A Year in Review

Well everyone - my final month as Chair of the Rochester Section is here. It is amazing how fast the time goes. You can rest assured that I loved every minute of it!

But things do get pretty hectic during the year, and looking back at the past 12 months, it is breathtaking what we have done in the Rochester Section. Like 2006, 2007 took another step towards refocusing the Section from an industrial core to an academic one. A lot was done with the University of Rochester in 2006 when Ben Miller was Chair. In 2007, RIT, and especially NTID, were brought in as a strong contributors to the Section. I am sure that 2008 will continue this trend under the leadership of Rich Hartmann from Nazareth College.

In 2006, I was required to set goals for the Section's 2006 annual report. Let me lay out those goals to you and describe how we did in 2007.

Continue reading...

Friday, February 15, 2008
Medaille Hall at Nazareth College
4245 East Avenue - Rochester, NY

The Rochester ACS Section invites you to join us for an informal and pleasant evening with your fellow Section members and spouses/guests.  The evening will begin with a mixer at 5:30 p.m. in the Fireplace Lounge in Medaille Hall at Nazareth College, followed by a buffet dinner.  After dinner we will hear a talk by Cornell University Chemistry Professor and Nobel Prize winner, Roald Hoffmann.   Prof. Hoffman, in addition to his well known achievements as a chemist, is a highly regarded and entertaining poet and playwright.

5:30 p.m.:  Mixer / Cash Bar  - Medaille Fireplace Lounge
6:30 p.m.:  Dinner  - Medaille Dining Room (buffet dinner)
7:30 p.m.:  Talk  -  Medaille Formal Lounge

Prof. Roald Hoffmann
The Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters
at Cornell University
Indigo, a Story of Science, Religion, and Culture of the Natural and the Unnatural

8:30 p.m.:  Coffee/Dessert Reception  - Fireplace Lounge

    Dinner reservations, with payment of $25 per person, ($30 non-members) must be received by February 10. Dinner attendance is not required to attend Prof. Hoffmann's lecture

Reservation/Payment options:
1) Send checks, payable to Rochester ACS Section, to
Mary Anne Mendel
158 Lake Lea Road
Rochester, NY 14617
(585) 544-6679 - evenings

2) Make payment with a credit card by PayPal on the Rochester Section website.

A PDF announcement is also available for posting.

Buffet Dinner to include:  Table served mixed garden salad with warm rolls and butter, Roast beef carving station with horseradish sauce or Cabernet demi glaze, Bowtie pasta with wild mushroom Alfredo sauce, Boneless chicken breast in Marsala wine sauce, Seasonal fresh vegetables, Garlic oven roasted potatoes, Coffee and tea service              

The Section Election was held in November, and the following members of the Rochester Section were elected to the Executive Committee.

Chair-Elect: Ken Schlect

Treasurer: Mark Heitz

Councilor: D. Richard Cobb

Alternate Councilor: Henry Gysling

Members-at-Large:

    Lew Allen  

    Valerie Grason

    Deborah Janes

Congratulations to all the candidates and best wishes for their success in 2008!

The winner of the 2007 Rochester Chemical Technician Award is Terrence O'Connell from the Chemistry Department at the University of Rochester.  Terry has held various positions at the U of R since 1983 and has served as the Director of the Technical Staff for the past 10 years. In his position, Terry maintains departmental instrumentation and trains researchers how to apply equipment to their research problems.  In 1992, Terry won the University of Rochester Distinguished Service Award.

Our congratulations to Terry!   
 

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