Philadelphia 2008: NOBCChE Annual Meeting Recap
NOBCChE News OnLine May 2008 Vol. 38, No. 2
Dr. Sharon Haynie, DuPont Company 2008 Percy L Julian Award Recipient
About NOBCChE
The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) resulted from an April 1972 Ad Hoc Committee for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. The committee was assisted financially by a grant of $850 provided by the Haas Community Fund, and a $400 grant administered through Drexel University. NOBCChE was incorporated in 1975 under the laws of the State of Georgia and has tax-exempt status (501(c )(3)) as a non-profit professional society. Since its inception, NOBCChE has grown in size to approximately 4,000 members, who are distributed over five regions – Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West – that contain both professional and student chapters. NOBCChE’s first national meeting was held in March 1974 in New Orleans. Dr. William Guillory, one of NOBCChE’s seven founders, was elected the first President at that meeting. The organization has held national meetings every year since then. The national meetings provide opportunities for Black chemists and chemical engineers to discuss issues of significance to their careers, to present technical papers, to mentor high schoolers, undergraduates and graduates in the areas of science and technology, and to present several fellowships to deserving graduate students. The first graduate fellowship was established by the Proctor & Gamble Company in 1976. This was followed in 1980 by the Kodak Fellowship Award and in 1990 by the DuPont Company Fellowship Award. In recent years additional graduate fellowships have been established by GlaxoSmithKline, and the Dow Chemical Company. A new joint National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) - University of Maryland – NOBCChE fellowship began in 2007. To date, more than one million dollars have been distributed through these fellowships. In addition, national meetings serve as occasions to recognize professional members through the Percy L. Julian Professional Achievement Award and the Dr. Henry C. McBay Outstanding Teacher Award. Professor McBay, who was one of NOBCChE’s seven founders, taught chemistry at Morehouse College until his death at the age of 80. NOBCChE also administers the Henry A. Hill Lectureship sponsored by the Northeast Section of the American Chemical Society. NOBCChE is committed to the discovery, transmittal, and application of knowledge in the fields of science and engineering. The mission of NOBCChE therefore is to build an eminent community of scientists and engineers by increasing the number of minorities in these fields. NOBCChE attempts to achieve its mission through diverse programs designed to foster professional development and encourage students to pursue careers in science and technical fields. To this end, NOBCChE has established educational partnerships with school districts, municipalities, businesses, industries, other institutions and organizations in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit the NOBCChE website at www.nobcche.org.
NOBCChE News Online
1
Spring 2008
Volume 38 Number 2, Spring 2008
REGIONAL/CHAPTER NEWS Northeast Regional Meeting Southeast Regional Meeting Midwest Regional Meeting Southwest Regional Meeting West Regional Meeting 2008 Elections Results
Dr. Sharon Haynie 2008 Percy L Julian Award Recipient
IN THIS ISSUE About NOBCChE Editor’s Comments President's Message NOBCChE Contacts Future Conference Dates
1 3 4 4 12
NOBCChE News Maker
5
NNOL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Dr. Alvin Kennedy Dr. Andre Palmer Dr. Christine Grant
7 9 10
KUDOS KORNER
22
5 5 4 5 23 25
SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE NEWS NOBCChE 2008 Recap 13
COVER STORY
11
Dr. Sharon Haynie, “Trailblazer Honored PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Tony Talks: You and Your Stimulus Check
24
NOBCChE News Online (NNOL) NOBCChE National Office P.O. Box 77040 Washington, DC 20013 (202) 667-1699 or (800) 776-1419 ISSN 1932-8141 Editor: Anthony Dent, Ph.D Editorial Staff: Sandra Mitchell, LaToya Myles, Ph.D., and Gerald Roberts Weatherspoon, Ph.D.
NOBCChE News Online
2
Spring 2008
Editor’s Comments — The Road Forward
Dr. Tony Dent
It is always tempting following a NOBCChE annual conference to look back at events that occurred at that meeting. As you will see, majority of this issue is devoted to such an endeavor. For example, there were a record number of presented in 18 technical sessions and a poster session with 78 papers. Most notable was the fact that all of the award winners at the graduate and professional levels gave talks during a technical session. Kudos should go to Dr. Sharon Kennedy and Dr. Rebecca Tinsley who co-chair the technical program for this - first time achievement. It gave us a chance to confirm why they were selected. In my opinion, none left any doubt. We recognize some awesome folks! The 2008 conference marked the first Lubrizol Scholarship targeting chemical engineering research. Combined with the new professional award devoted to chemical engineering, this should emphasize that we value the “ChE” part of NOBCChE. We should also note that the University of Maryland Milligan Fellowship has taken traction and evolved into a “technical – education partnership” with a monetary benefits to NOBCChE as well as a significant potential to increase the number of minority Ph.D. professionals. The 2009 annual conference is scheduled for the week of April 13th in St. Louis. The National Conference Planning Committee, under the leadership of Ms. Sandra Parker, is beginning to formulate the structure of that meeting. My question to our members is: “What would you like to see happen at our next meeting?” Will you meet us in St Louis? Moreover, what should we be doing in the interim period? One thing that all of you can do in the interim is to address the ugly issue created by J Wiley’s cover of “Chemistry for Dummies” which unlike the Physics and Biology versions, has a picture of a Black kid on the cover. Is that the image we wish to support? If you object and hold an academic position, please pressure your departments to discontinue purchasing any textbooks published by Wiley. Then, send the Wiley president, William J. Pesce, a letter informing him of your actions. This is the best way to send them a message that we won’t tolerate such insensitivity.
Let us know your thoughts! Send comments to newsmagazine@nobcche.org
Tony Dent newsmagazine@nobcche.org Views expressed within this editorial are those of the authors and not the views of NOBCChE.
NOBCChE News Online
3
Spring 2008
President President
Victor R. R. McCrary, McCrary, Ph.D. Ph.D. Victor The Johns Johns Hopkins Hopkins University University The Applied Physics Physics Laboratory Laboratory Applied Laurel, MD MD Laurel, Vice-President Vice-President John Harkless, Harkless, Ph.D. Ph.D. John Howard University University Howard Washington, DC DC Washington, Secretary Secretary Sharon J. J. Barnes, Barnes, MBA/HRM MBA/HRM Sharon The Dow Dow Chemical Chemical Company Company The Freeport, TX TX Freeport, Treasurer Treasurer Lolita Grant, Grant, CPA CPA Lolita Grant and and Associates Associates Grant Atlanta, GA GA Atlanta, National Student Student Representative Representative National
Sean S. S. Gant Gant Sean
University of of Michigan Michigan University Ann Harbor, Harbor, MI MI Ann Midwest Regional Regional Chair Chair Midwest Judson L L Haynes, Haynes, III, III, Ph.D. Ph.D. Judson The Procter Procter and and Gamble Gamble Company Company The Mason, OH OH Mason, Northeast Regional Regional Chair Chair Northeast Patrick Gordon, Gordon, Ph.D. Ph.D. Patrick Emmanuel College College Emmanuel Boston, MA MA Boston, Southeast Regional Regional Chair Chair Southeast James Grainger, Grainger, Ph.D. Ph.D. James Centers for Centers for Disease Disease Control Control and and Prevention PrevenAtlanta, GA tion Atlanta, GA Southwest Regional Chair Melvin Poulson Southwest Regional Chair Schering-Plough Melvin Poulson Animal Health Baton Rouge, LAAnimal Health Schering-Plough Baton Rouge, LA West Regional Chair Isom Regional Harrison Chair West Lawrence Livermore Natl. Lab Isom Harrison Livermore,Livermore CA Lawrence Natl. Lab Livermore, CA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Bobby Wilson, Ph.D. Chairman Texas Southern University Bobby Wilson, Ph.D. Chairman Houston, TX University Texas Southern Houston, TX Perry L. Catchings, Sr., MS, MBA Vice Chairman Perry L. Catchings, Sr., MS, MBA PrimeChairman Organics, Inc. Vice Lowell,Organics, MA Prime Inc. Lowell, MA Denise Barnes, Ph.D. NationalBarnes, Science Foundation Denise Ph.D. Arlington,Science VA Foundation National Arlington, VA Ella Davis Interim Executive Director Ella Davis Center Square,Inc PA McNeil-PPC, Lititz, PA Ronald Lewis II, Ph.D. Pfizer Inc. Ronald Lewis II, Ph.D. San Diego, Pfizer Inc. CA San Diego, CA Sandra Parker The Dow Chemical Company Sandra Parker Midland, The Dow MI Chemical Company Midland, MI Gloria Thomas MaGee, Ph.D. Xavier Thomas University of Louisiana Gloria MaGee, Ph.D. New Orleans, LA of Louisiana Xavier University New Orleans, LA Isiah Warner, Ph.D. Louisiana State University Isiah Warner, Ph.D. Baton Rouge, Louisiana StateLA University Baton Rouge, LA
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: “NOBCCHE IN THE FALL – THE 2008 FALL REGIONAL CONFERENCES”
What an Annual Meeting we had this past March in Philadelphia to celebrate thirty-five years of NOBCCHE!!! We had over five hundred persons in attendance, over 55 exhibitors, a historic groundbreaking session on building the NOBCChE-HBCU Connection, an informative general session sponsored by Rohm & Haas, great lectures by students, professionals, and luminaries like Drs. James West and James (“Jim”) Mitchell, a stupendous Awards Banquet, and finally capping it off with our NOBCChE National Science Bowl and Science Fair Competitions. NOBCChE is moving in the right direction, bringing impact programs, and facilitating opportunities for our members, and our industry, government, and university partners. A great article on this year’s conference can be found in the April 28th issue of Chemical & Engineering News. However, as an organization, NOBCChE is not defined by just its Spring Annual Meeting, but all of the events and programs that take place throughout the year at the local chapter and Regional levels ---- because that is “where the rubber meets the road” and our NOBCChE members and supporters see NOBCChE in action. This year the five NOBCChE Regions will hold their Fall Regional Conferences which gives members in those regions a chance to meet and discuss issues and opportunities in their region. These Regional Conferences occur over a two-day period and attract anywhere from 50- 150 persons, and are very informative and exciting! For the past three years, I have attended the NOBCChE Southeast Regional Conference, and each time I have been impressed with the diversity of participants from academia, government, and industry, as well as the well-planned technical and professional development sessions. Of course as your National President, I will plan to attend all of the 2008 Regional Conferences, so I look forward to meeting all of you!! In particular, I want to hear from you as to how NOBCChE can be of value to you – whether you are a student, industry professional, human resources manager, or a university professor. Each Region has a power-packed agenda, so check for more information from your Regional Chair, and check the NOBCChE Website for future information as well as the contact information for your Regional Chair. The dates for the 2008 Fall Regional Conferences are (make sure you mark your calendars and the save the date!): Western Regional Conference: October 10-11, 2008, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Midwestern Regional Conference: October 23-25, 2008, Eli Lilly, Indianapolis
NOBCChE News Online
4
Spring 2008
Southwestern Regional Conference: October 24-25, 2008, Texas Southern University, Houston Southeastern Regional Conference: November 7-8, 2008, Atlanta Renaissance Marriott, Atlanta Northeast Regional Conference: November 14-15, 2008, St. Francis College, New York City Please contact your Regional Chair and get involved and make a difference at the local level. I look forward to seeing all of you at these conferences!!!! Respectfully,
Victor R. McCrary
NOBCChE News Makers NOBCChE Chemist Becomes a Historian Ms. Jeannette Brown, a retired organic medicinal chemist, was one of the many authors of the short biographies that have been selected for publication in the new series of books “African American National Biography”(AANB) published by Oxford University Press. “African American National Biography” is a joint project of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University and Oxford University Press. “It covers a broader range of African American lives than ever before depicted. It lists the lives of 41000 individuals both the famous and ordinary people” i It is edited by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Evelyn Brooks Higgenbottom of Harvard. The eight volume set of books contains the listing of only nineteen chemists and chemical engineers, twelve female and seven male. Ms Brown contributed the biographies of six women chemists and chemical engineers, including Dr. Marie Daly, the first African American woman to receive a PhD in chemistry and Jennie Patrick, the first African American woman to receive a PhD in chemical engineering. Dr. Daly was Ms Brown’s inspiration for becoming an historian of African American women chemists. Ms. Brown met Dr. Daly at a local American Chemical Society meeting and realized that she was talking to a person whose story needed to be told. Dr. Daly was on the research team of Mirsky and Alfrey at Rockefeller Instititue (now University) that worked on discovering the amino acid precursors to the discovery of DNA. The work of this research team was mentioned in Dr. Watson’s Nobel Prize speech (1). Dr. Jennie Patrick had to undergo racial prejudice in order to prove to the world that she deserved to become the first African American woman to receive a PhD in chemical engineering. During her career in corporate America she was the first to design a pilot plant for supercritical fuel extraction and became a research manger of the first fundamental research engineering group of another corporation The other women whose biographies are included AANB and were written by Ms Brown, are Gloria Long Anderson, Reatha Clark King, Esther Avilla Hopkins, and Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert. Since all of the women are currently alive with the exception of Dr. Daly, Ms Brown was able to collect their oral histories. NOBCChE News Online
5
Spring 2008
The editors of African American National Biography (AANB) indexed all scientists and engineers under the heading of technology. Ms Brown extracted the list of chemists and chemical engineers from this list and created an index for the use of other chemists (2). The biography of Ms Brown is one of the chemists listed in AANB. AANB is the first publication of the research of Ms Brown in her history of African American women chemists’ project. She has given numerous lectures and talks about her research and she is in the process of writing a book about these remarkable women. Her book will become a reference book which will put the lives of these women in one volume for use by students of the history of science, African American history and women’s history. Ms Brown has also taken on a new task by becoming the historian of the American Chemical Society’s Women Chemist Committee. References 1
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~aanb/ selected items. James D. Watson Nobel Lecture www. Nobel.org ref # 8 V. G. Allfrey, M. M.Daly, and A. E. Mirsky, J. Gen. Physiol., 37 (1953) 157. 3 See attached excell spread sheet. 2
Chemists and Chemical Engineers in "African American National Biography" Name Abron, Lilia Ann Anderson, Gloria Long Brady, St. Elmo* Brown, Jeannette Daly, Marie Maynard** Ferguson, Lloyd Noel Hawkins, Walter Lincoln Hill, Henry Aaron Hill, Mary Elliott Hopkins, Esther Jemison, Mae Julian, Percy Lavon King, Reatha Clark Massie, Samuel Proctor, Jr. McBay, Henry Cecil Ransom McBay, Shirley Mathis Patrick, Jennie R.*** Robeson, Eslanda Cardozo Goode Tolbert, Margaret Ellen Mayo
Chemists/ Chem E. Chemical E. Chemist Chemist Chemist Chemist Chemist Chemical E. Chemist Chemist Chemist Chemical E. Chemist Chemist chemist Chemist chemist Chemical E. Chemist Chemist
Vol # Page # Vol I pp 21-22 Vol I Pp 125-126 Vol I pp 531-532 Vol I pp 617-619 Vol 2 pp 535 - 536 Vol 3 pp 251-252 Vol 4 Pp 128 - 129 Vol 4 pp 234 -235 Vol 4 pp 236 -237 Vol 4 pp 307 - 308 Vol 4 pp 521 - 522 Vol 5 pp 30 -31 Vol 5 pp 107-108 Vol 5 pp 431-433 Vol 5 pp 460 - 461 Vol 5 461-463 Vol 6 Pp 263-264 Vol 6 pp 632 - 633 Vol 7 pp 613-614
* First Male PhD in chemistry, ** First Female PhD in chemistry *** First Female PhD in chemical engineering
Gender Female Female Male Female Female Male Male Male Female Female Female Male Female Male Male Female Female Female Female
Author Sherri J. Norris Jeannette Brown Audra J. Wolf Margaret E. M. Tolbert Jeannette Brown Robert Fikes Jr. Robert Johnson Jr. Kenneth R. Manning Billy Scott Jeannette Brown Martha Ackmann Charles W. Carey. Jr. Jeannette Brown Debra A. Varnado Rosalyn Mitchell Patterson Olivia A. Scriven Jeannette Brown Ann Zeidman-Karpinski Jeannette Brown
12 females and 7 males 19 chemists and chemical engineers
By Jeannette Brown copy write protected 2008
NOBCChE News Online
6
Spring 2008
Member Spotlight: Morgan State Professor Named 2008 Henry C. McBay Outstanding Teacher opment of critical thinking skills. Critical thinking (CT) skills are essential for a student's intellectual growth and can be seamlessly incorporated in a variety of activities throughout the summer and academic year. The framework for the undergraduate research development program consists of three elements: critical thinking and literature, critical thinking and research, and critical thinking and peer review. Students involved in the program are required to give several poster presentations of their research efforts at various stages of their work. By the time they arrive at of poster competitions, their students are well seasoned. Hence, the high performance that we observe is an indication of the success of his program. During his tenure at Morgan, his students have won numerous awards at various meetings including NOBCChE. This includes the highly memorable NOBCChE 2004 meeting when Morgan students swept the NOBCChE undergraduate research awards, winning the NOBCChE Poster and the Rohm & Haas Undergraduate competitions. That feat was accomplished again this year.
Dr. Alvin P. Kennedy was recognized at the Philadelphia Annual Conference as the 2008 Henry McBay Outstanding Teacher. As chronicled in the NNOL August 2005 issue, Professor Kennedy’s Chemistry Department at Morgan State University in Baltimore has produced a plethora of winners in NOBCChE’s Undergraduate Poster Competitions. His students have placed in the top three finalist positions in that competition in each of the past 5 years. His “CURE” (Continuous Undergraduate Research Experience) to undergraduate research was described in his award seminar that was presented during the Monday afternoon Chemical Education Technical Session. Two additional presentations augmented his description of Morgan’s program. A key element of their program involves working to instill in students that learning is a continuous process in both the academic and research realm. Challenges associated with that endeavor are: the transfer of information from the classroom to the research environment; and a mechanism to reinforce this process throughout the academic year. These challenges are being addressed by coupling interdisciplinary research projects with the develNOBCChE News Online
Dr. Alvin Kennedy ® receives the Henry McBay Outstanding Teacher Award from Dr. John Harkless, Howard University, the 2007 award winner.
7
Spring 2008
dents being a finalist in the Westinghouse Competition. In 1991 Dr. Kennedy joined the Chemistry Department at North Carolina A&T as an Assistant Professor. His research focused on the development of in-situ dielectric monitoring of polymerization reactions and processes in microgravity, and he was awarded a NASA/ASEE Research Fellowship to conduct research at Marshal Space Flight Center. He also served as Program Coordinator and mentor for the NASA Sharp Plus High School program for several years. He once again experienced the privilege of one of his students receiving 1st place in the International Space Olympics in Moscow, Russia.
The Undergraduate Research Development Program at Morgan is developing inquiry-based laboratories in its summer research program. The purpose is to integrate critical thinking skills into laboratory research. In an inquiry-based laboratory setting, students are given a simple description of the goal of the project. They are divided into several groups and are engaged in a discussion of the nature of experimental design and analysis. Each group comes up with two different experimental designs towards the goal, and proceeds with their experiments. The groups then report their results and openly discuss and evaluate each experimental design’s strength and weakness. They then return to their groups and refine their designs and finish the experiment. After the experiment, the Critical Thinking module "Post Experiment Analysis" is applied and laboratory reports are written. They are currently implementing one inquiry-based experiment in their General Chemistry Laboratory course in an attempt to encourage students to take an active role in laboratories and to engage them in critical thinking activities.
In 2000 Dr. Kennedy became Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Morgan State University. He immediately began to build the research infrastructure necessary for creating a program that would serve as the foundation for developing a Continuous Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). He has been very successful in receiving internal and external funding to develop the infrastructure needed for teaching and research. Dr. Kennedy has established a research collaboration at Morgan whose focus is the development of Sensors for BioEnvironmental Research (SenBER). He is PI of two grants which support this research, NSF Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (RISE) and DOE Biosensors for Environmental Toxicology (BET).
Professor Kennedy received his undergraduate education at Grambling State University. While at Grambling he had a very rich undergraduate research experience. He was a participant in cooperative and summer internships at Brookhaven National Labs, Dow Chemical Company, Dowell and AT&T Bell Laboratories. He received his bachelor's degree in 1978 and was awarded an AT&T Bell Laboratories Cooperative Research Fellowship. He matriculated to the University of California at Berkeley where he did his graduate work with Professor George C. Pimentel, and he received his PhD in Physical Chemistry in 1985.
Dr. Kennedy is currently serving as Director of Morgan's NSF HBCU-UP Undergraduate Research Development Program. Despite his numerous administrative duties, Dr. Kennedy is still very active in his true passion as a researcher and mentor. He has served as research mentor for over 50 graduate, undergraduate and high school students in a variety of programs including ACSSEED, NASA SHARP-PLUS, NIH MARC, NIH MBRS, NSF LSAMP, NSF HBCU-UP, NSF RISE and the Ronald McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program.
Upon completion of his PhD, Dr. Kennedy joined Dow Chemical and became a Project Leader in the Advanced Electronics Materials Division in Central Research. He received several patents for his work in dielectric polymers and was awarded “Outstanding Paper” at the 7th Annual International Microelectronics Conference. While at Dow he began to mentor high school and college students and had the privilege of one of his stu-
NOBCChE News Online
8
Spring 2008
Member Spotlight: Ohio State Professor Received 2008 Lloyd Ferguson Young Scientist Award His research design strategy is based on the observation that transfusion of hemoglobin results in vasoconstriction and the development of systemic hypertension. The root cause of this effect stems from the ability of hemoglobin to extravasate through pores in the wall of blood vessels and sequester NO from the surrounding vasculature. This in turn leads to blood vessel constriction and results in the observed hypertensive effect. He is author of more than 37 peer reviewed publications. Among others, he received the National Science Foundation Career Award in 2001, and two National Institutes of Health R01 grants in 2006. Prof. Palmer previously served on the editorial board of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs Journal, and is currently an editorial board member for the Journal of Artificial Cells, Blood Substitutes and Biotechnology. Prof. Palmer also serves on the International Scientific Advisory Committee on Blood Substitutes, and is a member of the Academic Advisory board for the Department of Chemical Engineering at Howard University.
Dr. Andre F. Palmer is currently ann Associate Professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at The Ohio State University. Prior to this appointment, Prof. Palmer served as Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Howard University. Prof. Palmer received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University in 1998. His research interests encompass the development of novel hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers for a variety of transfusion applications and the use of these oxygen carriers to enhance and target oxygen delivery to mammalian cell cultures. Universal oxygen-carrying solutions that can replace the oxygen storage and transport functions of red blood cells will improve clinical outcomes both for trauma victims and for patients undergoing high-blood-loss surgical procedures. These oxygen carriers also will prevent the many serious complications associated with blood transfusions. NOBCChE News Online
Dr. Andre Palmer 速 receives the Lloyd Ferguson Award from University of Delaware Professor Thomas Epps, who was the 2007 award winner.
9
Spring 2008
.
North Carolina State Professor Received First NOBCChE Chemical Engineering Award polymers. She has served her profession as a leader in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) as a member of both the Board of Directors and the Chemical Technology Operating Council. Starting in 2008, Grant will serve as an Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Special Initiatives at NCSU. Dr. Grant, an NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) awardee, was recently selected as a Boeing Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering’s Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education (CASEE). As a Boeing Fellow her project involves strategic planning, and infrastructure development to catalyze existing resources and develop new resources to enhance the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty drawn from underrepresented minority (URM) populations in engineering and science. A critical aspect of her project is to develop a strong collaborative effort between university administrators (e.g., engineering deans, department heads) and senior URM faculty in engineering and science that will address this opportunity based on the wisdom of their own experiences. She recently founded the “Promoting Underrepresented Presence on Science and Engineering Faculties (PURPOSE) Institute”. PURPOSE is the culmination of Grant’s over 20 years working on the development of URM scientists and engineers. She has been a co-facilitator of an active network of chemical engineering faculty through: leadership of the Minority Affairs Committee in AIChE, organization of NSF workshops for minority engineering faculty, and numerous presentations as a speaker or a panel member for programs focused on excellence in the academy. Her progress in this arena was recently recognized with the AIChE Minority Affairs Committee Distinguished Service Award. She received a Theophilus Sorrell Graduate Fellowship in 1987, the Lloyd Fergusson Award in 1997; both from NOBCChE.
Dr Christine Grant receives the Professional Chemical Engineering Award from Florida A&M University Professor Dale Wesson.
Dr. Christine Grant was the recipient of the first NOBCChE Chemical Engineering Award for her continuing pioneering research in the field of chemical engineering. As one of less than ten tenured female African-American chemical engineering faculty in the nation, Grant is working to change the under-representation of minorities on engineering and science faculty through targeted mentoring of both women and URM students and faculty. Dr. Christine Grant is a tenured Full Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular (CBE) engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU). She obtained a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from Brown University in 1984; her graduate degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.) were both obtained from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1986 and 1989. She joined the NCSU faculty in 1989 after completing her doctorate and has moved through the ranks of Assistant and Associate to Full Professor – one of only 3 AfricanAmerican women in the U.S. at that rank. Her research focuses on surface and interfacial phenomena in the areas of electronic materials and NOBCChE News Online
10
Spring 2008
NNOL Cover Story — A Trailblazer is Recognized Tony Dent, Ph.D. Central Research & Development Department. Her research activities have ranged from new materials for therapeutic use (e.g. vascular graft; antimicrobial materials, medical adhesives) to biocatalysis for green chemistry applications. According to our SciFinder analysis, Dr. Haynie generated 28 hits including 10 patents with DuPont during the period1991-2008. She was a member of a large DuPont/Genencor team that received the 2003 EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Award for New Innovation in developing a commercial bio-process to 1,3-propanediol. Sharon has also served brief tenures as adjunct professor of chemistry at Delaware State University and the University of Delaware.
The 2008 Percy L Julian Lecture was presented by Dr. Sharon L. Haynie, a Research Scientist at the E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company’ s Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. Sharon L. Haynie was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and educated in the Baltimore City Public Schools where she had her first chemistry course in 8th grade because her science class was selected to participate in a national pilot study on the effectiveness of teaching chemistry in junior high school. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, she enjoyed research experiences ranging from organic synthesis, biophysics and biochemistry to biochemical engineering. This broad exposure to and enjoyment of the chemical sciences led her to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1977 – 1981, Ph.D., Chemistry) where she studied in an atmosphere of broad, diverse science with Professor George Whitesides. Sharon enjoyed a 3-year stint at the former AT&T Bell Laboratories before she joined the research community of the DuPont Company at the Experimental Station Laboratories. For most of her 24-year tenure, she has been in the NOBCChE News Online
11
The 2008 Percy L. Julian Award is presented to Dr. Sharon Haynie by LSU Professor, Dr. Isiah Warner.
Dr. Haynie was the 2005 NOBCChE Henry Hill Lecturer at the Los Angeles meting. Throughout her career, Sharon has been active in various professional service communities. She has been very active in the local NOBCChE Delaware Valley Spring 2008
Chapter, serving as a moderator for the science bowl competitions, as well as serving as a role model. She is currently serving terms in the American Chemical Society (ACS) governance and the Chemical Sciences Roundtable of the National academy of Sciences. She has served as a past-chair of the Philadelphia Section, ACS, and as co-chair of the 2007 ACS Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting. For ten years, Dr. Haynie served as a research mentor for a high school intern through ACS Project SEED. Beyond science service, Sharon enjoys volunteer work that strengthens individuals and improves the Philadelphia community where she lives. These activities have been diverse and have ranged from service on community policing advisory boards, science textbook reader for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic to tutoring adults with basic literacy needs. She has a passion for reading, basketball, jazz, visual and vocal arts, walking and traveling. In her post-lunch Percy L Julian Lecture, entitled, “Reflections of a Rover,” Dr. Haynie enthralled the audience with aspects of her professional career and early background. She noted that over the years at DuPont, she has moved about to provide “assistance” on many projects. The ten US patents to which she contributed is testimony to that accomplishment. As the Pennsylvania’s governor, Ed Rendell noted during his brief conference visit, “this is one impressive lady.”
NEXT ANNUAL CONFERENCE SITE AND DATE
2009 Renaissance Grand Hotel St. Louis, Missouri April 13 - 18, 2009
NOBCChE News Online
12
Spring 2008
2008 Annual Conference Recap Tony Dent, Ph. D. th
The 35 Annual NOBCChE Meeting was held at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia, PA on March 16 - 21, 2008. The approximately 700 attendees included students (high school, undergraduate and graduate), professionals (from industry, government, and academia), exhibitors, and invited guests. The theme of the conference was “NOBCChE: 35 years of catalyzing scientific opportunities”. Highlights included a one-day industrial exhibits/career fair, distinguished lecturers, teachers’ workshop, high school science competitions, technology forums, career development workshops, technical sessions, and a Gala Awards Banquet featuring live entertainment. Technical sessions in the areas of Bio-applications in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Analytical Chemistry, Modeling and Simulation Methods, Polymer Materials Chemistry, Chemical Education, Organic Chemistry, Chemical and Materials Engineering and Biotechnology were held throughout the week. Oral presentations were given by graduate students, post docs, and professionals.
tions, and reflected on their own leadership challenges whether it was in the classroom/office, working with committees or leading groups. Dr. Sandra Shullman, Executive Group, facilitated the workshop. The second workshop introduced negotiations or solution findings skills to graduate students and post-docs. Participants learned to develop their “best alternative to a negotiated agreement” and found their own personal negotiation styles. Attendees practiced new skills using a selection from case studies including developing a strong advocate, credit for research and publications, developing connectedness, obtaining resources that enable productivity, opportunity to demonstrate strong performance, the “all important” reference letter and contracting for that first or new position. Discussions focused on issues relevant to minority women. The session was facilitated by Dr. Jane Tucker, Duke University and Dr. Ernestine Taylor, ET Consulting. Concurrent with the COACh workshop was a course organized by Agilent Technologies. This all day course was designed for those who want to enhance their skills in the use of the Agilent HPLC (2D) ChemStation software. Laptop PCs using Agilent ChemStation software was provided. This was the first separately paid course scheduled for the conference.
Sunday, March 16, 2008 Back by popular demand, the COACh (Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists) Professional Development Workshop returned for the third year at the 2008 Annual Meeting. Approximately 25 conference attendees from industry, academia, and government attended two hands-on, all - day, workshops focusing on “The Chemistry of leadership’ and Professional Skills Training for Graduate Students and PostDocs.”
Monday, March 17, 2008 The 35th annual NOBCChE meeting was officially called to order on Monday during the opening session by Dr. Victor McCrary, Business Area Executive for Science & Technology, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and President of NOBCChE. This session was largely devoted to describing the week ahead.
The first workshop gave participants some basic concepts and tools to develop their leadership skills. Participants learned about various concepts of leadership (including their own), explored what is known about issues that pertain to minority women and its role in leadership situa-
NOBCChE News Online
13
Spring 2008
The Henry A. Hill Lecture followed the opening session. The lecture, named after the first African-American President of the American Chemical Society, was co-sponsored by the ACS Northeast Section and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Chemistry Department. James E. West, Professor of Electrical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, and 2006 recipient of the National Medal of Technology, delivered an inspiring lecture. Mr. West, who co-invented the electret microphone during his 40 year tenure at AT&T Bell Laboratories, described his work experiences and the role that his mentor, W. Lincoln Hawkins played in his career. They were instrumental in convincing AT&T Bell Labs and its affiliates to support the Corporate Research Fellowship Program, which funds graduate students seeking terminal degrees in scientific fields. The program has existed for 30 years, West says, and more than 500 PhDs have been awarded to women and minorities in those disciplines. There were several recipients of the Bell Labs fellowship program in the audience during his talk. (Ed: See cover story, NNOL Vol. 37, No. 3, 2007 for more information on Jim West. )
(L to R.) Pictured are U.S. Congressman, Chaka Fattah; Midwest Chair, Dr. Judson Haynes, III; NOBCChE secretary, Ms. Sharon Barnes; board members – at- large, Prof. Isiah Warner and Dr. Ron Lewis; NOBCChE board chair, Dr. Bobby Wilson, Dr. James Mitchell (keynote speaker); Mr. James E. West, and NOBCChE president, Dr. Victor McCrary.
The NOBCChE - sponsored Opening Luncheon featured an address by a local politician and a technical speaker. U.S. Congressman, Chaka Fattah (2nd Congressional district of Pennsylvania) commended NOBCChE for its efforts to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. The keynote speaker, Dr. James W. Mitchell, David and Lucille Packard Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, Howard University, described some of the challenges related to his current research in nanotechnology. Dr. Mitchell, who spent the early years of his career at AT&T Bell Labs before moving to Howard, was part of their minority mentoring efforts. Monday afternoon was devoted to technical sessions. The day ended with a reception sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter who celebrated their 25 anniversary as a NOBCChE professional chapter. NOBCChE News Online
14
Spring 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ.
On Tuesday, the Percy Julian Luncheon and the Health Symposium were the highlight events for the day. As noted above, Dr. Sharon Haynie, DuPont was the 2008 Percy Julian Award recipient. (See page 13 for details.) Following Dr. Haynie’s talk, Pennsylvania governor, Edward Rendell addressed the conference. Governor Rendell expressed his appreciation for the efforts that NOBCChE is making to increase the number of minority scientists and engineers that are needed for the USA to sustain it technological superiority in the world.
Health Symposium panelist (l to r) Mr. Gary J. Bell, Dr. Carol Germaine, Dr. Arlene Bardeguez, Dr. Pamela A. Clax (standing), and Dr. Gail H. Cassell.
Attendee to this symposium received a rather grim report on the status of HIV/AIDS in the Black community. Since the beginning of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, blacks have accounted for 42% of the estimated 952,629 AIDS cases diagnosed in the USA. According to the 2000 census, blacks make up approximately 13% of the US population. However, in 2005, African Americans accounted for 49% of the estimated 37,331 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the USA in the 33 states with long-term, confidential namebased HIV reporting. Surprisingly, the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American adults and adolescents was 10 times the rate for whites and nearly 3 times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American women was nearly 23 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American men was 8 times the rate for white men. As a result, African Americans account for 50% of the estimated 40,608 AIDS cases diagnosed in the USA. Of persons whose diagnosis of AIDS had been made during 1997–2004, a smaller proportion of blacks (66%) were alive after 9 years compared with American Indians and Alaska Natives (67%), Hispanics (74%), whites (75%), and Asians and Pacific Islanders (81%) On the positive side, new drug therapy is keeping people alive longer. The panel concluded that educating the African American community, despite the stigmas attached to the disease, will be key to containing the spread of AIDS/HIV.
PA governor, Ed. Rendell addresses conference.
Governor Rendell’s visit marked the second occasion on which a states highest official has addressed a NOBCChE conference. In 1994, then New Jersey Governor, Christine Todd Whitman was the luncheon guest speaker in Atlantic City. (See NOBCChE News, Vol 16, No. 1, March 1995 for details of that conference.) The 2008 NOBCChE Health Symposium focused on “AIDS/HIV in the African American Community.” The 12th annual symposium was organized again this year by Dr. Ron Lewis. Panel members included Dr. Gail H. Cassell, Vice President, Scientific Affairs, Infectious Diseases, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN; Mr. Gary J. Bell, MSW, LCSW, BCD, (Private Practice) Plymouth Meeting, PA; Dr. Carol Germaine, Biology Program Manager, R&D Informatics, Pfizer, La Jolla, CA; Dr. Pamela A. Clax, (Private Practice) Plymouth Meeting, PA; and Dr. Arlene Bardeguez, Professor NOBCChE News Online
15
Spring 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 Wednesday began with a corporate sponsored breakfast session. Rohm and Haas Company’s Vice President of Technology and Chief Technology Officer, Cathie Markham, talked about, “Finding Your Passion!” The major events for the day focused on the Career Fair Expo and the Poster Session.
Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Recruiting in progress
Corning Booth
Merck Booth
University of Maryland Booth Lubrizol Booth The NOBCChE Career Fair opened on Wednesday morning with exhibitors from chemical companies, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and universities. Approximately 80 students participated in the Poster Session, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. Formal events ended on Wednesday evening with a reception sponsored by the University of Maryland and NIST. NOBCChE News Online
16
Spring 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008 Thursday began with the formal business session, wherein, the state of the organization was reported. The remainder of the day was devoted to technical sessions and workshops
The E.I. DuPont Graduate Fellowship went to Ms. Pumtiwitt Rancy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Thursday evening’s Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner served as the highpoint of the conference. Ms. Gwendolyn Boyd (The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Labs) served as the mistress of ceremonies. Several awards were presented to a number of undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. (See above major for professional awards)
Award was presented by DuPont scientist, Dr. Keisha Wilson McDowell.
This year, graduate fellowships sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Eastman Kodak, GlaxoSmithKline, and Dow Chemical were awarded to deserving students as reported below.
GlaxoSmithKline's Dr. Lendon N. Pridgen Graduate Fellowship went to Mr. Brandon Kelley, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
The Procter & Gamble Graduate Fellowship went to Ms. Charlotte Smith-Baker, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX Award was presented by GlaxoSmithKline's Dr. Joe Flisak, Team Manager, Synthetic Chemistry, Chemical Development
Award was presented by Dr. Judson Haynes, P&G Sr. Scientist, Baby Care Business Unit.
The Dow Chemical Company's Graduate Fellowship went to Mr. Gregory Von White, Clemson University, Clemson, SC. .
Eastman Kodak's Dr. Theophilus Sorrel Graduate Fellowship went Ms. Kirsten Jeffries-Grant, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Award Presented by Dow Chemical’s Dr. Victor Atiemo-Obeng, Scientist, Core R&D – Engineering and Process Sciences.
Award was presented by Eastman Kodak's Dr. James Weaver, Associate Director of Research Laboratories, Materials Science and Technology Center
NOBCChE News Online
17
Spring 2008
In 2008 Agilent-NOBCChE Professional Development Fellowships were awarded to Ph.D. candidates, Charlotte Smith-Baker, Texas Southern University, Houston, and Leonard Moore, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, and to associate professor, Dr. Malika Jeffries-EL, Iowa State University, Ames. For Ms. Smith-Baker, this was her second award of the evening. She was also the P&G Graduate Fellowship recipient.
The Lubrizol Award was presented to Ms. Simon by Mr. Claude Richardson, Director of Compensation and HR Mergers & Acquisitions, and the Award was presented to Mr. McDowell by Dr. Calvin James, Customer Project Manager. The NOBCChE Undergraduate Scholarship Awards were sponsored by Colgate – Palmolive Company. The recipients were Mr. Leethaniel Brumfield, Langston University, Stillwater, OK, and Ms. Reaya Richardson, Benedict College, Columbia, S.C.
Agilent Technologies’ Dr. Aliston Thomas (l), Programs Marketing Manager presented the awards to Leonard Moore, Dr. Jeffries-EL, and Charlotte Smith-Baker, respectively, while Ms. Rolando Hoard, Agilent Technologies looks on.
Dr. Sharon Kennedy (center), Technical Associate, from Piscataway, NJ, presented the awards.
NOBCChE co-sponsors several undergraduate scholarships including the Lubrizol Corporation Undergraduate Award for Outstanding Research in Chemical Engineering, the Colgate – Palmolive sponsored Undergraduate Scholarship for the study of chemistry and chemical engineering and Poster Awards, the Rohm and Haas Undergraduate Research Competition, and the Dolphus E. Milligan Graduate Fellowship at the University of Maryland/NIST.
Colgate – Palmolive also co-sponsored the Undergraduate Poster Competitions. There were 32 undergraduate posters entered into the 2008 competition. The awards for posters related to Bioapplications in Chemistry /Materials were presented for first place to Ieashia Lewter from Morgan State University, for second place to Oluwadamiloa Oladeru from Yale University, and for third place to Walter Lewis from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
The Lubrizol Corporation Undergraduate Awards for Outstanding Research in Chemical Engineering were presented to Ms. Arlyne Simon, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, and Mr Mycael McDowell, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
NOBCChE News Online
The awards for posters related to General Chemistry topics were presented for first place to Evelyn Ntam from Morgan State University, for second place to Oyebola Oladeinde from Morgan State University, and for third place to Reba Scott from Texas Southern University. This was the third time in four years that Morgan State undergraduates finished first and second in the chemistry division of the poster competitions.
18
Spring 2008
The Rohm and Haas Company Research Award for outstanding undergraduate researcher was presented to Ms. Racquel Jemison from Morgan State University.
From left: Dr. John Fourkas (University of Maryland), Mr. Christopher Sims (University of Maryland Baltimore County), Ian Rowe (Millersville University), Margaret Brown (Cal. State University, Long Beach), Geraldine Echebiri (Goucher College), and Melantha Jackson (Utica College).
From left: Dr. Jeremy Venter (R&H), Mr. Leethaniel Brumfield (Langston University), Mr. Weslee Glenn (Norfolk State University), 2008 winner Ms. Racquel Jemison (Morgan State University), and Mr. Rashidi Butcher (Community College of Philadelphia).
The awards banquet was capped by a financial presentation from the University of Maryland to NOBCChE in recognition of the Technology Education partnership and two “Distinguished Service” presentations.
The Dolphus E. Milligan Graduate Fellowship In 2006, it was announced that in memory of Dr. Dolphus E. Milligan, a preeminent scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) who was instrumental in the formation of The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE), this new fellowship is presented through NOBCChE. The Milligan Graduate Fellowship is made possible through the support of NIST and the University of Maryland, College Park. Fellows will be chosen annually through a formal competition at the NOBCCHE annual meeting. The fellowship is targeted at increasing the number of AfricanAmerican students in the chemical sciences. The Fellowship includes a $30,000 annual stipend each of two years for graduate study at the University of Maryland in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a 10-week internship within the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) of NIST during the summer that precedes the fellowship. The 2008 winner was Mr. Christopher Sims from University of Maryland Baltimore County. The other participants were Ian Rowe from Millersville University, Margaret Brown from California State University, Long Beach, Geraldine Echebiri from Goucher College, and Melantha Jackson from Utica College.
NOBCChE News Online
University of Maryland’s Dr. Michael Doyle (r) presents a check for $15,000 to NOBCChE president, Dr. Victor McCrary, while board chair, Dr. Bobby Wilson signals his approval.
NNOL editor, Dr. Tony Dent ( center) received a “Distinguished Service Award for his work on this news magazine.” 19
Spring 2008
scientists, engineers, and inventors. The 2008 winners in the senior division (grades 9 to 12) were the SASA Dragons from Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy in Saginaw, Michigan. Pictured below with ACS president Bruce E. Bursten (right) and Ms. Kiana Hamlett of the Drug Enforcement Administration South Central Laboratory (far left) are (left to right) Mr. John Barnes (Lead Coach), David McMillion, Nick Triantafillou, Newton Davis (team captain), Adam Kidder, and Jon Young, Not Pictured is Mr. Matt Miller (Lead Coach).
Friday, March 21, 2008
National Science Competitions Results NOBCChE held its 20th Annual Science Bowl and Science Fair competitions on Thursday and Friday. The competitions were co-sponsored by Agilent Technologies and the American Chemical Society who provided monetary awards to the first, second, and third place science bowl and science fair winners. The 2008 ACS president, Dr. Bruce E. Bursten participated in the student awards presentation.
Coincidently, this team placed second in last year’s competitions. The team was sponsored by the NOBCChE Midland Chapter with Ms. Rochelle Williams serving as coordinator. Finishing in second place was last year’s national champions, Timbuktu Rilleaux, from Timbuktu Academy inBaton Rouge, La. In third place was Preuss, from The Preuss School UCSD, San Diego, California.
NOBCChE president, Dr. Victor McCrary (l) presented ACS president ACS president, Dr. Bruce E. Bursten with the traditional kente cloth. NOBCChE Vice –president, Dr. John Harkless assisted.
The Junior level (6-8th grades) National Champions were the SASA Dragons from Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy in Saginaw, Michigan. Pictured (left to right) are Jordan Drake, Dalton Allan, Nate Wilkins, Mr. John Barnes (Lead Coach), Owais Ansari, and Sam Wilkins, with ACS president Bruce E. Bursten (right) and Dr. Saphronia Johnson, University of South Carolina (far left). Not pictured is Mr. Matt Miller (Lead Coach).
These contests gave students in grades 6 through 12 a chance to show their scientific knowledge. The inclusion of 6th graders in the competitions was a first time event meant to reflect the increase of middles – schools around the country. Ninth - grades were moved into the senior level. The guest speaker for the Friday Student Luncheon was the former Science Competitions Chairperson, Dr. Gloria Thomas MaGee, Chemistry Department at Xavier University of New Orleans. The 20th Annual NOBCChE science bowl competition was divided into two divisions. This year’s competition involved a round-robin contest followed by the four highest winning teams engaging in a double-elimination contest pitting teams of four students against one or two other teams. It is unique because 20% of the questions involve accomplishments of Black NOBCChE News Online
20
Spring 2008
neering, the City College of New York & the Center for High Performance, New York City. The topic was “Global Warming & Volcanoes.”
Finishing in second place was Timbuktu, from the Timbuktu Academy and Westdale Middle School, Baton Rouge, La., and in third place was The Freeport team from Brazosport and Freeport Intermediate School in Freeport, Texas. The 4th place, runner up team was the Northeast College Prep, Northeast College Preparatory School from Rochester, New York
SCIENCE FAIR In the Science Fair senior level competition, the first place winner was David McMillon, 12th grade, from Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy in Saginaw, Michigan. His topic was “Cosmic Compass.” Davis McMillon was also a member of the national senior champion SASA Dragons.
First-place Science Fair junior division winner Mr. Owais Ansan, Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy and Ms. Kiana Hamlett, DEA.
The Junior Division (grades 6th – 9th) produced the following results. The first place winner was Owais Ansan, 8th grade, Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy, Saginaw, MI. His topic was “A Measure of Current, Voltage & Gas Production When Water Is Electrolyzed in a Proton Exchange Membrane.” Mr. Ansan was also a member of the national junior champion SASA Dragons. The second place winner was Nate Wilkins, 7th grade, Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, Saginaw, MI. His topic was “Using a Flow H2O Meter to Measure How Air Flows Through Your Lungs.” Finishing third was Kotie Yeboan, 7th grade, St. Timothy’s School, Raleigh, N.C. His topic was “Investigating the Effect of Different Wash Methods,” And Honorable Mention went to Paula-Marie Mensah, 7th grade, Timbuktu Academy, Baton Rouge, La. Her topic was “I See Vitamin C.”
First-place Science Fair senior division winner Mr. David McMillion, Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy and Ms. Kiana Hamlett, DEA.
Finishing in second place was Johnny Fells III, 11th grade, Timbuktu Academy, Baton Rouge, La. His topic was “In Vitro Conservation of Scutella Barbata & Synseed Technology.” The third place winner was Devin Guillory, 11th grade, Timbuktu Academy, Baton Rouge, La. His topic was “Effect of Prune Powder on Dough & Bread Development of Wheat-Soy Flour Blends.” Honorable Mention went to Colin Meret, 10th grade, High School for Math, Science & EngiNOBCChE News Online
As these results show, the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy students ruled the day. They finished first in both levels of the science fair and science bowl competitions. Special thanks goes to Agilent Technologies' Dr. Al Thomas, Customer Applications Scientists 21
Spring 2008
Manager for LSCA’s Chemical Analysis Solutions business, for their continued support of the science fair and science bowl competitions.
Kudos Korner Here we wish to acknowledge the achievements and accomplishments of our members. Share your accomplishments with your friends and fellow NOBCChE members. We proudly celebrate you!
We were just informed that Professor Gerald Roberts - Weatherspoon is
the new Associate Chair for the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at George Ma-
NOBCChE president, Dr. Victor McCrary (l) presented Agilent Technologies with an “Outstanding Service Award.” Accepting the award for Agilent are Ms. Rolando Hoard and Dr. Al Thomas.
They served as speakers for the Student Rap Session, and as judges for both science fair and science bowl competitions. Agilent's contribution was used to sponsor the Rap Session, and provide the trophies for the individual and team winners in both competitions that were distributed during the Awards Luncheon. Following the Awards luncheon the students visited the Franklin Science Institute to complete their Philadelphia experience.
son University. The appointment is effective immediately. Dr. Roberts - Weatherspoon serves in the NNOL critical role of copy editor. Good luck! Congratulation to Ms. Sandra Parker, The Dow Chemical Company for receiving the ACS Midland Section Award for Promotion of Diversity in Chemistry. Sandra is an AtLarge Member of the NOBCChE board, and serves as chair of the National Conference Planning Committee. Good job!
Remember: Pay Your Membership Dues OnLine at www.nobcche.org Or complete the attached membership form and mail or fax it to the address noted on the form.
NOBCChE News Online
22
Spring 2008
NOBCChE Western Regional Meeting Los Angeles/October 10–11, 2008 Meeting Headquarters
Kellogg West Lodging and Conference Center on the campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona — 3801 W. Temple Ave., Pomona, CA 91768
Hotel Accommodations
Hotel reservations at Kellogg West are available by calling 1-800-KWEST-76 (1-800-593-7876). Rooms are $69/night (single) or $79/night (double) plus tax and include breakfast.
Transportation
Cal Poly Pomona is 30 minutes west of Ontario International Airport (ONT). Airport shuttle service is available through Kellogg West with an advance reservation of at least 48 hours.
Registration
This meeting will have a $70 registration fee ($55 for students) that will include a Friday evening cheese and wine reception on October 10 and a lunch on Saturday, October 11 Please register by August 30, 2008
• More detailed information and updates can be found at http://www.csupomona.edu/~nobcche/ • Abstracts, questions, and concerns can be sent by email to nobcche@csupomona.edu
Register NOW to save your spot in LA!
Tony Talks: You and Your Stimulus Check If you are one of the millions of Americans waiting to receive your rebate check from Uncle Sam, by now, you probably have already figured out what you are going to do with this unexpected $600 or $1200. The purpose of this rebate is to stimulate the economy, but the fact is that most people are simply going to use the money to pay off some debt, or save it. While this might not be what the government wants to hear, it is a good idea for many people. Have you considered all of your options? A- Go out and buy something that will make you feel good about yourself. B- B- Pay off some bills C- Put the money in savings account or buy a CD (Certificate of Deposit) not music. D- Open an IRA account to supplement your retirement E- Invest it in the stock market on a hot tip circulating around the office Option A is exactly what the government wants you to do with the money. Be happy, don’t worry. Stimulate the economy. Buy some gasoline for your Escalade or Suburban SUV. After all, its free money! You weren’t expecting to have it anyway. But, if you follow this option, will you be any better than you were a month ago? Option B may be appropriate if you have high credit card debt with 28% interest rate compounded daily. If you have high interest credit card debt, then without a doubt, this rebate could be put to use by reducing or eliminating the debt. For example, if you're carrying a $1,000 balance on a credit card with a 28% annual interest rate you are only paying $25 per month. But it will take you 10 years to pay if off and you will have paid a total of $2,987 during that time. Obviously, using your rebate to pay it off in full would save you $1,987 that you could put to use in many other ways. Moreover, you're essentially earning close to 28% on your money compared to just making the minimum payment each month. If you could put your money in the bank or into the stock market and guarantee a 28% return, wouldn't you jump at the chance? Option C may be your cup of tea if you are very risk adverse. Using www.bankrate.com as a guide, if you buy a 1 – year CD at 2.5% interest rate, you will have $1, 230 at the end of the year. Keep in mind that you will be required to pay taxes on the $30 at whatever your current tax rate happens to be. If you keep the CD for ten years, your nest egg will be $1,540 less any taxes paid. After 25 years you would have $2,240 less any taxes paid over that time period. Option D may be your choice If debt isn't much of a problem. You may want to consider funding an IRA. You can put up to $5,000 in either a traditional IRA or Roth IRA for 2008. Contributing to a traditional IRA will give you a tax break up-front, while a Roth contribution will benefit you in the future since qualified withdrawals are tax-free. Either way, you'll get far more from your rebate than instant gratification from buying a new gadget that you'll end up throwing away in a year or two. If you were to take your $1,200 rebate and stick it in an IRA, and managed to earn an average 8% return over 25 years, you'd end up with over $8,000. Still not excited about saving the money? Well, consider saving the $1,200 rebate, and then finding a way to save another $1,200 (just $100 each month) each year for the next 25 years with the same 8% return, and you'd have over $100,000! [Ed. Note: 8% is considered a conservative growth rate for mutual stock funds. The returns could be greater or less, depending on the market situation.] Sure, putting a little extra money in a mutual fund may not be as exciting as buying a new TV or BBQ grill, but it can get you into the habit of saving, and that can really pay off. Option F is not for the fainthearted. But since you started your investment with the $1200 of free money, the sky’s the limit. Imagine if you had bought Apple stock 5 years ago when it was $8.57/share, your 139 shares would now be worth ~$26,300.
NOBCChE News Online
24
Spring 2008
NOBCChE Election Results The 2008 election results were reported during the business meeting in Philadelphia. The newly elected officers of NOBCChE are listed below. These new officers will assume their positions on July 1, 2008. Please give them your encouragement and support. At-Large At-Large At-Large
Dr. Ronald Lewis Ms. Bernice Green Ms. Ella Davis
Pfizer, Inc. Spelmen College - -
Dear Colleague: Dow's 2008 BEST Symposium will be held in Midland, MI on September 15-17, 2008. BEST (Building Engineering and Science Talent) is aimed at introducing African-American, Hispanic, and Native American doctoral and post-doctoral scientists to the wide range of rewarding careers in industrial research, and in particular, the many opportunities with one of the world’s largest and leading chemical companies, Dow Chemical. This conference, developed jointly by Dow’s minority scientists and Ph.D. recruiting team, demonstrates Dow’s commitment to a diverse work force. With this letter, we are soliciting your collaboration to inform qualified graduate students and post-docs about this event. Preferred degree areas are chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, physics, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and closely related fields. Applicants should be within 18 months of degree completion by the conference date. Please encourage any students that you identify to apply for the conference by visiting our website at http://www.dow.com/BEST. All applications are due by June 16, 2008. All travel expenses, meals and hotel accommodations for those selected to participate in the BEST Symposium will be paid for by The Dow Chemical Company. However, participation neither obligates the student to apply for employment, nor guarantees future consideration for employment by The Dow Chemical Company. For those wishing to learn more about opportunities at Dow, please visit http://www.dow.com/careers. If you would like additional information on BEST, please don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Alveda J. Williams, Ph.D. On behalf of the 2008 BEST Organizing Committee 2008 BEST Symposium Chair The Dow Chemical Company Core Research & Development New Products, Specialty Resins 2301 N. Brazosport Blvd. B-1470 Freeport, TX 77541 Tel: (979)-238-1383 BEST@dow.com
NOBCChE News Online
25
Spring 2008
2008-2009 Rate Card Single issue
2 consecutive issues (per issue)
3 consecutive issues (per issue)
4 consecutive issues (per issue)
Full page
$600
$500
$450
$400
2 full pages
$1000
n/a
n/a
n/a
1/2 page
$400
$300
$250
$200
1/4 page
$250
$200
$150
$100
Publication Schedule November 15 February 15 May 15 August 15
Closing Date November 6 February 5 May 4 August 6
Payment Due November 10 February 9 May 10 August 10
NNOL requests that all advertising material be at least 300 DPI resolution, with a maximum of 600 DPI, and CMYK or grayscale. No RGB will be accepted. Full page ads should be submitted in a PDF. • All fonts and images must be embedded in the PDF • MediaBox and TrimBox dimensions must be defined • The PDF file must be identified as trapped or untrapped • The intended printing condition should be e-book quality All other size ads should be submitted in either JPEG or Word.doc format. All rates are net to NOBCChE and are non-commissionable.
NOBCChE News Online
26
Spring 2008
2007-2008 Membership Application n National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers
Please type or print this application and return to: NOBCChE
P.O. Box 77040 Washington, DC 20013
Or complete our web application at www.nobcche.org Personal Profile
2007 Membership Categories and Dues s
Please provide all information requested. Print your name as you wish it to appear on your membership card and all correspondence.
Membership dues are applied in the fiscal year in which they are received. The fiscal year for NOBCChE is July1 through June 30. Please check appropriate membership:
[ ] New Member Title
First
M.I.
Last
[ ] Renewal
[ ] Full (Voting)………………….……...$75 [ ] Associate (Non-voting)……….……...$40 [ ] Student (Non-voting)………….…..…$10
Street Address Which region do you reside? _________________ Midwest: IL,IN,IA,KS,MI,MN,MO,MT,NE,ND,OH, SD,WI,WY
City/State
Zip Code
Home Phone
Business Phone
Northeast: CT,ME,MA,NH,NJ,NY,PA,RI,VT Southeast: AL,DE,FL,GA,KY,MD,MS,NC,SC, TN, VA, WV, Washington DC, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Southwest: AR,CO,LA,NM,OK, and TX West: AK,AZ,CA,HI,ID,NV,WA,OR,UT and WA
Email address
Payment
*Birth Year:__________ Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female * This information is optional
t
Membership dues……………………….$__________ **If you would like to use a credit card for membership payment ONLY please do so via at www.nobcche.org**
Academic Profile
Please make check or money order payable to NOBCChE. Contributions to NOBCChE are tax deductible and maybe
Undergraduate Institution Graduate Institution
Degree/Major Degree/Major
Are either an HBCU? [ ] Undergraduate [ ] Graduate Are you currently enrolled in school? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Professional Profile Place of Employment [ ]Academia [ ]Government [ ]Industry [ ]Independent Career Level: [ ] Early (<5years) [ ] Mid [ ] Manager [ ] Executive [ ] Retired Job Function: [ ]Engineer [ ] Researcher [ ] Professor [ ] Consultant [ ] Administration
eligible for matching gifts from your employer.
NOBCChE Endowment Fund…………$__________ Science Fair/Science Bowl…………….$__________ Student Travel…………………………$__________ General Operating Fund……………….$__________ Total…………..$____________ [ ] VISA [ ] MasterCard [ ] American Express Credit Card Number Name as it appears on Card
_______________
___________________
Expiration Month/Year
Cardholders Zip Code (must match billing address)