Committee Members: Alison Hyslop (Co-Chair), Sharon Lall-Ramnarine (Co-Chair), JaimeLee Rizzo (Co-Chair),
Sharokh Saba, James Caiccio, Richard Cassetta, Neil Jespersen, Sasan Karimi, Pamela Kerrigan, Yorke Rhodes, Nanette Watcher, Raifah Kabbani, Jill Rehmann.

Committee meeting and planning for the 53rd URS took place on Nov. 4, 2005 at St. John's University.

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

Number of Presentations: 131

College Students Presenting:

Adelphi University 1
Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1
Baruch College - CUNY 1
Brooklyn College 2
Bronx Community College 6
City College of New York 5
College of New Rochelle 1
CUNY College of Staten Island 7
Dyson College 1
Fairleigh Dickinson University 3
Fordham University 2
Hofstra University 5
Hostos Community College 1
Hunter College 1
Iona College 1
LaGuardia Community College 3
Manhattan College 4
Medgar Evers College 2
New Jersey City University 2
New York University 1
Pace University 6
Polytechnic University 5
Queens College 12
Queensborough Community College 40
Ramapo College of New Jersey 8
St. John's University 6
Stony Brook University 3
SUNY Old Westbury 4
Wagner College 2
York College, CUNY 5

Total Students Presenting 128

The New York Chemistry Students' Association of the New York Section held its 54th URS on Saturday, April 29, 2006, at St. John's University, Queens, NY. One hundred thirty one papers from 30 different colleges were presented in twenty-one 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. Victor Cesare, the Chair of the Chemistry Department at St. John's University, followed by Dr. JaimeLee Rizzo, Co-Chair, Students’ Association Committee, Dr. Julie Upton, Provost of St. John's University, Dr. Jill Rehmann, the ACS New York Section Chair and Dr. Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, Co-Chair, Students’ Association Committee introduced the keynote speaker Dr. James Wishart from the Department of Chemistry at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The keynote presentation entitled “Ionic Liquids, Salt for the Earth” was a wonderful introduction to the field of ionic liquids. The speaker discussed applications and future application of ionic liquids in a variety of areas ranging from. As a token of appreciation from the ACS-NY Section, the speaker was presented with an inscribed plaque commemorating the event. The Co-Chairs also presented Dr. Jill Rehmann and Dr. Raifah Kabbani with an inscribed plaque in appreciation for their years of service. The group picture was taken and then students, faculty and guests attended the student presentations taking place in twelve concurrent sessions.

The students gave 15 minute PowerPoint Presentations. The conference rooms were equipped with computers and projection systems. Student presentations were saved on either CD or flash and, for the first time, there were no computer compatibility problems.

Representatives from McGraw Hill, Wiley, Pearson/Prentice Hall, On Assignment Lab Support, and Watson Labs attended the symposium. Tables were made available for these representatives in the reception area.

The symposium concluded with a luncheon and presentation of Certificates of Participation and mementos to student presenters by Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, Alison Hyslop and Jaimelee Rizzo, followed by an “ice cream networking social”.

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/grp_students.html . The website for submission was developed and maintained by Ed Harris 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 Sharon Lall-Ramnarine and Alison Hyslop. Printing of the abstracts was carried out at Kinkos, the copier used by St. John's University.

The arrangements at St. John's University were overseen by Alison Hyslop. These arrangements included planning the breakfast and lunch (Sharon Lall-Ramnarine and JaimeLee Rizzo were 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.

Fund raising was managed by Jaimelee Rizzo. Jaimelee Rizzo also ordered the briefcases that 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 was hired through CUNY’s Louise Stokes AMP Program who sponsored the services.

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.

In addition to $45000.00 allocated by the ACS- NY section, the following institutions made monetary donations, for a total of $3000.

Donation List for URS 2005

Coherent Inc.
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Anasazi Instrument
Wyeth Research
Pepsi Cola Company
Pearson/Prentice Hall
Sponsored Coffee break
OSI Pharmaceuticals
CUNY Louis Stokes AMP
The City College $1500 + photographer
Wiley Publishing

URS fundraising reduced the local section contribution from the $4000.00 allotted to $~700.00.

Under the direction of the Students’ Association Committee, plans for the 55th URS to be held at Manhattan College, May 2007 are currently underway.

Due to the very large contingent from Queensborough Community College (QCC), in the future, the host institutions should have at least 25 AV equipped rooms.

Acknowledgements

The committee wishes to extend its warmest thanks to the following individuals for their generous help with the 54th URS: Prof. Neil Jespersen (St. John's University, ACS NY Section), Marilyn Jespersen (ACS NY Section), Ed Harris (Web Master) and the students and staff of the Chemistry Department at St. John's University.

Copies of the 54rd URS abstract booklet and the group photo will be sent to the ACS-NY office.

Respectfully submitted,

Alison Hyslop
Sharon Lall-Ramnarine
JaimeLee I. Rizzo