ACS New York Section

HUDSON BERGEN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
 
(NY Section Subsection)

2008 Annual Report



  <<<<<<<<<<  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.



  <<<<<<<<<<  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