Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 13, Number 21

Friday, June 6, 1997

Next issue: Friday, June 13. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, June 10th. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Linda Earle Room 18-390, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-1803; 617/258-7500 (fax) or e-mail 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

Dr. M. Wais Hosseini

Laboratoire de Chimic de Coordination Orqanique Universitş Louis Pasteur

"From Discrete Molecules to Infinite Molecular Networks"

Tuesday, June 17, 1997

4:00 p.m. in 6-120

Seminar in Organic Chemistry

Congratulations to Professor Moungi Bawendi Awarded School of Science Teaching Prize

Congratulations to Professor Moungi Bawendi, who has been awarded the School of Science Teaching Prize for graduate and undergraduate teaching! Moungi was selected for "his ability to communicate the elegance and beauty of the material to his students and to foster their sense of exploration and excitement both in the classroom and through individual discussions." He was presented with the honor along with two other professors in the School of Science at a surprise reception in Dean Bob Birgeneau's office.

Congratulations Graduates!

Congratulations to those awarded Ph.D.s and SM's for 1996-1997!

John Battiste: 9/96, Ph.D.
Robert Bieganski: 2/97, Ph.D.
Ciaran Brennan: 6/97, Ph.D.
Edcon Chang: 6/97, Ph.D.
Philip Costa: 9/96, Ph.D.
Bashir Dabbousi: 6/97, Ph.D.
Linda Doerrer: 2/97, Ph.D.
Heidi Erlacher: 9/96, Ph.D.
Michelle Fisher: 6/97, SM
Aharon Gal: 9/96, Ph.D.
Joel Houmes: 9/96, Ph.D.
Natasha Kablaoui: 6/97, Ph.D.
Jongmin Kang: 6/97, Ph.D.
Kurt Kendall: 9/96, Ph.D.
Shane Krska: 6/97, Ph.D.
Melissa Kuchma: 6/97, Ph.D.
Michael Lawlor: 6/97, Ph.D.
Edward Licitra: 9/96, Ph.D.
Cliff Liu: 6/97, Ph.D.
Joanna Long: 2/97, Ph.D.
Lewilynn Lopez De Leon: 2/97, SM
Douglas Maus: 9/96, Ph.D.
Christopher May: 6/97, SM
Jill Mello: 2/97, Ph.D.
Erik Meyer: 9/97, Ph.D.
Robert Murry: 9/96, SM
Huey Ng: 6/97, SM
Manoj Nirmal: 9/96, Ph.D.
Brenda Palucki Gacek: 6/97, Ph.D.
Zhonghua Pei: 6/97, Ph.D.
Matthew Reding: 6/97, Ph.D.
Ann Sacra: 9/96, Ph.D.
Joan-Emma Shea: 6/97, Ph.D.
Linda Shimizu Szabo: 6/97, Ph.D.
Gerald Shipps: 6/97, Ph.D.
Theodore Trautman: 2/97, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Trimmer: 6/97, Ph.D.
Timothy Warren: 6/97, Ph.D.
Marc Wefers: 9/96, Ph.D.
Jonathan Wilker: 2/97, Ph.D.
Wei Wu: 9/96, Ph.D.
Sophia Yaliraki: 6/97, Ph.D.
Yongwu Yang: 9/96, Ph.D.

Three Chemistry Seniors Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

Doris Lin of Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Junko Tamiya of Tokyo, and Graham Warden of Cambridge were among the 55 students of the Class of 1997 offered membership in the Xi Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. This honor is in recognition of the students'excellence in academic achievements and their major commitments to liberal studies. Junko is going on to graduate study in organic chemistry; Doris and Graham will be attending medical school.

Internships Available for Interested Students

The first chemistry department intern has been placed for the summer of 1997, Ms. Deb Moshinsky from the Wogan group will be interning at Sugen, Inc. in Redwood City, CA. Her work at Sugen will involve the development of novel high throughput screening yeast assays for the selection of tyrosine-and serine/threonine-kinase specific inhibitors for possible use as anticancer drugs. There are other internship possibilities available now and ifyou have expressed interest in the past or still are interested, you need to begin to think about doing it and also obtaining permission from your research supervisor. Colgate-Palmolive has offered internships in two areas involving product development of antiperspirant gels. The desired candidate would possess a major in polymer chemistry or polymer science with a good background in organic chemistry.

Foster-Miller Inc. in Waltham, MA: has offered internships in four areas relating to materials research. They are: 1. Micron and submicron sized high temperature polymer spheres, improved toughness ballistic protective fiber through molecular modeling; 2.. improved toughness ballistic protective fiber through molecular modeling; 3. Large area piezolectric coating for "Smart" aerospace systems. and 4. environmentally compliant, no-VOC aircraft coating. Foster-Miller Inc. is looking for someone to begin working immediately on the micron/sumicron high temperature polymer spheres, Projects typically involve conducting a literature search to plan synthesis activities, performing small scale synthesis, characterization the product and evaluating its potential to the intended applications. The intern will be exposed and will have an opportunity to contribute to numerous other chemistry related projects.

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 Udas or John Annese at 3-4505. Bob will do the work on a first-come, first-served basis.

Positions

• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA: Summer position for chemistry graduate student experienced in HPLC. Dr. Joseph Santoro in the Department of Pharmacy is seeking a good analytical chemist full time for the summer, hourly wage is negotiable. The chemist will be 1. setting up new HPLC upon arrival at the new compounding center, 2. perform IQ/OQ on the instrument (make sure all parts are there and in working order and that the instrument operates as intended). 3. Write the analytical methods for running each assay, 4. validate each USP HPLC assay method for the products that will be filled into syringes (starting with cefazolin and going to the rest as quickly as possible), 5. document each validation in validation report, 6 write the anlaytical methods for running each assay and 7, train the pharmacist to perform the above functions. Please contact him by telephone at 726-2507 or e-mail at: Santoro.Joseph@MGH.Harvard.edu
  
  
• Brandeis University, Waltham, MA: Seeks instructor for the second semester of organic chemistry lecture and laboratory for their 1997 summer school program. If you are a Ph.D. in chemistry and have taught the second semester of organic by yourself please contact: Gwenn Smaxwill, Summer School Director by June 15th, 1997 if you are interested in finding out more about the position or call (617) 736- 3424 or fax too(617) 736-3420 or e-mail to: summerschool@logos.cc.brandeis.edu
  
  

Faculty Positions

• University of California at Riverside: Department of Chemistry, has decided to re-establish an inorganic chemistry program. An initial hire at the senior level plus two professors at the junior level is their plan and a 12-15K square foot addition to the existing chemistry building which is scheduled for occupancy in 1999 is being built. They seek a good scientist but one with the interest and skills to begin a program at ground zero. Please contact: David F. Bocian, Dept. of Chemistry, University of CA at Riverside, CA 92521, phone is (909) 787-3660 or fax is (909) 787-4713 or e-mail is dbocian@ucrac1.ucr.edu
  
  

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