Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 12, Number 32
Friday, October 18, 1996

Next issue: October 25,1996. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, October 22. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Linda Earle, Room 18-393, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-4080; 617/258-7500 (fax) or email to lkn@mit.edu Back issues of Chemformation can be accessed via the Chemistry Department Website.

Visit the Chemistry Department Website at http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/

SEMINAR CALENDAR

Adam R. Johnson: Cummins Group; "Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Molybdenum (V) and -(VI) Chalcogenide Complexes"; Wednesday, October 23, 1996; MIT Room 6-120 @ 4:00 pm; Refreshments @ 3:30 pm in 6-321; Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry
Professor Laura L. Kiessling: University of Wisconsin, Madison; "Exploring Carbohydrate Function with Synthetic Molecules"; Thursday, October 24, 1996; MIT Room 6-120 @ 4:00 pm; Refreshments @ 3:30 pm, 18-490; Seminar in Organic Chemistry
Dr. Hartmut Oschkinat: European Molecular Biology Lab.; "NMR in Structural Biology: From Small Signalling Domains to Membrane Proteins"; Friday, October 25, 1996; MIT Room 18-490 @ 3:45; Refreshments @ 3:30 in 18-490; Magnetic Resonance Seminar
Professor Jim Mayer: Lippard Group; University of Washington; "Oxidations of Alkanes, Arylalkanes, and Metal Alkyls: Radical and Nonradical Pathways"; Wednesday, October 30, 1996; MIT Room 6-120 @ 4:00 pm; Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-321
Professor Ann McDermott: Columbia University; "Solid State NMR Studies of Enzyme Active Sites"; Thursday, October 31, 1996; 4:00 pm in 6-120; Refreshments in foyer of 6-120 @ 3:45; Seminar in Biological Chemistry
Professor Richard Friesner: Columbia University; "Testing and Development of Molecular Modeling Force Fields Using Ab Initio Quantum Chemistry"; Thursday, October 31, 1996; Harvard Room MB23 @ 5:00 pm; Refreshments @ 4:30 in MB23; Harvard/MIT Joint Physical Chemistry Seminars

Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry: New Time

Professor Lippard's course 5.062, Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry, will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 - 10:30 am in room 4-231, beginning Tuesday, October 29. (This is a change in time and location).

Forum on the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

All Undergraduates are invited to a forum with the Committee on the Chemistry Curriculum on Wednesday, October 30. The forum will be held in the Moore Room (6-231) from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. This forum will provide an opportunity for students to make suggestions regarding chemistry major requirements and hear about proposed new courses. Snacks will be provided!

Meeting for Undergraduates on Getting into Graduate School

On Wednesday, November 6, we will hold a workshop for chemistry undergraduates on "Getting into Graduate School". All undergraduates are invited to hear faculty from different research areas discuss the application and program selection process. The workshop will take place in the Moore Room (6-231) from 5 to 7 pm and refreshments will be served. All chemistry students (not just seniors!) who are considering graduate study as an option are encouraged to attend.

Autumn Social for Chemistry Majors and Faculty

The annual Autumn Social Party for chemistry majors and faculty will be held on Monday, November 18 from 5 to 7 pm at the MIT Faculty Club, 50 Memorial Drive, 6th floor. Please make your reservation at 253-7271 by November 8.

Glass Blowing Services Available

Bob DiGiacomo will be coming in on Wednesdays or Thursdays to pick up any glass blowing work that you may have available. Please bring any work to room 6-031 or call Ed Utas or John Annese at 3-4505. Bob will do the work on a first-come basis.

Postdoctoral Positions

University of Colorado, at Boulder: Postdoctorals sought for Professor Stephen R. Leone in both semiconductor surface science and gas phase dynamics. They include areas such as molecular beam epitaxy, femotsecond laser scanning, tunneling, microscopy, state-resolved ion-molecule dynamics, alignment effects in collosions, and a possible new experiment in femtosecond high harmonic x-ray generation and probing of materials and dynamics. Some publications available on their website at http://physics.colorado.edu/faculty/leone.s.html. Application materials can be obtained by calling (301) 975-3067.
Sydney University, Sydney Australia: is offering postdoctoral fellowships in the faculty of science. The closing is October 31, please contact Ms. Ann Phillips at 02-9351-4123; fax is 02-9351-4124 to find out appropriate department head to submit proposed research to. Applicants must submit cv, a brief outline of intended research, with names, addresses, fax and phone numbers of 3 referees. Up to four fellowships will be offered and will be available for two years beginning in January of 1997. Salaries range from 38-41K. Other contacts are Professor Les Field, School of Chemistry at e-mail 1.field@chem.usyd.edu.au Phone is 61-2-9351-2060 or 351-3951 (remember to add 9 before all Sydney phone and fax numbers after July 1996) Dr. Scott Kable, Dept. of Chemistry can also be contacted at e-mail: s.kable@chem.usyd.edu.au phone 61-2-9351-2756 office fax Chemistry 61-2-9351-3329 or confidential fax at 61-2-9351-4791.
National Research Council (NRC) accepting applications for postdoctoral research fellowships at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Appointments at NIST/NRC provides young scientists and engineers the opportunity to conduct research on problems, largely of their own choice. Some areas open are: reaction flow group where the interest lies in: laser diagnostics in reacting systems, mechanisms of chemical vapor deposition, plasma etching and particle formation processes in synthetic and microcontamination; Particle formation processes for materials synthesis, laser based and mass spectrometric characterization of gas phase species and particles and development of gas phase methods for synthesis of nano-scale particles; Experimental Chemical Kinetics, high temperature flow reactor with molecular beam/mass spectrometer sampling; Numerical Modeling and Computational Chemistry, molecular dynamics simulation of cluster-cluster and cluster-surface interactions, application of ab-initio quantum chemistry . Retirement, health and life insurance are included as well as a base salary of $45K, travel and transportation to NIST will be paid and a normal term is two years. Contact Dr. Michael Zachariah, Leader of the Reaction Flows Group, Mail Stop: 221/B312, National Institute of Standard and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, call 301-975-2063 or e-mail mrz@micf.nist.gov home page is http://fluid.nist.gov:80/836.03
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico: Postdoctoral Position in Optical Sensor Development to begin February of 1997 to last one year, renewable to 3. Possible projects include: development of miniature spectrophotometric sensors for local determination of organic chemicals in liquid and vapor phase; development of airborne remote spectrophotometric imaging sensors, with emphasis on modeling the capabilities of proposed sensors using statistical pattern recognition and multivariate statistical analysis and development of optical emission spectroscopy as a process monitor for plasma etching in semiconductor processing. Contact: Brian Stallar at Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800/MS 1411, Albuquerque, NM 87185 or call at 505-844-2631 or fax at 505-844-9781 or e-mail at brstall@sandia.gov Interviews begin around December 1.

Faculty Positions

Please note, unless otherwise specified, most faculty positions require a resume, short description of research plans and to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent directly to the specific university or college.

Johns Hopkins University,Baltimore Maryland: Seeks applicants for an experimental physical chemist who could establish a rigorous research program, Send information to: Dean W. Robinson, Dept. of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.

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