph Mammino
Dr. Richard B. McGriff
Dr. Robert J. Tuite

2007 60-YEAR MEMBERS
Mr. David G. Bush
Dr. Donald P. Harnish
Dr. James Y. Oldshue
Mr. John A. Wenrich

I would like to thank members of the Retired Chemists Committee who have provided written biographies of the new 50-Year Members. The individual biographies can be viewed by clicking on their names, above. Alternatively, all of the 50-year ACS Member biographies can be viewed together on this page.

It is also an honor to salute those who have been selected as winners of our local section awards in 2007.  This is the second year for our new "Rochester Section Award for Volunteer Service" (replacing the old "Rochester Section" award).  I am pleased to announce that Steve Locke has been selected as this year's winner!  I cannot even begin to count the endless hours Steve has put in building up our successful High School Chemistry Awards program.  Steve, you deserve this recognition. Congratulations!

Two awards are given to people who may or may not be members of the ACS.  These awards are the "Rochester Section Award for Excellence in High School Teaching" and the "Rochester Chemical Technician Award".  I am proud to be part of the event honoring Janice Mantell of LeRoy High School as the High School Teacher award winner and Terrence O'Connell from the University of Rochester as the Chemical Technician winner.  Congratulations to both of you!

At our dinner in October, we will also be saluting five students from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT.  Earlier this year, these students received awards from the ACS Committee on Technician Affairs (CTA) as outstanding chemical technology students who demonstrate a high level of performance in the laboratory and the classroom, excellent oral and written communication skills, integrity and reliability.  I spent one of my best days as Chair of this Section with ACS President Katie Hunt on her visit to NTID/RIT in February.  It is amazing what these students can do! I join Katie Hunt and the ACS in saluting the following students:

Kerri Bailey
Christina Cogswell
Quinn Cruise
Kyle Edenzon
Grace Kennedy

The Recognition Dinner this year is timed to fall during National Chemistry Week as we expand our efforts around this special week of the year for chemical professionals.  I hope each of you will make an effort to join us in celebrating National Chemistry Week and the accomplishments of these individuals on Friday, October 26th (and be part of an exciting chocolate tasting as well!).  Please refer to the dinner flyer in this month's newsletter for reservations, or go directly to the Section's website to make your reservations.

The following Rochester ACS Section members have agreed to stand for office in the Section's 2007 election. We are grateful to these individuals for their willingness to serve on the Section's executive committee. All of the candidates have provided biographies and statements, which can viewed by following the links provided. Alternatively, all of the candidates' statements may be viewed together here.

Chair-Elect:
Dr. Kenneth Schlecht, SUNY Brockport
statement/bio

Treasurer:
Dr. Mark P. Heitz, SUNY Brockport
statement/bio

Councilor:
Mr. D. Richard Cobb, Eastman Kodak Company
statement/bio

Alternate Councilor:
Dr. Henry Gysling, Airflow Catalyst Systems
statement/bio

Dr. Robert Murray, pharmaceutical consultant
statement/bio

Member-at-Large:
Dr. Lew Allen, retired
statement/bio

Valerie Grason, University of Rochester
statement/bio

Deborah L. Janes, Eastman Kodak Co.
statement/bio

The Rochester Section's election will be conducted by electronic ballot in November. All ACS members residing in the Rochester Section or who have designated the Rochester Section as their "home" section with the national ACS are eligible to vote in the election.

Rochester ACS members and friends are invited to the following upcoming chemistry lectures at SUNY Geneseo. The talks will be held in Room 128 of Bailey Hall at 11:30 a.m. For further information, please contact Monica Kingston of the SUNY Geneseo Chemistry Department (585-245-5314).

Friday, October 5, 2007 - Professor Rob Doyle, Department of Chemistry at Syracuse University, will be presenting "Vitamin Based Drug Delivery:  From AZT to Oral Insulin".

Friday, October 19, 2007 - Bryan Vought with Vertex Pharmaceuticals will be presenting "The Role of an ARC Mediated Transcriptional Co-activator in the Regulation of Cholesterol and Fatty Acid Homeostasis". 

Additional dates and speakers for the Distinguished Lecture Series are listed in this flyer. For further information, please contact Debra Haring at the U of R Chemistry Department (585-275-2915, haring@chem.rochester.edu).

Calvin Uzelmeier, Timothy Wilson and Deborah Janes are the organizing team for the local celebration of National Chemistry Week, October 21-27, 2007.  This year's theme is "The Many Faces of Chemistry," and 2007 is the 20th anniversary of National Chemistry Week.  The idea  is to highlight the many different people and their chemistry careers, or those who make contributions to chemistry and the chemical sciences.

The celebration will be held at the Rochester Museum and Science Center Oct. 20 & 21 and Oct. 27 & 28 between 12-4 p.m.  Volunteers are needed to either present a short 15-20 minute talk, have their own hands-on table, discuss their job/career, present a special interest, or oversee some science experiments that will have been already set up.  Volunteers do not need to be present all four days, but are more than welcome to present as many times as they desire.  

All Rochester Section members, retired chemists, YCC members, and TAG members are encouraged to help make this 20th anniversary event a huge success.  Please contact Tim Wilson (timothy.e.wilson@kodak.com, 585-588-2593) or Deborah Janes (deborah.janes@kodak.com, 585-722-3227) for more information and to volunteer. 

Horseback Riding and Hiking at Letchworth State Park
Join us for an exciting day at Letchworth State Park Saturday, October 13. There will be a guided tour of the Lower Falls, a picnic, and horseback riding (no prior horseback riding experience is required). The cost is $30 for all three activities and $5 for the picnic and hike. RSVP by 10/5. Please see the flyer for more details.

YCC/RCC Poster Session Luncheon
Learn about the exciting research younger chemists are doing in the Rochester area at the Fall Retired Chemists Committee Luncheon, which will be at the Wishing Well Restaurant (1190 Chili Avenue) Tuesday, October 23. The audience will vote for the top three poster presenters, who will win cash prizes. The event costs $14 per person and includes the poster session with snacks, buffet lunch, and invited talk by Steve Locke. See the YCC/RCC flyer or the Retired Chemists Committee announcement, below, for further details.

Mole Bowl
Here's your chance to finally compete at Jeopardy instead of just yelling at the TV! The YCC is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Mole Bowl, a Jeopardy-style trivia contest, to be held Saturday, October 27 at 1 PM in Hubbell Auditorium at the University of Rochester. If your name is Ken Jennings, or you think you have what it takes to compete, please register! Teams of three will be competing against each other; you may sign up your team of three or as an individual and we'll place you on a team. Please RSVP to RochesterYCC@gmail.com by 10/19. All are welcomed to participate! Please see the Mole Bowl flyer for more details.

Don't forget to check out the new YCC website at
http://www.chem.rochester.edu/ycc, where you can find information about chemistry programs and job postings in Rochester, as well as information about upcoming YCC events. The email address for the Rochester YCC is RochesterYCC@gmail.com.

Tuesday, October 23

The Wishing Well Restaurant
1190 Chili Avenue
YCC Poster Session: 11:00 a.m.
Luncheon at 12:00 noon

Prior to lunch, YCC members will present research posters to the retired chemist audience and their peers. To encourage YCC members to participate, cash prizes will be offered for the top three posters as voted by the audience. Snacks (cheese, crackers, and vegetables) will be served throughout the poster session.

Luncheon will be a buffet at $14. For reservations, contact Lew Allen (585-586-9983, lallen10@rochester.rr.com) by Friday, October 19. Spouses, Guests and Friends are welcome.

Guest Speaker: Mr. Steven Locke, Byron-Bergen High School

"The Rochester ACS Section's GRAND Award Ceremony for High School Chemistry Students"

Abstract: Each year, the Rochester ACS Section sponsors a Chemistry Recognition Award Ceremony for high school chemistry students.  In 2007, the program celebrated its 20th anniversary, and over 1100 students from 75 different high schools were recognized at three separate ceremonies.  The history of the program's growth and its logistics will be presented. This "over-the-top" ceremony for high school chemistry students is unique among all ACS local sections, and is a yearly highlight of the Rochester ACS calendar.

The 2007 Rochester ACS Section's Annual Recognition Dinner will be held Friday, October 26, at Hawthorne's Restaurant (formerly The Maplewood Inn) at 3500 East Avenue.

Among those being recognized at this year's dinner will be:

• 50-Year and 60-year ACS Members
• The Rochester Section Volunteerism Award Recipient
• The High School Chemistry Teacher Award Recipient
• The Rochester Chemical Technician Award Recipient
• Local recipients of the "ACS Chemical Technology Student Recognition" awards
  

The dinner will also feature a special presentation on "The Chemistry of Chocolate", including a chocolate tasting, by
Nancy Stiebitz, President of Encore Chocolates.

Agenda:

5:30 PM Social Hour (Cash Bar)
6:30 PM Buffet Dinner
7:30 PM Program

$29 each per ACS member and one guest
$34 for non-ACS members

The deadline for reservations and payment is October 23, 2007. Please make checks payable to 'Rochester Section, Inc.' and mail your payment to:

Mark Heitz
377 Brockport-Spencerport Road
Brockport, NY 14420-2803

Reservations may also be made online at the Rochester Section's website using Pay-Pal.

A flyer for the dinner is also available for printing or posting.

For additional information, please contact Mark Heitz (mheitz@brockport.edu, 585-395-5586).

On Tuesday, November 6, The University of Rochester is hosting a full-day symposium titled, "Frontiers in Biomedical Nanotechnology". The symposium will be held at the School of Medicine and Dentistry in the Class of 1962 Auditorium.

Registration fees for the symposium are $25 before October 22, 2007, and $35 after October 22. The fees include attendance at all sessions, course materials, lunch with beverage, and parking.

Complete details and a registration form are in the attached flyer.

Biomedical Nanotechnology is an emerging discipline that takes advantage of fundamental advances in nanoscale materials and their use for the development of novel diagnostic methods and therapies.  This conference will showcase the current state-of-the-art from leading practitioners in the field.

Rich Ognibene, who teaches chemistry and physics at Fairport High School, was named the 2008 New York State Teacher of the Year by the NYS Education Department. He is a past winner (2002) of the Rochester Section's High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year award, and is a regular participant in the Section's High School Chemistry Awards program.

Rich says, "Teaching is an art, a science and a passion. It is the noblest profession in the world because teachers provide hope for our future. That is why I was drawn to teaching and that is why I stay. I can't imagine a better way to spend my life. I love the excitement of knowing that if I do my job well I will change people's lives for the better.  I love the pride in knowing that a student has pursued a career in science or a career in teaching because of me. What other profession can compete with that?"

On September 28 at Rochester's City Hall, Mayor Robert Duffy presented Rich with the Key to the City. He will also be a finalist for the National Teacher of the Year.

The next Rochester Section networking mixer will be held at MacGregor's Bar & Grill in Henrietta Tuesday, October 30, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.

Further info and Directions...

The Rochester ACS Section will sponsor a "Careers in Transition" roundtable as part of the "Science Cafe" series of events. The changing workplace environment in Rochester has forced many chemical practitioners to make new choices about their careers. In response, the Rochester Section is assembling a panel of "experts" who have successfully navigated a mid-career change and who are willing to share their experience, strategies, and stories with others in similar circumstances. The event also promises to be an excellent networking opportunity.

Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Place: Penfield MacGregor's Grill & Tap Room (not the Henrietta location) 1129 Empire Blvd, Penfield. Upstairs function room.

Hors d'oeurves will be provided. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

For further information, or if you would like to volunteer to be a panelist, please contact Jim Reynolds (james.reynolds@kodak.com, 585-722-2361).

As we near the end of another year, some people may find themselves looking for a worthwhile organization where they can donate some money so as to acquire a tax deduction for the tax year 2007.

I do want to remind our members that the Rochester Section is a 501C tax-exempt organization and donations to the Section are tax deductible. With such donations, we can support present programs to an even higher degree and create new programs in the future that may not have been able to be supported under our normal budget process.

For those who wish to donate, the opportunity is available to select where they want their funds to go so as to impact the programs that are important to them. We guarantee that the funds will go to the selected area of interest, and will not be used for general funding nor will it take away from any normal funding already in place for such programs.

We even offer the opportunity for you to donate towards a new program that you would like to start with your donation. This could include, for example, a scholarship fund for local students.

And do not forget that you also can donate funds for the "Centennial Celebration" Fund as we prepare to celebrate the Rochester Section's 100th anniversary in 2012.

Examples of where your funding can be directed include:

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

• ACAP
• Adopt-A-School
• Harrison Howe Award
• High School Chemistry Awards
• National Chemisty Week
• Project SEED
• Undergraduate Research Symposium

MEMBERSHIP ACTIVITIES 

• Committee on Technician Affairs (CTA)
• Retired Chemists Committee
• Younger Chemists Committee

THE NTID / RIT FUND

NEW ACTIVITIES

• The Centennial Celebration (2012) Fund
• NERM 2012 (Northeast Regional Meeting)
• Rochester Section Scholarship Fund
  

Under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, you can now make tax-free outright gifts using IRA assets. This act allowed any person who was 70 ½ years of age or older to make a direct contribution out of their IRA without a tax penalty.  This act expires on December 31st, 2007 - so this would be your last chance to make a contribution in this manner if you qualify. To do this, the check must be directly sent from the IRA to the Rochester Section, and be made out to the "American Chemical Society, Rochester Section". If the funds were sent to the IRA owner first, they would be taxed.

Be sure to contact tax professionals and your IRA custodian if you are considering a gift under this law. You may also contact the American Chemical Society at (202) 872-6210 with any questions about this program.

So maybe you have wanted to help the Section in some way, but have not had the time or ability. Now, you can help financially and receive a tax deduction on your 2007 taxes at the same time! Meanwhile, you will be leaving your "mark" on chemistry and your community.

Please go to our website at http://www.rochesteracs.org to acquire the form needed to donate to the Section and to select where you would like your funds to go.

D. Richard Cobb
2007 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS