Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 13, Number 31

October 10, 1997

Next issue: The Next issue is October 17, 1997, Deadline for submission of material is Tuesday, October 14th. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. 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

Professor Joseph Zyss

Laboratoire de Photonique Quanique et Moléculaire

Département de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, Cachan, France

"Photoinduced Multipolar Processes: From Molecular to Photo Engineering"

Tuesday, October 14, 1997

4:00 in Room 2-105

MIT Physical Chemistry Series

Refreshments @ 3:30 6-233

 

Sheree Stokes

MIT

Cummins Group

"Low-Valent Iron Amide Complexes: Synthesis and Reactivity"

Wednesday, October 15, 1997

4:00 p.m. in 6-120

Inorganic Seminar Series

Refreshments @ 3:30 lobby of 6-120

 

Deborah Zamble

MIT

"The Role of DNA Repair and Apoptosis in the Anti- Cancer Drug Cisplatin"

Monday, October 20, 1997

12:00 p.m. in 68-132

Macromolecular Structure/Function Seminar Series

 

Professor Gerald F. Joyce

The Scripps Research Institute

"The In Vitro RNA World"

Wednesday, October 22, 1997

4:00 p.m. in 6-120

The T.Y. Shen Seminar in Biological Chemistry

Reception after seminar in 18-490

 

Professor Gerald F. Joyce

The Scripps Research Institute

"A Small But Very Efficient DNA Enzyme"

Thursday, October 23, 1997

4:00 p.m. in 6-120

The T.Y. Shen Seminar in Biological Chemistry

Refreshments outside of 6-120 @ 3:30

Grants-in-Aid Available to Undergraduates for ACS Travel to National Meeting in Dallas

Please contact Miriam Diamond's office (3-7271) for information on how to apply for a $250.00 grant-in-aid to travel to the National American Chemical Society meeting in Dallas in March of 1998.

MIT Chemistry Campaign 2000 Update DuPont Grant for State-of-the Art Chemistry Laser Facility

A nanosecond to sub-picosecond time-resolved laser facility will be renovated and equipped as part of the MIT Chemistry 2000 campaign with the support of a $500,000 grant from DuPont.

"We are delighted we are able to participate in the upgrading of the chemistry laser facility," said Dr. Claibourne D. Smith, VP Technology and Professional Development and Vice-Chairman of the Corporate Committee on Educational Aid for DuPont. "We look forward to continuing our long-standing and valued relationship over many more decades."

"MIT has been a pioneer in lasers," said Stephen J. Lippard, Chemistry Department Head. "We are assembling an unparalleled group of physical chemists to remain at the leading edge in laser-based chemistry research. DuPont's investments in this research facility will enhance our efforts in optoelectronic polymer materials, biocatalysis, small molecule activation, environmental and processing chemosensors, and laser diagnostics of multicomponent fluid flow."

Professors Moungi Bawendi, Daniel Nocera, and Timothy Swager will have primary responsibility for the function of this shared laser facility. A centerpiece for exciting new interdisciplinary research ventures, a third of the department's faculty will be involved in projects. The facility will provide a training ground for the next century's cohort of scientific professionals who will apply lasers in unique ways to solve important problems. It is anticipated that there will be study opportunities for undergraduate students through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), which enjoys a long and successful tradition with the Department of Chemistry.

Message from Professor Lippard - Please Sign up for the Chemistry Telethon!

Our annual Telethon is this coming Wednesday, October 15, 1997. As you think about whether or not to participate, please remember that a portion of the money you raise through the Telethon will go towards funding, Women in Chemistry projects, as well as the Careers in Chemistry conference. I hope you will support Jen Zarutskie, our Telethon Coordinator, in this endeavor. You can reach her by email at (jzarutsk@mit.edu) Thank you!

Lester Wolfe Fellowship

The Department of Chemistry opens the competition for the 1998-99 Lester Wolfe Fellowship student support in the department of chemistry. This fellowship is used to support students "who evidence a desire to do research using optical methods in the investigation of the structure and the properties of matter" Please send your application and references letters to Professor Dietmar Seyferth, Head of the Departmental Committee on Graduate Studies, Room 4-382A by no later than November 30, 1997.

Post-Docs and Graduate Students - Have Lunch With Professor Gerald Joyce
The T.Y. Shen Lecturer in Biological Chemistry

Graduate Students and Post-docs are welcome to meet with Professor Joyce on Wednesday, October 22nd from 11:30-1 in the Norris Room 18-490. Please sign up on the sheet outside of Susan Brighton's office 18-392.

Come to China Presentation!

The McKinsey & Company Greater China Offices (Hong Kong - Shanghai - Beijing - Taipei). Invites PhD students & Postdocs to attend a presentation on Thursday, October 16 at 6 PM Cambridge Marriott, Salon #4 at the Corner of Broadway & 3rd St. in Kendall Square. McKinsey & Company is an international management consulting firm serves the top management of companies and public organizations in most industrial nations and some developing countries on matters of strategy, organization and operations. The purpose of our presentation is to acquaint you with our activities in the Greater China practice and to answer your questions about a career with our firm. Students interested in joining our Greater China practice should have complete reading, writing and speaking capability in both English and Mandarin Chinese. If you are interested in joining us on October 16, please contact us by email athk_recruit@mckinsey.com

Chemistry's Own Eve Diana
Artists Behind the Desk Series at MIT

Eve Diana, will be speaking on Thursday, October 16, 1997 from 2-3 p.m. at Little Theatre, Kresge Auditorium, Bldg. W16. Her reading is part of "The Artists Behind the Desk Series at MIT" a festival of creative contributions from MIT support staff. This will be Eve's last reading before moving to San Diego.

Help Get Organized!

Call Ed Udas at 253-4505 or stop by room 6-026 if students, faculty or staff need help in organizing their MIT space.

Glass Blowing Services Available

Bob DiGiacomo will be coming in on Wednesdays or Thursdays after Labor Day 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

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

Faculty Positions

• Mississippi State University, a land-grant state university, invites applications and nominations for the position of Head of the Chemistry Department beginning July 1, 1998. Mississippi State is seeking an experienced, research-oriented leader with a strong commitment to teaching excellence at both the undergraduate (B.A./B.S.) and graduate (M.S./Ph.D.) levels. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a Chemical Sciences area. They must also hold a faculty position in a graduate-degree-granting department, or possess comparable experience. The candidate should be qualified for appointment at the full professor level. Area of specialization is open. Candidates must have a demonstrated record of extramural research support. Academic administrative experience is also preferred. MSU is a comprehensive university with internationally recognized programs and faculty which exhibit a personal touch that continues to characterize faculty-student interactions. The Department of Chemistry is housed in the Hand Chemistry Building which was constructed in 1962 and is currently undergoing a $6 million renovation. It has over 60,000 square feet of classroom laboratory, and office space. There are eighteen faculty members in the department, 60 graduate students, and approximately 45undergraduate majors. Thirty-two Ph.D. chemists participate in the Chemical Sciences Graduate Program which is the Ph.D. granting unit. These faculty come from Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Forest Products, the School of Veterinary Sciences, and a U.S.D.A. research lab. Total course enrollment in chemistry is approximately 3,000 students per year. The department is extremely well equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation including the Mississippi Magnetic Resonance Facility consisting of four high-field NMR spectrometers(2-300 MHz, 1-400 MHz, 1-600 MHz), one of which is equipped to perform solid state CP/MAS experiments. The department also has three Silicon Graphics computers with state-of-the-art graphics, FT-IR, FT-Raman, a static and dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimeter, UV-Vis spectrometers, steady-state and dynamic fluorescence spectrometers, gas and liquid chromatographic systems,and several mass spectrometers. A Siemens P-4 X-ray diffractometer will be installed on completion of the building renovations. A major goal of the department is to continue the development of its research resources and activities with an emphasis on expanding the graduate program. The department head position is a 12-month, tenure track appointment which is reviewed at the end of three years. Applicants should submit a curriculum vita and letter of application and have three letters of recommendation sent to: Dr. Rodney Piercey, Chair, Chemistry-Head Search Committee, P. O. Drawer 5167, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Applications will be accepted until January 15, 1998, or until the position is filled. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.Screening of applicants will begin shortly after January 15, 1998, but the position will remain open until filled.

• Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI: Searching for faculty in physical chemistry, either experimental or theorectical . Please contact: James F. Harrison, Professor, Michigan State University, Dept. of Chemistry, 320 Chemistry Bldg., East Lansing, MI 48824-1322, fax is 517-353-1793, or phone is 517-355-9715.

• University of Britsh Columbia, Vancouver, BC: Seeks synthetic organic chemist for July of 1998 with proven research track record. Expected to teach at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Send materials to: Professor Larry Weiler, Chairperson, Future Appts. Committee, The University of British Columbia, Dept. of Chemistry, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z1 by December 1st.

• University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,PA: Seeks organic faculty member for September of 1998. Send materials by 11/15 to: Professor Craig S. Wilcov, Chair, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260.

• Emory University, Atlanta, GA: Associate professor in organic chemistry sought for fall of 1998. Please send applications to: Professor Albert Padwa, Chair, Organic Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, e-mail is: chemap@emory.edu

• University of Ilinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Il: Seeks assistant professor in organic chemistry for 1998-99. Send materials to: Professor Paul W. Bohn, Head, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Illinois, 505 S. Mathwes Avenmue, Urbana, IL 61801, Please contact Professor Scott Denmark at 217-333-0066 or e-mail at aries@scs.uiuc.edu

• Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT: Seeks organic chemist for fall of 1998. Teaching must include general and introductory chemistry. Send materials to: Jeffrey Byers, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, Organic Search Chairman, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, phone is: 802-443-5450 and fax is 802-443-2072

• The University of Vermont (UVM) Chemistry Department has initiated a search for a person to fill a tenure-track assistant professor position in either analytical chemistry or transition metal inorganic chemistry. The appointment is expected to begin on September 1, 1998. We would appreciate your assistance in sharing this information with your colleagues, informing qualified persons of this opportunity and encouraging them to apply. The UVM Chemistry Department currently has 13 tenured or tenure-track faculty members and strong support staff, including 2 electronics technicians, a glassblower, and an undergraduate laboratory coordinator. We have a wide array of modern instrumentation including FTIR spectrometers, a mass spectrometer, a laser Raman Spectrometer, an automated X-ray diffractometer, thin film and powder X-ray diffractometers, and a Bruker ARX500 NMR system with solid-state capabilities. Our graduate program is healthy with about 40 graduate students, and there are about 10 postdoctoral and visiting scientists currently active in various research groups. Our undergraduate program is rigorous and recently was recertified by the American Chemical Society. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a strong, externally funded research program. Candidates are also expected to contribute to our teaching efforts in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Competitive start-up funding and adequate laboratory space will be provided. Applicants must have a strong background in the areas solicited, and post-doctoral experience is expected. Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, descriptions of proposed research, and three letters of recommendation to: Christopher W. Allen Department of Chemistry University of Vermont Burlington, VT 05405-0125 More information may be obtained by replying to this email address (cclandry@zoo.uvm.edu) or at the chemistry department home page on the worldwide web: http://www.uvm.edu/~chemdept/chem@uvm.html. For full consideration, all application materials must be received by December 1, 1997. The University of Vermont is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from women and minority persons.

• University of Washington.has openings for at least three faculty positions in the chemistry department and is likely that at least one of these will be a bioinorganic, or biophysical chemist. We are excited about these opportunities for continued growth. We believe that the University of Washington is an excellent place to do high quality research, as well as to teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels. A wide range of modern instrumentation is available, including several high-field NMR's (200, 300, 500, and 750 MHz), and a CCD-equipped x-ray diffractometer (our latest acquisition), and we recently moved into a modern new building with top-quality lab space. For additional information I suggest that you either check our web page (http://www.chem.washington.edu), or e-mail Kathy Smith atsearch@chem.washington.edu. Julia A. Kovacs-Associate Professor of Chemistry

Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Colgate Palmolive Company, Piscataway, NJ: Has open postdoctoral fellowship in mouth order-to conduct fundamental research in mouth odor as to its physiological origin, diagnosis and treatment. Also, monitor and evaluate new development in passing technology. Seeks Ph.D. in biochemical or chemical sciences also, a dental degree with Ph.D. is preferred but not required. Contact: Mary Ryan at 908-878-7592, fax is 908- 878-7443 or send to: Colgate-Palmolive Company, Corporate Technology Center, 909 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08855-1343.

• United States Dept. of Commerce: Gaithersburg, MD: Postdoctoral Research in laser Applications emphasizing interdisciplinary research in selected areas of photophysics, photochemistry and optics. Seeking postdocs to work on projects in several areas, including femtosecond and picosecond laser studies of dynamical processes in gaes, liquids, solids and at interfaces; linear and nonlinear light-scattering interactions as probes of surface and interfacial structure; and measurements of the near-field optical properties of nanometer-scale structures. Additional information about the group and about NIST is available on the web page: http://physics.nist.gov/lag Call Clara Asmail, Michael Casassa, Thom Germer, Lori Goldner, Ted Heilweil or John Stephensen at (301) 975-2339, 2371,2876, 2370 or 2372

• COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM This program is designed to support highly capable students pursuing graduate study at U.S. Universities in applied sciences or engineering disciplines with applications in high performance computing. Fellows must also participate in off-campus practicum research at DOE Laboratories. The program offers a minimum $18,000.00 annual stipend and payment of tuition and fees for graduate study in scientific and technical disciplines using computational science methods. The program is open to U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens who are in their first or second year of graduate school and working towards a Ph.D. For the 1998-99 awards, applications must be postmarked by January 28,1998. Fellowship selections are announced by mid-April. For an application, please write: Computational Science, Graduate Fellowship, Krell Institute, PO Box 511, Ames, Iowa 50010-9976, Students can also pick up POST CARD in Rm. 3-138.

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