1985 june nobcche news by NOBCChE Archives

~~©J NOBCChE NEWS Volume 6, Number 3

June 1985

Infrastructure Analysis In Support of Pan African Research

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Dr. Robert L. Shepard... is currently serving as a visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Howard University. ffe is th e founder and principal of INfRASURfACE, INC., a consultant firm that provides technical and management services to African institutions.

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aimed at improving the growth and economic developm ent of a spec ifi ed region. A large majority of these projects neve r prod uce useful resu lts and can be classed as "large scale demonstrations" that fail ed. Rarely is it docu mented why so many of these projects have a high failure rate. A

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Pan African reseach covers a wid e range of scientific topics. Energy resea rch programs are investigating ways in which renewable resources like bi oma ss, solar, and wind can be used to supplement conventi ona l energy sources. Agricultural research programs are

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by R. L. Shepard, Ph.D. I. Introduction

studying ways to increase ava ilability of food by developing new and / or modifi ed crop species to supplement maj or cereals and grain legumes. Health resea rch programs strive to id entify effect ive ways of integrating indigenou s traditional med icinal plants into health ca re delivery and oth er medical related services (REF. I). These research programs are usually fund ed by institution s like the U.S. Agency for Internat ional Developm en t (AID), the World Bank, th e International Monetary Fund (IMF), and are generally described as Tech nical Assistance (TA) resea rch projects

recent biomass energy study found that one reason biomass TA projects have not been as successful as projected , is beca use of a lack of und erstanding on th e part of the plann ers rega rding the importance of the infrastructure of th e region being investigated (REF. 2 ). Th e major challenge that must be addressed in the nea r fu ture is the inclusion of a detailed infrastructure analysis into TA projects to improve th e success ratio of research in support of Pan African technologi ca l developm ent. This pape r describes

Continued on page three

A Brief Report on the Trip to Egypt

Infrastructure Analysis

March 31, 1985 through April 13, 1985

the contents of such an analys is and how it ca n be factored in to future TA proj ects.

by Dr. Bobby L. Wiison I arrived in Cairo on Sunday, March 3 1, 1985, where I was met by Dr. Mahmond A. Sa leh , Professor of Chemistry, Ca iro University and Co-Principal Investigator on the project that is enti tled " Investiga tion of Inorgan ic Polluta nts in El Fayoum Aquatic Environment" and Mr. Moha med Saad , a graduate student, Ca iro Universi ty. We return ed immediately to the researc h laboratory on Cairo University's ca mpu s to discu ss the prog ress of the researc h project. I spent several hours talking with Professor Saleh and stud ents and reviewed th e three quarterly reports that had been subm itted t o the Sup reme Counci l of Universities, Fo re ign Relations Co-Ordinat ion Unit. Th e repo rts were excellen t. They revealed the result of a well planned program cou pled wi th much hard work. The next few days were spent in the laboratory on th e campus of Ca iro Uni versity conducting preliminary experim ents in preparat ion for the field expedi t ion in the desert. Th e preparation also involved, the trai ning of students in the use of ion-selective

methodology and testing of all equ ipm ent for use in the field. During thi s preparation period I did have an opportuni ty to get away from th e laborato ry fo r a one day visit to Alexandria to do some sight-seei ng. It was a very ed ucational and impressive trip. We spent a tota l of four days and th ree nights in the desert. Thi s time was spent sampling and analyzing lake and spring samples. One man -made lake and three sp rin gs we re chosen for study. After accompanying the multi -disciplinary team on this expedition, I am convinced that these expeditions are very expensive and represent a great financial cost to the researchers under th e present guidelines whi ch I understand do not cover many of the expenses assoc iated with a field exped ition of thi s type. In th e in teres t of sc ience and the researc hers themselves this matter must be invest igated for possible changes in the funding guidelin es. Su rely conditions of this type wi ll on ly serve to discourage rese rchers and Urn s stunt creat ivity. Many of these

Continued on page fifteen

The IVOHCCht:, News The NOBCChE Newsletter is the official pub li cat ion of th e Nati ona l Organizat ion fo r the Profess ional Adva ncement of Black Chemi sts and Chem ica l Engi nee rs.

Officers Pres ident Exec. Boa rd Chairperson Treasurer

Mr. Ivory Herbert Southwest

Ms. Rosa nne C. Anderson

Dr. Th eophilus Sorrell MSD: Bldg. 65 3rd fir. Eastma n Kodak Company (71 6) 477-7785 -orNOBCChE NEWS P.O. Box 15499 Roc hester, NY 14615

Secreta ry

Dr. Raymond Williams

Historian

Dr. Sam uel von Winbu sh

Archive

c/o Mrs. Minnie Clayton . Archivist Robert W. Woodruft Library Atlanta Universi ty Cente r Atla nta. GA 3031 O

Regional Chairpersons Northeast

Mid west

Dr. Edward D. Walton

Martin Marietta Energy Syste ms, Inc. P.O. Box Y Bldg. 9201 -5 MS-9 Oak Ridge . TN 37830

NOBCChE News Ed itor

South east

Dr. Denise Barnes AT&T Bell labs. Al lent own. PA 18 103

West

Mr. Charles A. Washington Union Carbid e Corp. Y-1 2 Plant Oak Rid ge. TN 37830

continued from page one Th erefore, the infrastructure is co mpri sed of all elements (bo th big and sma ll) wo rkin g in harmony with each oth er so that an organ ization or count ry can function effectively. If there is a breakdown in th e infrastructure without adequate backup capab ility, th e ab ility to function effect ively is dim inished. It should be noted that peo ple and equipm ent are the threads that hold an infrastructure toget her and are the primary factors that determine its strength . B. Infrastructure and Technical Development Using the Infrastructure definition and NOBCChE's recent meeting as an example, I will now exa mine th e relat ionship between Infrastructure and technical development. The infrastructure for NOBCChE's 12th Annual Meeting that convened in Minneapolis, MN is displayed in Figure I. The figure shows the interrelationships that were involved in planning the Annua l Meeting. Th e figure also reflects the least visible infrastructure functions (i. e.. servicing and maintaining the eq uipm ent used in the act ivity) to th e more obvious functions associated with the Orga nizing Co mmittee, the Ad mini strative Officers, the Executive Board,

II. Relationship Between Infrastructure and Technical Development A. What is Infrastructure? Infrastru cture is defined as the und erlying Foundation or basic fram ewo rk of an organi zation or coun try. The infrastructure of an orga ni zation consists of all sub-division s re fl ected in the organi zatio nal chart. The infrastructure of a country is comprised of commun ication . econom ic. lega l and tra nsportat ion systems, industry, equipment, support institutions like hospitals, schools/ universiti es, fire/rescu e, military installation s, etc. The communication system provides for qui ck access to and dissemination of vital information important to the continued growth and eco nomi c development of the count ry. A good transportation system is needed to effect ively move good s and services to various locations in and out of the country. Military forces are required so tha t proper action can be ta ken in the event there is in terna l or externa l con fli ct that threatens the count ry's sec urity and / or stab ility. Many other components make up the infrastructure of a country.

Continued on page seven

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(final Product)

Mr. Chr istopher Kina rd 673 Hill gro ve Ct. Cinci nnati, OH 45246

Exec utive Board functions

Dr. Bobby Wilson Chemistry Depa rt ment Texas Southern University Houston . TX 77004

Admi nistrative Officer's f unctions Northeast Re~

[SOiifheast Regfon

Mr. Jam es Evans University of Californ ia Livermore. CJ\ 94550

Midwest Region

ISouthwes t Region I l

Western Region

Local Chapter (Twin City )

The NOBCCh E was establi shed i n 1972 with the objec ti ves of developing programs to ass ist Blacks in rea li zin g thei r full po tent ial in the field s of chem istry and c hemical eng ineering. The organization's programs in clud e establ ishing information and co nsultation services for the Black commun i ty. recru it ment of more Blacks i n the Science and Engi neering professions, promoti ng ac tive participati on in sc ient ific resea rch. and increas ing the rep resenta ti on of Blacks on advi sory Board s.

Indu stry Display

fina l Program-

Regi stration

Typing

Pri nting

Techn ica l Program Zeroxi ng

Social Program Rindin

Organizing Committee Member/ Company Personnel/Co ntracted Out

The organi za ti on depend s upon exc iting talent among Blacks in these fields to aid i n th e accompli sh ment of i t s obj ec tives.

Typewriter/ Wo rd Processor

Full NOBCCh E membership, i nc lud ing NOBCCh E NEWS, is $35/year; associ ate membership is 15/year. Perso ns desi rin g members hi p and ac tivit ies in formati on. as well as new members forwarding dues. should write to the treasurer - address is given above.

Service-Maintenance

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figure 1: Example of the Infrastructure of NOBCChf:'s 12th Annual Meeting

News from the Western Region

A Look At The Southwest Region

By Gwendolyn L. Evans, Newsletter Editor Western Region San francisco Ray Area Chapter choice. Once th e matc h between sc hools and

By Bobby L. Wilson

San Francisco Bay Area Chapter members partic ipating in "NO BCChE Push for Sc ience" have signed up to do sci ence demo nstra tions at loca l elementary, juni or high , and senior high sc hools. An idea designed and developed by the Education arm of the Prog ra m Comm i ttee, "NOBCChE Push for Sc ience" focuses on support ing teach ers in their science curriculum by provid ing NOBCChE memb ers to speak, do experiments, serve as panelists. serve as judges for sc ience competit i on , and sec ure materia ls from bu sin esses for teachers to do expe riments in th e classroom. Ini tial contact to set up "NOBCChE Push for Sc ience" was made last summe r at a Lawrence Liverm ore Laboratory Elem entary Sc hool Sci ence St udy of Nature LESSON Workshop, where elementary school teachers from the Greater Bay Area expressed an interest in having NOBCChE members visit th eir sc hools. Th ei r excitement was heightened when they lea rned the scope of the program and the many servi ces members cou ld offe r. From the list of sc hools represented by teachers attending the LESSON Wo rk shop, c hapter mem bers selected the sc hool of th eir

members was made. th e chairperson of th e Educati on Committee sent a fo rmal letter to each teac her, indica ting the name of t he member who signed up for that sc hool, and requ es ting that th e teacher contact the member to set up a sch edu le. When members sign up fo r "N OBCChE Push for Sc ience," they ag re e to work with the sc hool of th ei r choice for one yea r, fo r a minimum of on e act ivity in th e Spring and in th e Fall . This program ha s been a welcomed add i t i on to th e Greater Bay Area school community. As part of th e Cha pter's Techn ica l Progra m, .the March meet in.g fea tured Chapter Vice Pres ident Regmald Mitchell, Sandia Nat ional Laboratory, Li verm ore, Ca li forn ia. Reginald spoke on "Coa l Cha r Combustion Stud ies," desc ri bi ng th e pyrometry sys tem used to meas ure th e size, tempe rature, and velocity of single coa l pa rt icles burning in en vi ronments characteri stic of pu lveri zed coa l co mbustors and the heat balance ana lysis used to obta in burning rate parameters from t he measurem ents. Tec hn ica l presenta t ions such as th ese help members to understand the work in which members are involved. Continued on page six

San francisco Hay Area Chapter President Winifred Hurks (center ) receives the Chapter's charter certificate from Western Regional Chairperson James [vans (right) and [xecutive Hoard Member Hill Lester (left) at the Chapter's April meeting. The Chapter was officially sanctioned at the Annual Meeting in Houston last year.

We are experi enc ing a very excit ing and rewardin g year in th e So uth west Reg ion. After hosting the Elevent h Ann ual Meeting of the Nat iona l Organ izat ion in 1984, we were looking forward to retu rnin g wi th a greater co ncent rat ion on th ose loca l activit ies that wou ld se rve to promote th e fund amen tal purpose of th e NOBCChE. Th e first aim was to increase our involvement in community ac tiviti es. As a result of thi s, we want to make a difference in the li ves of young blac ks i n the publi c sc hoo l sys tem. Mrs. Mary Knotts, Mrs. Orbi e Ratc liff and Mr. Rodney Th om pson met with Mrs. Pettis, Principal of Hend erson Elementary Sc hool, Houston Ind epend ent Sch ool Distri ct. Houston , Texas on December 3, 1984 in an effort to des ign a program for i nteraction with students at the fifth grade level. Th e interacti on that was dec ided upon was class proj ects and / or sc ience curri culum imp rovement s which require a one day per montl1 commitment. Mr. Louis Moore is wo rking wi th McDade Elementary Sc hool in an effort to arran ge a si m ilar program in that sc hool. Phillips Petroleum Company is providing any booklets and / or material s on the petroc hemi ca l indu stry that may be needed for t he program . Similar i nvo lvements are being planned for the Fort Bend Co un ty Independent Sc hool Distri ct. We awa rd ed two $500.00 sc holarsh ips to two grad uating high school students. We were also ab le to sponso r two studen ts in the Summ er Sci ence and Engineering Career Awareness and College Preparatory Program at Texas Southe rn Uni versity. Ea ch of these students rec eived a stipend of $250.00. Th is progra m wi ll be conducted by Dr. Etta Walker, Chairperson , Department of Physics at the Un iversi ty. Severa l members of th e NOBCChE served as judges in va riou s Sc i ence Fa irs in and aroun d the Houston ares. We were well represen ted in career day ac tiviti es. In addi ti on, many of us volun teered as tu tors in tu torial programs in Hou ston. The Gulf Coast Cha pter's annual fund ra iser (Las Vagas Night) was, as always, a bi g suc cess. Thi s chapter and the Southwest Region hosted a one day workshop entitled "Self Management In An Organization ." The

Sem i nar was held on the ca mpus of Texas So uth ern University on May 9, 1985. Exxon Chemi cal Company, cos ponso r of the wo rk shop, provi ded the services of Ms. Kathleen E. Mc Donald . Perso nnel Development Advi so r and Mr. Ern est H. Urquhart. Organ izational Development Coo rdinator as guest speakers. Th e obj ectives of the workshop were ( l ) To inc rease awareness of " orga ni zation cu lture" as a vita l part of being professionally effective; (2 ) To expose participants to skill areas i n managing them selves in an organi za tion ; & (3) To ex plore so me impli cat ion s of being black in a predominantly whi te organ ization. Th e agenda included an introduction to NOBCCh E's aims and obj ect ives, a discussion of the assumptions t hat we make regarding job res ponsibilities and oppo rtunities and why we make the assumpti ons, a discu ssion of va lues as a basis of organi zationa l culture and norms. and a discussion on networking. These ac tiviti es we re foll owed by an informal recep t ion where NOBCChE members interacted with the speakers, studen ts, and faculty.

Dr. Hobby Wilson is an associate professor of chemistry at Texas Southern University. He has received many grants for research done atTexas Southern. Dr. Wilson is the southwest regional chairperson for NOHCChL

Western Region News Southern California Chapter Members of the Southern .Ca li forn ia Chapter celebrated th e Chapter's offic ial sa nct ion at their April 13th meeting, at the Uni versity of California at Irvine (UC Irvine).

continued from page four Western Regional Chairperson James Evans presented the official charter to Chapter President Bob Coun tryman. He congratulated chapter members and encouraged them to co ntin ue their en tl1u siastic work.

Southern California Chapter members at their April meeting, University of California at Irvine. front row (I. tor.): !'like l'lartin, Bryant Henderson, l'lary Pierson, Brian Smith, Tim Cole, l'lichelle Chairs, Gwen and Jim Evans (San francisco Hay Area Chapter) , and Uoyd Hell. Hack row (I. tor.): Hob Countryman, fillmore freeman, Robert Benford, Heverly french, and Darrell Davis.

The guest speaker for the auspicio us occasion was Dr. Rich Turner, Director of Tutorial Services at UC Irvine. Dr. Turn er talked abou t his research on the retention rate of minorities in science, math, and engin eering at predominatly white uni versiti es. According to Turner's research, retention , particularly of black stud ent, is based on how much attention and support (financial includ ed) black students receive and give themselves. Chapter business foll owed Dr. Turner's presentation , the highlights of which focused on ed ucation, which is one of the Chapter's major interests. + Th e Chapter was successful in recruiting funds to sponso r four students in the 12th Annual U.S. Naval Academy Interest and Involvement in Sc i ence Program. TRW, Inc. funded in full two students from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, Brian Sm ith and Mary Rankin . Teledyne Ryan fund ed in full Tasha Mcfadden

of Lincoln High School, Sa n Di ego. Lorenzo Green of Crawford High Sc hool, San Diego. was funded by a variety of donation s from the Conva ir Divi sion of General Dyna mi cs and NOBCChE members. + The Chapter establi shed th e NOBCChE Chemi stry Award. The first was presented to Jose Pad illa of Inglewood High Sc hool at the Inglewood Science Fa ir Awards Ceremony. + Ini t ial contacts were made with the Inglewood Unified Sc hool Distri ct to parti cipate in th ei r Mentor/Student program and with the Bell Juni or High Sc hool in San Diego to discuss forming a Mentor/ Studen t program at that schoo l. Members hope to help increase the number of black you th involved in Bell's sc ience prog ram. Following adjournment, members gathered in Laguna Beach for a soc ial hour to celebrate the Chapter's offici al charter. Later in the p.m ., members attended the Twelfth Con tinu ed on page twelve

Infrastructure Analysis and ultimately, the meeting activit ies (i .e., the fin al product). Th e stronger the infra structure, the higher the probabil ity of a successful final product. Th e strength of the infrastructure was based upon capable persons performing assigned tasks wi thin spec ifi ed tim efra mes, reliable eq ui pment that is not constan tly breaking down with no simple mea ns of getting it repa ired, people and equipment ava ilable to ta ke over i f parts of th e in frastructure failed, proper com muni cations to avo id costly and was teful dupli cation of effort, etc. Wi thout all parts of the infrastructure work ing in tandem, the 12th Ann ua l Meeting of NOBCChE wou ld not have been a successful, smoo th running, product ive event. For the most part, attention is oft en foc ussed on the fini shed product without g iving thought to the infrastructure requi red to meet the specifi ed objective. In the ind ustrialized world, thi s attention is Jac king because the infrastructure is a well-developed and fu nction ing part of the society. The following scenario provides an ind ication of t he Jack of thought in the industrialized world concern ing issues relating to infrastru cture. Let us say that the typewri ter, zerox ma chine, local printing and binding equ ipm ent, and teleph one and mail systems used by th e local Organ izing Committee to plan NOBCChE's 12th Annua l Meeting is defined as System I. During the plann ing stages of th e meeting, parts of System I experienc ed constant breakd owns and three months from the schedu led meeting dates the total system became inoperab le. What effect would these breakdowns in infrastructu re have had on the outcome of the 12th Annual Meeting? If the infrastructure had fail ed as indi cated, the Minneapoli s meeting wo uld have been a disaster. Some obvious im pacts includ e the inablity to type, reproduce and mail meeting correspondence to potent ial parti cipants, the program booklet cou ld not have been completed , quick telephone changes and confirmations concerning impo rtant last minute detai ls cou ld not have been possible, etc. It is doubtful that NOBCChE would have met in Minneapoli s if th is scenari o had been a reality. It is pos tula ted, however, that if there

continued from page three had been a breakdown in infrastructure as described, NOBCChE's 12th Annual Meeting wou ld have gone virtually unaffected. After observi ng the impacts of a breakdown in infrastructure, how can I now say that the in frastructure failures wo uld have had no affect on the meeting? The outcome of th e meeting would have been successfu l in spite of infra structu re problem s because societies in the indu stria lized world have demonstrated that if Syste m I breaks down, i t can ei ther be repaired qui ckly, or if not repa ired , System 2 (i.e., the backup) ca n be broug ht on lin e to take its place. In any case, th e observed negative impa cts on the final product are kep t to a minimum . Al though thi s scenario is a known fact and can be described as a si mple demon strati on of logic in developed countri es, infrastructure breakdown is one of the main (if not th e mai n) probl em assoc iated with techni ca l development in less developed countries. The industrialized countries expect the infrastructure to be intact and fu nctioning. This expectat ion is well founded based on the past hi story and performa nce of the infrast ructu re. In areas like Pan Afr ica, the infrastructure is not well developed. When the primary system fa ils in these areas, the infrastructure is not capa ble of making quick adju stments sim ilar to the one described in the scenario. The weak infrastructure in these areas genera lly result from inadequate access to service and main tenance to repair, and lack of a backup to replace, fai led systems. The document entitled Lagos Plan of Act ion suggests that '"the infrastructure for sc ience and tec hnology needs to be developed" (REF. 3). Ill. Conclusions and Recommendations Institu tions throughout mu ch of Pa n Africa strive to im prove the scientifi c quality of their researc h to assu me a more effec tive role in the techno logical development of the region. International develo pment and financial instituti ons have begun to recog ni ze in seminars, conferences and workshops, the im portant role Pan African institutions ca n bring into play in accelerat ing its own growth and econom ic Continued on page eleven

Reflections On The 13th Annual Meeting of NOBCChE 路 by Mutlu 0. Fagbayl, President, Rochester Chapter of NOBCChE (Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York) The 13th Annual meeting of the National Organization for the Professiona l Advancement of Black Chem i sts and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota May 22-25. 1985. The theme of the meeting was "Stepping into the High Tech 90's", and was hosted by the Twin Cities chapter of NOBCChE. As is customary

at our meetings, there were excellent tec hnical presentations by NOBCChE members, interesting indu strial exhibits, and some symposia. One of the symposia, t itles "NOBCChE's International Affairs Reach Out Across the Ocean", described some of NOBCChE's activities with counterparts in African co untries.

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One of the significant changes that took pla ce within NOBCChE was the ratification of a constitutiona l amendment granting Executive Board vot ing priviledges to the 4 Regiona l chairpersons. This amendment recognizes the fact that the chairpersons, as elected representatives of their respective Regions, are directly in touch with the pulse of the organi zation, i.e., the membership. The ratification broadens the leadership base of NOBCChE. It shou ld result in more tim ely communication and better articulation of th e wishes of the membership, and shou ld make for an even more responsive Executive Board. These consequences only st rength en the organization. As so often happens wi th any organization , NOBCChE is now poi sed to deal with issues that will enhance its position as a truly national group, harness the technical expertise of the membership, and ensure the

l'lr, l'lutiu fagbayi received his 8.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton, and his l'l.S. from Pennsylvania State University. He is currently a Research Scientist at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY. He is a charter member of the Rochester Chapter of NOBCChE and currently serves as its President.

continuing growth of NOBCChE. In the remaind er of this article, I shall concentrate on one of these issues. Need for A National focus The need for a more potent national/ international focu s for our organ i zat ion was a much-discussed topic at the annual meeting. I feel that NOBCChE, as one of the largest single collect ion of Black technical minds in the world , ought to develop program s of signifi ca nce that wi ll channel the tremendous expertise of the members towards some common goa ls. Although each loca l chapte r should be free to arrange activities that are of interest to its membership, a tru ly national organization still need s to maintain a national agenda. Not only sho uld this agenda be national/ international in scope, but, more importantly, the implementation should involve the parti cipa tion of a cross-sec tion of

the membership. Dr. Jam es H. Porter's project aimed at reclaiming the Sa hara Desert for primary energy production is one program that meets these criteria. Th e Rochester chapter of NOBCChE has targeted its 'Adopt-a-Sc hool ' program as th e focal point of its activiti es for the next few years. We have just completed the first full year of implem ent ing our sc ience cur ri culum in the Rochester City School District. If some of the other local chapters implement similar programs in th eir area , our combined efforts would draw the chapers closer together, have a po sitive impa ct on the lives of young people, and may result in nationallysig nifi cant recommendations by NOBCChE regarding the scientific and technical literacy of school-age yo uth. The 'Ado pt-a- School' program is another example of th e types of activities that the organization as a whole can participate in. Many others have been suggested, including the following: + formation of a foundation or in stitute to address topics of interest to NOBCChE's constituencies, and to develop ways to ensure the long-term fiscal independence of the organization. + Establishment of a summer science workshop for elementary - and secondaryschol teachers. The workshop can be sponsored jointly by NOBCChE, academic institutions, and industry. + Arrandement of grants for faculty members from African and Carribean

the Outstanding Teacher award being presented to Bobby L Wilson by Curtis l'lcDonald

universities to conduct research in U.S. universities: and + Undergraduate and gradute scholarship programs for college students. The issue of a focu s for the organ ization has been recognized and is fully supported by the Executive Board. !urge the general

Continued on page ten

1I I),

Banquet night culminated the meeting's activities

Infrastructure Analysis

13th Annual Meeting continued from page nine The issue of a fo cus for th e organ iza tion has been recogni zed and is fully supported by the Execu tive Board. I urge th e genera l membership to prepare programs at the loca l. Regiona l. or national levels for con sideration by the Boa rd. I have no doubt s about the Boa rd 's enthu sia stic support of these initiatives. Organizationally, th e NOBCChE is now on firm grou nds. I th ink that we are ready to move to the next level in our development. to channel our mental resou rces towa rd s programs that are of value to the wo rld comm unity and whi ch will enhance our

stature as a professional organization. The programs should be signifi ca nt. and their impa ct should be measurea bl e. I'm co nfid ent that we can do it!

development (RE FS. 4, 5, 6). These workshops and co nferences have not add ressed the infrast ructure issues in a manner consistent wi th their importance. The major cha ll enge that must be addressed in the near-te rm is a joint effo rt to design TA proj ec t s in suppo rt of Pan Africa aro und th e ex isting infrastructure capab ili ty of the reg ion. Thi s wi ll require that a deta iled infrastructure analysis be performed during the ea rly stages of project development. Also. a strong effort should be made to design TA projects to incorporate suppo rt for infra structure development of the region under investigation . Biomass Energy

Postscript

It loo ks like th e proponents of 'NO- BEESHAY' as th e acronym for NOBCChE have won the day. Those of us who prefer 'NOB-KEY' have been informed that th e former acronym has a richer to nal ring' (Hah!). For the record. the 'NO-BEE-SHAY' bac kers includ ed Mr. Ivory Herbert, the chairman of the Executive Board. How could we win !!???!! See you in Atlanta in 1986.

continued from page seven Therefore, it is reco mmend ed that AID. the Wo rld Ban k, and United Nation organ izat ions work together to requi re tha t an infrastructu re analysis become an integral part of all project docu ments pri or to funding considerati ons. A simplified exa mple of some of the salien t features of such an analysis is shown in Figure 2. The infra structure analysis is expected to improve the success ratio of many of the TA projec ts aimed at supporting technological development in reg ions like Pan Africa.

Production

(Anaerobic Digestion ) the industrial booth area was active for two days Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Data on Resources {Labor force , Forest reserves. Agricu ltu ral cro ps. Animal , Human. Municipal wastes)

Resource Input

(Harvesting, Collecting, Storage, Transporting, Uc.) Manpower Requirements

(farm , Agricu l tural. forestry, Uc.) Skilled

Technica l.

Non-Technical

Professiona l

lquipment Needs

Potentia l Impacts

Economic , Societa l. Environme ntal

Tractors, Saws,

Pumps, Digesters, Uc.

I [dward Walton giving the Jllinnesota Science Teachers Seminar

Access to Spare farts Service and Maintenance

figure 2: t:xample of the t:lements of an Infrastructure Analysis for Planning an Anaerobic Digestion Biomass t:nergy Project. References I. Private commun ications with personnel from th e Uni versi ty of lfe. lle-l fe, Nigeria. 2. R. L. Shepard, " International Trend s in the Development of Biomass as an Alternative Energy Source, final Report, INFRASURFACE, INC.. Publication No. 11 -0 1-83, 1983. 3. The Lagos Plan of Action for th e Economi c Development of Africa: 1980-2000, Organizat ion of Afri can Unity. 198 1. 4. Report on the Joint Meeting on International Cooperation for African Tech nological Development, sponsored by the

African Regional Center for Technology and the U.N. Financ ing System fo r Science and Technology Development December 5-7. 1983, Daka r Senega l. R.L. Shepard. "Reshap ing Tec hnology to Meet the Needs of Africa: A Concept''. Internal Report, INFRASUR FACE. INC.. Publica ti on No. 11-0 1-8 1, 198 1. African Regional Seminar on the Role of Scientific and lngineering Societies in Development. sponsored by MAS, December I 0-13. 1984, Grand Bassam, Ivory Coas t.

Western Region News

The Eminently Qualified "Linc''

condnued from page six

EDUCATION AND TRAINING W. L. (Linc) Hawkin s ea rned a B.S. chemical eng in ee ring degree at Rensselaer Polytechn ical In stitute in 1932 , enrolled in th e Master of Sc ience chemi stry program st Howard Uni versity and co mpleted th is program in 1934. In 1938 he co mpleted his doctoral thesis, " Th e Sturcture of Lignin Separated From Hard Wood ," from McG ill University. After a two-year lectu reship at McGill, Dr. Hawkin s accepted a post doctora l appo intmen t at Columbia University. [MPWYMENT In 1942 Dr. Hawkins joined Bell Laborato ries as a Memb er of Tec hn ica l Staff. After severa l assignments he finally undertook research investigation s of th e thermal and ox idative sta bilization of polymers for use in teleco mmuni cat ions, where many contributi ons were made during his career. His managment responsibiliti es bega n in 1963 as Supervisor, App li ed Resea rch. He was promoted to Depa rtm ent Hea d, Appli ed Research, in 1972 and was appo in ted Assistant Director, Chemica l Resea rch Laboratory, in 1974. Although he retired from Bell Laboratories tec hni ca l respon sibilities in 1975, W. L. Hawkins' career is still in fu ll throttle. rl e held the posi t i on of Resea rc l1 Direc tor of tl1 e Plastics In stitute of Ame ri ca from 1976 to 1983. He is presently co nsulting tec lrni ca lly for Mallinckrodt, Inc., P.P.&G. , Johnson and Southern California Chapter members atTRW. Inc .. Redondo Beach, California , with students, and their family, TRW is sponsoring in the 12th Annual U.S. Naval Academy Interest and Involvement in Science Program. from left to right: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and son Brian Smith (TRW recipient), Joyce Rankin and daughter Mary Rankin (TRW recipient ), Chapter President Bob Countryman, Chapter Treasurer Voncile Montgomery, TRW Manager of Community Relations Andy Shaw, Chapter Vice President Tom Dill, and Chaper Secretary Beverly french. Southern California Chapter continued Annual Awards Banqu et of the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers (LACBPE) at the Bonaventure Ho tel in Los Angeles. Twelve mem bers, including two San Francisco Bay Area Chapter mem bers, and their gues ts represe nted NOBCChE for the occa sion. Lewis Green, Chairperso n of the Speakers Bureau of LACBPE. who had attend ed the Chap ter's meeting ea rli er, thanked NOBCChE for its support. Spotlight Southern California Chapter Members - Mark Bridges was promoted to Supervi so r

of the Analytical Services departmen t for 7-up Foods, Ventura. - Patric ia Douglas is now an acco unt executi ve with Westc h, Los Angeles . - Beverly French has been appointed mento r/ teac her, to train new teachers, for the Los Angeles Unifi ed School Distric t. - Dwight A. Owens has been appo in ted Regional Sales Manager for American Bu rd ick & Jackson , a subsidy of Hospi ta\ Co rp orati on of America. Owenss' territory covers 15 sta tes. - Joe Stewart, formerly of World of Curls, is currently at Cardinal Labs in Az usa, Cal ifornia.

Johnson, \o\ab, Inc ,, W. R. Grace & Co mpany, General Aniline and Film Co rporation , and Allied Chemi ca l Corpora t ion. UCHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS Dr. Hawkins has been award ed 17 in ternat iona l patents related to the protec tion of plas ti cs against ox idative degradation and has publi shed 53 papers in hi s specialty fi elds. He is the editor of two books, Po lymer Degrada tion and Stabilization , 1984, and Polymer Stabili za ti on, 1972 , and has authored six chapters in various books. HONORS AND AWARDS Hawkins' awa rds in reverse chronology include th e Internatio nal Award , Soc iety of Plast ics Engin eers: elect ion to the Na tional Academy of Engineeering: Award of Merit. National Technical Associat ion, North Jersey Section, 1982; Ach ievement Award , Los Angeles Co uncil of Black Professional Engineers. 1981: Percy L Julian Awa rd , 1977: Distinguished Al umni Award, Howard Universi ty, 1974; Annual Co mmunity Se rvice Award of tl1e Urban League, Essex Co un ty, 1973; Honor Scroll, Ameri ca n Institute of Chemists. 1970; and Sigma XI. Honorary degrees have been presented to him by Montclai r Sta te College, LL. D.; Stevens Institute of Technology, D. Eng. ; Kean College, LL D.: and Howa rd Uni versity, D. Sci.

D ;-

Dr. Lincoln Hawkins, consultant and nominee for the office of President - t:lect of the American Chemical Society.

National Election Results

Voting on constituational amendments at the National Meeting. The national election results were given at the national meeting in Minnesota. The results are repeated below: Edward D. Walton Joseph N. Cannon Raymond F.X. Williams Rosanne C. Anderson Raymond L. Countryman James Porter Florence L. Williams These offices take effect on July I, 1985.

President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Executive Board:

ARCHIVf:S NOTES + Samuel von Winbush; NOBCChE Archivist and Historian The Robert W. Woodruft Library, Atlanta University Center, is now the permanent location for NOBCChE's archi ves. Please send all documents and photographs of historical significance to the person listed below Mrs. Minnie Clayton. Archivist Robert W. Woodruft Library Atlanta University Center Atlanta, GA 30310

Announcement: WESTERN REGION The Second Annual Western Regional Meeting will be held September 27-28, 1985, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Meeting information will be mailed to members.

Westeners Hol to Minneapolis Twenty members from the Western Region attended the Twelfth Annual Meeting of NOBCChE in Minneapolis, May 21-25, representing two chapters and four states. The business of the Region was conducted at th e Regional Meeting of the National Meeting. Members re-elected James Evans Regional Chairperson; his term will be for two years. Bob Countryman, President, Southern California Chapter, received congratulations for being elected to the Executive Bord; his term will last for three years. Members offered their support to John Harmon and Harold Yancy, from the State of Washington , who along with Jim Evans will be working dilligently to start a chapter in the Richland, Washington area. Winifred Burks. San Francisco Bay Area Chapter President, volunteered to assist the Washington Slaters with organizational activities. With any luck, thi s team will have set the foundation in place for a Washington State Chapter by September for the Region's Second Annual Meeting. James Harris, memb er of the Sa n Francisco Bay Area Chap te r. humbly received a special recognition award for hi s yea rs of service to NOBCChE and for hi s sc ientifi c accomplishments. Jim is the co-discoverer of Elements 104 and 105. Executive Board Chairperon Ivory Herbert made the presentation. Executive Board Mem ber Bill Lester. Sa n Francisco Bay Area Chapter, did an outstanding job presenting the keynote speaker for the Awards Banquet, Dr. Lloyd Ferguson, Professor of Chemistry, California State University. Bill Guillory, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, received congratulations and accolades for hi s recently published book Realizations: Personal t:mpowerment Through Self-Awareness, which he autographed and so ld at the meeting. On behalf of the Western Region, James Evens recommend ed to the Executive Board April 13-18, Mer idi en 11otel, as th e dates and headquarters for th e 1987 National Meeting that will be held in Sa n Francisco/Oakland. Board Members approved . Wes tern Regional members are excited and l1ave already begun planning for the confab. At th e Minn ea poli s meeting colorful posters reminded attendees

that NOBCChE members and their families will be going Westward Ho! to Northern California in '87. NOBCChE members from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore. California, gave out buttons announcing "SFO in '87" at the LLNL exhibit. Keeping the "Western Spirit" foremost in the forefront. Southern California Chapter President Bob Countryman and Vice President Tom Dill made a presentation to the Executive Board to hold the 1990 National Meeting in San Diego. California. Board Members could not resist the magnetic allure of Southern California blue skies, sandy beaches. and hospitality that Countryman and Dill visually depicted using slides. brochures. and posters. Westward Ho! to Southern California in '90. Western Regional members thank the Minneapolis Chapter for a successful meeting. A Brief Report on the Trip to t:gypt Continued from page two sc ienti sts are donating their own time and money toward the success of this project. This proj ect is greatly under funded at $50,000.00 per year. A project of this magnitude would cost at least $500,000.00 per year in the United States.

Deadline for the next issue is August 26th