by
Stephen Z. Goldberg
Professor of Chemistry, Adelphi University
Committee Chair
COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES:
In 2003 I was asked to assume the chairmanship of this committee which had
previously been chaired by Paula Andrelchick. Activities of the committee
appeared to have ceased after Ms. Andrelchick left the area. For 2003
other members of the committee were Ronald D’Amelia, Neil Jespersen, Joseph
Landesberg and Joan Laredo-Liddell. Membership from 2004-2008 was identical
to that in 2003. As was the case in 2003-7 the committee did not actually
meet during 2008. When I assumed the chair of the committee in
2003 we performed one function - the preparation of award certificates for
high school students in Manhattan and the Bronx. The reason that the
section committee prepares certificates only for Manhattan and the Bronx is
that award certificates for other geographical regions of the section are
prepared by the respective subsections.
From 2004-2007 and again in 2008 we also prepared certificates for high
school students who participated in Chemagination. Additionally, since
MARM 2008 was held in New York, we also prepared certificates for the high
school students who participated in Chemagination at MARM 2008. We
have received virtually no guidance regarding our responsibilities and it
would be useful for the Board of the New York Section to have some discussion
as to whether there are other activities which the Awards Committee can and
should do.
Prior to 2004 the mailing soliciting nominations was sent by the Section
Office. However, in 2004 and 2005 I handled the mailing.
In 2006 and 2007 the mailing materials were printed and stuffed by me at Adelphi,
but the actual mailing was done by Neil Jespersen. In 2008 the mailing
was done entirely at the Section Office. In late April we sent letters
to approximately 200 high school teachers in Manhattan and the Bronx asking
them to nominate students to receive a certificate. This letter
was essentially the same letter which was drafted in 2003. Included
with the letter was the nomination form The cost of this mailing
is not included in the expenses listed in this report.
The template for the certificates was essentially the same as that used
in 2004. A sample copy of the certificate (without the gummed ACS logo)
is included at the end of this report.
In response to the mailing to schools a total of 25 certificates were sent
to 19 different high schools. Of these, 16 had requested certificates
in 2007. In 2007 25 schools requested at total of 33 certificates; in
2006 22 schools requested a total of 33 certificates; in 2005 27 schools requested
a total of 40 certificates; in 2004 19 schools requested certificates.
A listing of the schools, students honored, and teachers requesting certificates
is on pages 5. Listed on page 6 are the 9 schools which had requested
certificates in 2007 but did not request them in 2008. Similar year
to year lists for previous years are included on page 6-7.
A sample copy of the cover letter which accompanied the certificates is
on page 8. The actual certificates were produced by first printing
the “ACS arc” onto the certificate paper and then printing, in a second step,
the remainder of the text. Finally, the gummed ACS logo was pasted onto
each certificate.
As previously indicated, I also prepared certificates for the 77 (81 in
2007; 96 in 2006, 46 in 2005) students from the 9 (7 in 2007, 11 in 2006,
3 in 2005) high schools which participated in Chemagination. These
certificates were presented to the students by Vijaya Korlipara coordinator
of Chemagination for the New York Section. The students 42 who participated
in Chemagination at MARM are listed on page 10.
Sample copies of the Chemagination certificate and the MARM 2008 Chemagination
Certificate (without the gummed ACS logo) are included at the end of this
report.
EXPENSES:
Postage:
May 7 $ 5.88
May 15 $ 1.17
May 19 $ 1.51
May 23 $ 13.61
June 4 $ 9.70
June 20 $ 1.17
$ 33.04
Travel to and from the post office:
12 miles @ $0.485/mile =
$ 5.82
Total Expenditures by S. Goldberg $ 38.86
ACS logos, and Folders: Provided by the Section Office
Printing of letters, enclosures and certificates: done
by S. Goldberg at Adelphi and not charged to the ACS
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1) While the recognition of outstanding students is something which the
section should do, this task does not require a committee; a single person
can easily do the work which is currently the responsibility of this committee.
I have done so in 2003-2008. The Board of the New York Section should
clearly define a larger role for the awards committee or consider abolishing
it.
2) The Section might consider whether it is possible or desirable to have
a uniform way of recognizing outstanding high school students. At this
time there is a considerable disparity in how this is done. For example
the Long Island Section Subsection has an awards dinner at which the certificates,
in the form of plaques are presented to the students, whereas for Manhattan/Bronx
schools the certificates are sent to the teachers who request them.
I am not aware of what procedures, if any, are currently used in the other
subsections.