ACS New York Section
HUDSON BERGEN
CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(NY Section Subsection)
2008 Annual Report
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SUMMARY >>>>>>>>>>
2008 was a year rich in activities
at the HBCS. Beside the monthly meetings (5) featuring invited
speakers and a career fair, one planning meeting of the Executive
Board (in Nov.) took place. Topics varied trying to attract a broad spectrum
of participants from our area: students, chemists from companies and academia,
and chemical engineers. As a new approach, interdisciplinary topics and
contacts with scientists from other fields were sought. The members of the
section participated in a series of lectures, part of different local
and national programs, and an undergraduate poster session was organized
in April.
The subsection continued its cooperation with the
Sigma Xi chapter of Ramapo College and the chemistry clubs of member
colleges (Fairleigh Dickinson University – Teaneck Campus, Ramapo College,
New Jersey City University, and Essex County College).
HBCS also brings chemistry and community together
by organizing events where high schools from the area are invited and
their students are introduced to chemistry and life beyond high school.
In celebration of National Chemistry week, a lecture
on an interdisciplinary topic was organized at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Members of the subsection participated in the symposium organized by the
Academe-Industry Committee at Pace University on November 1.
Along the same lines: education of the public about chemistry, HBCS
organized twice “the Magic of Chemistry”, two sessions each time. Over 300
high school students attended these events.
Student members of the subsection participated
in the section’s activities and in research related activities. Their academic
achievements and research were acknowledged at the Student Achievement
Award Night, in April. Students involved in research presented their
results in an Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) held the
same day. Some of the students involved in research and faculty presented
their results at the Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting organized by the
ACS-NY section at Queensborough Community College.
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ACTIVITIES FOR 2008 >>>>>>>>>>
1. Career and Pre-Professional Fair for undergraduate students
was organized on February 13, 2008, at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Participants:
professional and graduate schools and prospective employers for science majors.
High school students from the area attended too. Before the fair 50
high school students conducted hands-on activities in the laboratories in
order to see what life sciences are about. Attendance:
over 80 students.
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2. A monthly meeting took place on February 15, 2008 at New
Jersey City University. Topic: Self-assembly of Bis-Urea Macrocycle into
Columnar Nanotubes. Speaker: Dr.Yazdekhasti from New Jersey City University.
Attendance: 8 faculty and 15 students.
3. The monthly meeting jointly with the Sigma Xi chapter
of Ramapo College and with Rockland Chemical Society, was held at
Ramapo College of New Jersey on March 27, 2008. The topic of the lecture
was: Creating a Data Resource for Biology: Lessons from the Protein Data
Bank. Speaker: Dr. Helen M. Berman, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical
Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, RCSB Protein Data
Bank.
Attendance: 10 faculty and 40 students.
4. Members of the section (including 6 students) attended the William
H. Nichols Medal Symposium and Award Dinner.
5. Chemistry undergraduate students presented posters at
the New Jersey Academy Annual Symposium organized at Kean University.
6. Monthly meeting jointly with the School of Natural Sciences
of Fairleigh Dickinson University, and 10th Annual Undergraduate Research
Symposium and Student Award Night (presented to the chemistry
senior with the highest GPA from each participating colleges), Friday April
25, 200, at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Teaneck. Topic: Antibiotics protect
the brain and combat opioid addiction. Speaker Dr. Scott Rawls, from
Temple School of Pharmacy.
Certificates and books were presented to the awardees and to the student
presenters. 30 posters were presented. Posters were also
presented by students from Bergen Academies. Dr. Rawls talked also about
studying to become a pharmacist and about research opportunities at Temple
University School of Pharmacy.
Attendance: 80.
7. Between May 18-21, students and faculty from the colleges affiliated
with HBCS presented their research results at the Middle Atlantic Regional
Meeting (MARM) held at Queensborough Community College in Bayside,
NY.
8. In celebration of National Chemistry Week, members of the HBCS
attended the symposium organized at Pace University by the Academe-Industry
Committee.
9. Also, in celebration of National Chemistry Week, a meeting
was held at Fairleigh Dickinson University on November 7, 2008. The
lecture was on an interdisciplinary topic: Where chemistry meets archaeology.
Speaker: Dr. Mihaela Leonida from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
10. The board of Directors of HBCS meeting was held on November
7. The 2009 meetings schedule was discussed. Names were proposed
for the 2009 Board and strategies to attract new members into ACS were outlined.
The following members will serve on the Board for 2009: Ish Kumar – Chair,
Stephen Anderson – Treasurer, Mihaela Leonida – Secretary and Ze He - Chair-elect
for 2010. Board members: Grace and Irving Borowitz, Rob Mentore, Kenneth
Yamaguchi, Hanae Haouari, and Sorin Diaconescu.
11. The Magic of Chemistry show was held at Ramapo College, on
December 5, 2008. Two sessions were held for the more than 300 high
school students who attended. Presenter: Dr. Ariel Fenster - McGill
University, Montreal, Canada.
12. The December monthly meeting, jointly with the Sigma Xi chapter
of Ramapo College was held at Ramapo College of New Jersey on December 5,
2008, in the evening. Topic: The global food crisis: what caused it and how
to fix it. Speaker: Dr. Ariel Fenster, McGill University, Montreal,
Canada. Attendance: 40
Subsection’s Officers for 2008
Chair
Mr. Sorin Diaconescu
Labcorp
Chair-elect
Dr. Ish Kumar
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Immediate Past-Chair
Dr. Hanae Haouari
New Jersey City University
Secretary
Dr. Mihaela Leonida
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Treasurer
Dr. Kenneth Yamaguchi
New Jersey City University
Board of Directors
Dr. Robert Mentore
Dr. Kenneth Yamaguchi
Dr. Grace Borowitz
Dr. Irving Borowitz
Dr. Stephen Anderson