Committee Members: Alison Hyslop (Co-Chair), Sharon Lall-Ramnarine (Co-Chair), JaimeLee Rizzo (Co-Chair), Richard Cassetta, Liliana Craciun, Zhaohua Dai, Neil Jespersen, Sasan Karimi and Justyna Widera

Committee meeting and planning for the 57th URS took place on May 2, 2009 at Pace University, Pleasantville.  Members of the Students’ Association Committee present: Richard Cassetta, Zhaohua Dai, Alison Hyslop, Neil Jespersen, Sasan Karimi, Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, JaimeLee Rizzo and Justyna Widera

Number of Attendees: Estimated at ~280 students, faculty, family and friends.

Number of Presentations: 92

Number of Submitted Papers: 105

THE SYMPOSIUM

The New York Chemistry Students' Association of the New York Section held its 57th URS on Saturday, May 2, 2009, at Pace University, Pleasantville, NY.  Ninety two papers from 27 different colleges were presented in nineteen concurrent sessions.  The areas covered were analytical, biochemistry, chemical education, environmental/green, inorganic, organic, nano- and surface chemistry, physical and polymer chemistry.

Attendees were formally welcomed by Dr. JaimeLee Rizzo, Co-Chair, Students’ Association Committee, who introduced President Stephen J. Friedman, President of Pace University, Dean Nira Herrmann, and Dean of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences of Pace University. Dr. Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, Co-Chair, Students’ Association Committee then introduced Prof. Barbara R. Hillery, the ACS New York Section Chair, and Prof. Ellen Weiser, who introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Michael N. Alekshun of Schering-Plough Research Institute. The keynote presentation entitled “Contemporary Issues in Antibiotic Resistance: Problematic Bugs and the Therapeutic strategies Used to Treat Them” was well received. As a token of appreciation from the ACS-NY Section, the speaker was presented with an inscribed plaque commemorating the event. The group picture was taken and then students, faculty and guests attended the student presentations taking place in nineteen concurrent sessions.

The students gave 15 minute PowerPoint Presentations.  The conference rooms were equipped with computers and projection systems. Student presentations were saved on flash drives. Two IT persons were hired for the day.

Representatives from Pearson, Cengage, Maruzen, Pepsi, and On Assignment Lab Support attended the symposium.  Tables were made available for these representatives in the reception area.

The symposium concluded with a luncheon and an Award Reception including an “ice cream social” where students were presented with Certificates of Participation and mementos (water bottles) were distributed by Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, Alison Hyslop and JaimeLee Rizzo. Student moderators were also presented with water bottles for their participation.

SYMPOSIUM PREPARATIONS

Announcements for this event were made electronically by e-mail as well as advertising in the Indicator issues of February, March and April. Submission of abstracts was done using e-mail and web technology.  The program for the day and a complete listing of all student abstracts were published in the book of abstracts which was distributed to all attendees and can be found at http://www.newyorkacs.org/urs.html. The website for submission was developed and maintained by Brian Gibney the Web Master for the ACS-NY section. In addition to the registration of presenters we added two other categories, one for the registration of mentors and another for the registration of guests to help us estimate the number of attendees to the program.  Receipt of the abstracts online, collation and organization of the abstract booklet was performed by Alison Hyslop.  Printing of the abstracts was carried out at Castle Rock Printing.

The arrangements at Pace University were overseen by Ellen Weiser and JaimeLee Rizzo. These arrangements included planning the breakfast and lunch (Alison Hyslop was involved in this as well), scheduling the moderators, staffing the reception area, arranging for AV support, converting the program to PDF and hiring a printer, printing the badges and making sure signage was in place to direct the symposium participants.

JaimeLee Rizzo ordered the water bottles from Lisa Hall which were presented to the students and moderators as mementos. Neil Jespersen made the certificates and Marilyn Jespersen ordered the plaque for the speaker. The photographer, Arpi Pap of Papphoto was hired to take pictures.

FUND RAISING

Fund raising was managed by JaimeLee Rizzo. Thanks to the generous support of local industrial donors and for publishing companies, participants of this year’s symposium received an abstract booklet, a memento, and a copy of the group photo taken on the day of the symposium.

$3000.00 was allocated by the ACS- NY section; companies/institutions made monetary donations in the amount of $8635 (including guest and on-site registration of $450).

URS fundraising efforts raised enough money so that none of the ACS seed money was used.

Moreover, the URS had raised an excess of $1069.25 that was absorbed to the NY ACS URS Section.  The tough economic year had reduced the amount companies were donating to the URS; however, there was still more than enough to support the event (as noted by the excess monies).

JaimeLee Rizzo sent all sponsors official thank you letters and an abstract book the week following the URS.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

Under the direction of the Students’ Association Committee, plans for the 58th URS to be held at Adelphi University, May 8, 2010 are currently underway.

In order to keep the quality of the abstracts and presentations as high as possible, the absolute deadline for the submission of abstracts needs to be at least 6 weeks prior to the URS.  The abstracts need to be reviewed and if they are not acceptable, the authors need to be contacted.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The committee wishes to extend its warmest thanks to the following individuals for their generous help with the 57th URS: Prof. Neil Jespersen (St. John's University, ACS NY Section), Marilyn Jespersen (ACS NY Section) Brian Gibney (Web Master) and the students and staff of the Chemistry Department at Pace University, Pleasantville.

Copies of the 57th URS abstract booklet and the group photo was sent to the ACS-NY office.

Colleges,  Students Presenting,  Abstracts

Adelphi University, 4

Borough of Manhattan Community College, 2

Brooklyn College, CUNY, 1

City College of New York, CUNY, 3,  5

College of Staten Island, CUNY, 1

College of Mt. St. Vincent, 1

Columbia University, 1

Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2

Fordham University, 2

Hofstra University, 5

Hostos Community College, CUNY, 0, 1

Iona College, 5

Manhattan College, CUNY, 1

Medgar Evers College, CUNY, 1

Pace University, New York, 7

Pace University, Pleasantville, 3, 4

Purchase College, 2

Queens College, CUNY, 1

Queensborough Community College, CUNY, 29, 32

Ramapo College of New Jersey, 7

St. Francis College, 4

St. John's University, 2

St. Joseph's College, 2

St. Peter' College, 1

Stony Brook University, 0, 5

SUNY, Old Westbury, 1

York College, CUNY, 4,   5

Total Students Presenting 92

Respectfully submitted,

Alison Hyslop

Sharon Lall-Ramnarine

JaimeLee I. Rizzo