Job Opening - Temporary Instructor, Nazareth College

Nazareth College Department of Chemistry
Opening for a Temporary Instructor (AY 2008-2009)

The Department of Chemistry at Nazareth College (Rochester, NY) invites applications for a non-tenure track position for the 2008-2009 academic year (pending final budgetary approval). The position is a nine-month, ¾ time position open to any sub-specialty in Chemistry. Teaching responsibilities will include General Chemistry as well as advanced courses in the candidate’s area of specialization. Opportunities also exist within the department for the candidate to mentor undergraduate students in independent research. In addition to routine teaching responsibilities, we expect that the candidate will become a “citizen” of the department. We are especially interested in candidates that have a commitment to undergraduate education as well as to service to the department.

Minimum Qualifications:
MS degree from an accredited institution in Chemistry or closely-related field with a BS degree in Chemistry
One year college-level teaching experience inclusive of graduate teaching assistantships
Significant experience in the use of computerized laboratory instrumentation
Superior oral and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:
PhD degree from an accredited institution in Chemistry or closely-related field with a BS degree in Chemistry
Two years of college-level chemistry teaching experience
Experience in multiple pedagogical strategies in the context of college-level teaching as well as in modern teaching technologies (e.g. SmartBoard)
Evidence of excellence in teaching

Candidates invited to the campus for an interview will be required to deliver a 50 minute lesson on a topic specified by our search committee.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, a statement of teaching philosophy (limit 1 page), curriculum vita, and three (3) letters of recommendation of which at least two must address the candidate’s quality of teaching. Incomplete packages will not be considered.

Nazareth College is a thriving, independent, co-educational institution with 2,000 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students. The college is located minutes from downtown Rochester, noted for its internationally recognized industries and museums, and for its cultural diversity. In a continuing effort to enrich its academic environment and provide equal educational and employment opportunities, the College actively encourages applications from members of all ethnic groups underrepresented in higher education.

Please send application materials to Dr. Richard W. Hartmann, Chair of the Search Committee, Department of Chemistry, Nazareth College, 4245 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14618-3790. Electronic submissions are welcome and please direct to the Chair of the Search Committee at rhartma0@naz.edu.

Applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged.

Message from the Chair - February 2008

Is it February already? Wow, time flies when your schedule is packed! I trust all of you survived the "Big Wind of 2008" without too much discomfort. I am amazed at how dependent we are on a regular supply of electricity and how thankful I am for the men and women who work under adverse conditions to keep the lights on.

I recently received an email from the organizers of NERM 2008 (http://www.nerm2008.org/) which will be held in Burlington, VT from June 29th to July 2nd. It would be awesome if the Rochester section was able to send a strong contingent to emphasize the excellent chemistry that is done by our members. If you go, make sure you attend the talk of our very own Pat Holland from the University of Rochester. Pat is one of the invited speakers, and he will be presenting during the session on The Organometallic Chemistry of the Group 15 Elements.

Speaking of Pat and the U of R, don't forget to mark your calendars for the 2008 Harrison Howe award ceremony. Under Pat's leadership, the committee has selected Daniel G. Nocera as this year's winner. If you are not familiar with his work, please take a few minutes to follow the Harrison Howe link on this page to read all about him and this year's event. I would also encourage any of you who are engaged in energy research to consider presenting a poster at the symposium after Dr. Nocera's evening talk. I plan to be there with some of my undergraduates who will present the work we are doing with biodiesel.

We have also been planning some other events that are sure to interest your finer side - fine arts that is. Your colleagues Henry Gysling and Nick Zumbalyadis have been busy orchestrating an event for late summer or early fall in Kilbourne hall at the Eastman School of Music. If you enjoyed the event at the Memorial Art Gallery last year, you will be pleased to know that they are working to bring in Joseph Nagyvary, an expert in the chemistry of violin making with a musical accompaniment by an Eastman school violinist.

A final note of reminder about this year's annual diner - February 15th is just around the corner and what better way to warm up on a cold winter's night than with a great meal, good conversation, and great desserts?

Hope to see you there,

Sincerely,

Rich Hartmann
2008 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS
585-389-2585
rhartma0@naz.edu

Councilor's Corner - February 2008

2008 marks a very special time for me as I begin my 3-year term as a Councilor for the Rochester Section and as I take on a new leadership role on the National level - that of Chair of the ACS Membership Affairs Committee (MAC).

I plan to use my upcoming articles to give my fellow Rochester Section members a view from within this vital Committee. It is, after all, the Committee that deals with membership recruitment, retention, benefits, Services, dues and categories.

In this first article, I wanted to cover the important decision that will be made by the Council at the National Meeting in New Orleans in early April. After a Governance Review Taskforce submitted their recommendations for the whole ACS and after multiple years of work, MAC has proposed to Council the biggest change in Society Membership ever. As a review, based on the present structure:

o Undergrad Students are welcomed into the ACS as ‘Student Affiliates”
o Applicants who have a BS degree in chemistry from an ACS approved program can become full members immediately, but those who do not come from an ACS approved program have to have three-years work experience in the field of chemistry
o Applicants with a 2-year degree have to have five-years work experience in the field of chemistry
o High school teachers, with 5-years work experience in science instruction, can become members

Keep in mind, that the last two categories only became effective since 2001! Also,
there are three levels of membership: Full Membership, Associate Membership and Affiliate Membership.

As I mentioned, the petition being proposed represents a comprehensive revision of the qualifications required for membership and for affiliate status in the ACS. In response to a developing consensus that the current qualifications for membership in the Society are unduly narrow and too restrictive, the amendments, while indicating the Society's focus on chemistry, would make anyone with a Bachelor’s or higher degree in chemistry or in a related field of natural science, engineering, technology, or science education eligible for membership. In addition, an individual with an Associate's Degree in chemical science or a related field of technology would also be eligible, as would any qualified pre-college chemistry teacher. These latter provisions would eliminate the current requirement for a number of years of work experience to be eligible. The proposal would retain a provision allowing the Admissions Committee to approve for membership those whose chemical knowledge and training is attained in the course of work experience. These changes would enable all who currently qualify as Associate Members to become Full Members, allowing the ACS to drop the unnecessary membership category of “Associate Member”. This proposal makes no changes in the various dues category for Full Members.

An amendment to the current Bylaw establishing specific requirements for Society Affiliate status would open this membership category to anyone interested in Chemistry.

There is also a developing consensus that undergraduate students should be eligible for Society membership status, as they are in most of our sister organizations. These amendments replace the Associate Member category with a Student Member category, granting Student Members all the rights of membership except those of holding national office. This includes the right to vote in Society elections. The proposed provisions governing this membership category are patterned after the current Associate Member category, and Divisions and Local Sections would have the option of allowing, but would not be required to allow, Student Members to serve as officers in the Division or Local Section, except for Councilor and Alternate Councilor. Divisions and Local Sections would also be enabled to waive or discount their dues for Student Members. Because the current Associate Member category is rendered unnecessary, it is proposed to effect these changes by straightforwardly replacing the term “ASSOCIATE MEMBER” with “STUDENT MEMBER” and Student Affiliate Chapters would become Student Chapters.

So, at my first National Meeting as MAC Chair, and as your Councilor, you can see that I have my hands full. However, this is a great proposal that, most feel, will bring the ACS membership requirements into today’s real world.

As I stated, I will bring forth more information about my role as MAC Chair in future articles, as it is important to know what your Councilors are doing and how they are serving you – the ones who honored us by electing us to the positions we hold.

Please remember that I, and Jim Reynolds, are your voices on the national level. Feel free to contact me at 477-4903, email me at:

d.richard.cobb@kodak.com

or write me at:

15-C Greenleaf Meadows, Rochester, NY 14612.

Thank you!

D. Richard Cobb

Message from the Chair - January 2008

Happy New Year!

As I look forward to 2008, I can say that I am very excited about the prospects that the new year holds. In particular, I am looking forward to the visit of Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffmann for our Annual Dinner on February 15. When I invited Dr. Hoffmann, I mentioned that I was first introduced to him via a video in my high school chemistry class - and now I get to meet him in person!

I am also looking forward to meeting many of you in person over the course of this year. Whether it is at the annual dinner or at one of the other events scheduled for 2008, please take some time to talk to me in person. We have a number of events in store including old favorites like the Harrison Howe award and symposium, the popular High School Awards Celebrations, as well as new events designed to reach out to the community around us.

I hope that you will join me in making 2008 a great year for the Rochester Section of the ACS!

Sincerely,

Rich Hartmann
2008 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS
585-389-2585
rhartma0@naz.edu

Message from the Chair - December 2007

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, was brought in as a strong contributor 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 in the Section’s 2006 annual report. Let me lay out those goals to you and describe how we did in 2007.

“Plans for 2007 are heavily based on an excellent survey and a Strategic Planning Workshop conducted in 2006. From these efforts, the Chair for 2007 has come forth with the following plans for 2007:

1. Improved communications. We plan to do this through:

• A new totally electronic newsletter that will be sent monthly.
  (Accomplished. The new electronic newsletter “The Chemunicator” now allows us to offer more up-to-date information to be distributed to membership.)
• A hard copy letter from the Chair to each member to begin the year laying out the planned activities for the year and directing them to the website for updates.
  (Accomplished. To date, 46 “New Member” letters have gone out with the information described in our goal, along with a 10% discount for any one event of their choice as an incentive to get new people involved.)* A mid-year postcard mailing leading towards the 2nd half of the year (Accomplished. This post card with updated information for happenings within the Section went out right after the first of the new year)
• A fully updated and improved website for members to use and rely on as being up-to-date.
  (Accomplished. Jim Reynolds did an excellent job in bringing our website up-to-date, creating a more exciting look and making it more user friendly as well as informational.)
• I will add here that 60 “New Member” letters were sent out by me as Chair, welcoming these members to the Rochester Section and inviting them to “get involved". A calendar of events accompanied these letters, as did an invitation to enjoy 10% off an event of their choice.

2. Improved awareness. We plan to do this by:

• Total communications with all Committee and activity Chairs, reports to the Executive Committee from the leaders of these efforts and articles in the monthly newsletter from the leaders of these activities as to what they are doing and where they need help. (Accomplished. We have worked harder on communications between the Executive Committee, the Chair and activity leaders in 2007. There were some wonderful volunteers out there that were working hard, with little to no contact by the Section. From these new communication efforts, we were able to better support such programs as the High School Chemistry Olympiad, Adopt-a-School, National Chemistry Week and others.)

3. Improved efficiency. We plan to do this through:

• The movement to Executive Committee meetings only every-other month. These meetings will now be working sessions, not reporting sessions.
  (Accomplished. For the first time, we were able to make a more effective use of our volunteers’ time by having Executive Committee meetings every-other month, and then making sure those meetings were used for key decisions and hands-on efforts rather than reporting sessions. Reports were, instead, sent out electronically.)
• Reports will be asked for monthly and sent out as updates.
  (Accomplished. Although we only met every-other month, we did not stop the communications nor the awareness of what was happening within the Section because we still asked for reports to be sent electronically on a monthly basis.)
• Important votes and discussions will be ongoing without the constraints of waiting for a meeting to make a decision.
  (Accomplished. It never made sense to wait for a formal meeting to take a vote on an important matter. It especially did not make sense doing this when the meetings moved to every-other month. Thus, key votes were done electronically for quick decisions and action.)
• We will also begin using a timeline to keep us on track of all events and action items throughout the year.
  (Accomplished. The format of a timeline was used successfully and was well received when we organized NERM 2004. The same concept was used successfully this year to keep the leadership of the Section on top of when key deadlines were near and when events were taking place.)

4. New events. Instead of doing the same thing the same way, we are looking into new programs and events. This includes:

• The plan to have two joint events with "neighboring" Local Sections, one in May with the Western New York Section and one in June with the Corning Section.
  (Accomplished. Two exciting new events were held in cooperation with our neighboring Sections. In May, we had the lunch and tour of the Niagara Falls Power Authority with members of the Western New York (Buffalo) Section and, in June, the exciting day at the Corning museum of Glass and the receptions with members of the Corning Sections. These were great new opportunities to members from a variety of Sections, long talked about but done in 2007.)
• We also plan to begin offering "Chemistry & Coffee" chats on topical issues.
  (Accomplished. With a grant from ACS, we held four (4) successful “Science Cafés” throughout the year. The four subjects covered included All About IP, The Art & Chemistry of Meissen Blue Porcelain, The Chemical Influence of Making Mountains and Mid-Career Transitions.)
• These efforts are on top of some very successful efforts such as the "Monthly Mixers".
  (Accomplished. Due in no small part to the wonderful organization efforts by Henry Gysling, the “Monthly Mixers” continued to be a big hit in 2007 as it was when they began in 2006.)

5. Membership value.

• We plan to layout areas where people can spend a little or a lot of time in helping out. Often, that is one of the best-kept secrets and people are often eager to at least offer a little help.
  (Accomplished. In 2007, we offered more specifics when asking a person to take on a volunteer effort and updated the “Section Handbook” to insure that all key roles are well described. As well, a full description of duties was disclosed in the “Call for Nominations” for the 2007 elections. We also sent out a specific “Talent Search” asking people to let us know what they like to do or what they are good at so we can connect them to a volunteer effort that would match their interest areas.)
• We also plan to have an increase in cost for all activities for non-Members so that Members see that there is, in fact, some value in belonging to the ACS.
  (Accomplished. Beginning in 2007, all major events had two prices – one for members and a higher price fro non-members.)

6. Finally - Awards and Recognition. Too many times we fail to thank those who make it all happen. In 2007, the plan is:

• To have a recognition event in early December to thank the Members of the Executive Committee, Committee and Activity Chairs, etc. at a local brewery with food, drinks, and certificates of appreciation.
  (Accomplished. Scheduled for December 10th is a volunteer reception at Rohrbach’s Brewing Company for those who gave of their time and talent to the Section in 2007 in Section, Committee or activity leadership roles. Early in 2007, at the Annual Dinner, we also brought back many Past Chairs of the Section to give them their long overdue “Past Chair” pins to bring us up-to-date in that area of recognition.)

Now you can see the whole picture of what we have done in the last 12 months - and it is amazing! Sometimes one needs to step back to get a real view of where things are. I am proud of what we have accomplished in 2007. It was President Ronald Reagan who said, on the eve of his departure from office, “We did not come here to mark time; we came here to make a difference.” I have loved every second of my year as Chair for the Rochester Section. I thank the Members of the Rochester Section for giving me the opportunity to serve in that position and I hope I did make a difference.

In February of this year, we were honored to have ACS President Katie Hunt in town to meet with Kodak Management, to visit with the students at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT and to address our Annual Dinner. She came to town with a message of her year as President – “We have ignition – We have Liftoff”. I now hope, that in these last 12 months, you have felt a new ignition of spirit and the liftoff of a new vision for our Rochester Section.

And as 2007 speeds towards a close, please take the time now to consider how you can help out our next Chair, Richard Hartmann in 2008 and join us during this continuing journey of transformation – as we look towards our 100th anniversary in 2012! My thanks to all of you for making this such a successful year for the Rochester Section as I send each of you the most heartfelt of holiday greetings!

D. Richard Cobb
2007 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS
Email = d.richard.cobb@kodak.com
Phone = 477-4903

Message from the Chair and Chair-Elect - November 2007

Hello everyone! The end of 2007 is coming towards us at a great pace. At the end of December, there will be a "quiet" transition as Richard Hartmann takes over the position of Chair for the Rochester Section effective January 1st.

In this November report, I thought it would be fitting for Richard to write an article outlining his vision for the Rochester Section in 2008. This is timely as the Executive Committee is slated to finalize the 2008 budget at our meeting this month. This will give you an opportunity to see the path forward and realize that this new spirit, this new excitement within the Rochester Section does not end with one Chair's term. I was happy to follow a great leader such as Ben Miller (2006) and feel confident that we will continue our new vision into 2008. It is with that confidence that I am proud to present Rich's article at this time.
-Dick Cobb

---

---

Hello! Some of you know that I teach chemistry at Nazareth College, which is recognized for its excellent fine arts programs. Over the course of the past seven years here, I have found myself increasingly interested in the work of my colleagues, especially those in the art department. In fact, I have recently started teaching my general chemistry course from the perspective of its relationship to art. I believe making these connections has energized my teaching as well as the interest of my students in a topic that many of them find difficult to grasp.

It is in that same spirit that I have decided to put the theme of Chemistry and Art on my year as chair. High-caliber scientific events such as the Harrison Howe Award and symposia that highlight the research area of the winner as well as emerging technologies in upstate New York will continue. However, I hope to capitalize on the momentum that we have gained recently by reaching out to our members in areas that are not strictly chemical. The joint events with the Corning and Buffalo sections, the monthly mixers at MacGregors, the Science Cafe events like the lecture by Nick Zumbulyadis on the "History of Meissen Blue Porcelain" given at the Memorial Art Gallery, all represent the breadth of who we are as chemists and allow us to interact with one another on a level that is rewarding as well as outgoing. For instance, many of the attendees at Nick's talk were not chemists (or even scientists), and I believe that part of what we do has to include reaching out to the community around us (including friends and family) who may not view chemistry or science in the best of lights.

In order to kick off 2008 with a bang, the speaker at the annual dinner on February 15, 2008, will be Nobel Prize winning chemist Roald Hoffmann. His talk, "Indigo, a Story of Science, Religion, and Culture, of the Natural and the Unnatural" promises to be an exciting entrance into the connections that we all make between chemistry and other areas of interest. As a change in venue from the customary restaurant location, the evening will take place on the campus of Nazareth College where you can come and enjoy dinner, his talk, and a dessert reception all in the relaxed atmosphere of one of the prettiest settings in town.

We are also planning to continue the Science Cafe events on an alternate month schedule on a variety of topics that are sure to pique your interests. I have also enjoyed Dick Cobb's monthly reports and will do my best to carry on in this fine precedent.

I am happy to hear from any of you about your thought, ideas, or concerns in relation to anything pertaining to the local section. I am excited about the year of events that are in store for you, and I look forward to meeting you personally at one of these events and hope that you will join me in making 2008 a productive and rewarding year for the section.

Rich Hartmann
2008 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS
rhartma0@naz.edu

Message from the Chair - October 2007

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 within our Section who have reached milestones in their membership or chemical professionals 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

As they do every year, members of the Retired Chemists Committee have 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 2nd 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) for outstanding upper-level 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 joining ACS President Katie Hunt on her visit to NTID/RIT in February. It is amazing what these students can do! For this, I join Katie Hunt 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 our web site at
http://www.rochesteracs.org

D. Richard Cobb
2007 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS
d.richard.cobb@kodak.com
(585) 727-4903