Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 14, Number 5

February 6, 1998

Next issue: Friday, February 13th. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, February 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/

Congratulations to New MacVicar Faculty Fellow Professor Sylvia Ceyer

The appointment of Professor Sylvia Ceyer as a MacVicar Faculty Fellow was announced today at the annual MacVicar Fellows reception and luncheon hosted by President Charles Vest and his wife Rebecca at the President's House. The MacVicar Faculty Fellowships were established by MIT in 1992 to recognize outstanding contributions to undergraduate education at MIT. The program honors the life and contributions of the late Margaret MacVicar, who was MIT's first Dean of Undergraduate Education. Together the Fellows form a small academy of scholars committed to fine teaching and innovation in education.

Professor Ceyer is best known to chemistry majors for her introductory quantum mechanics course, 5.61. Although 5.61 is regarded by many students as the most demanding and challenging course in the undergraduate chemistry program, it is also viewed by many as the most enjoyable and stimulating course they take at MIT. Professor Ceyer's dedication is legendary, and her 5.61 lectures are described as models of clarity and a joy to attend.

As a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, Professor Ceyer joins an elite group of teachers and scholars at MIT. There are now 31 MacVicar Fellows among the total of ca. 1,000 faculty at MIT. With 5 MacVicar Fellows (Professors Ceyer, Danheiser, Kemp, Essigmann, and Silbey), the Chemistry Department (one of the smaller departments at MIT with only 26 members) now has more MacVicar Fellows than any other department at the Institute.

Professor Lynda Jordan to be Honored at Martin Luther King Breakfast

Congratulations to Professor Lynda Jordan, a 1997-98 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor in the Department of Chemistry, who will be honored at MIT's 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast to take place on Friday, February, 13th at Walker Memorial. Professor Jordan, who received her Ph.D. from the Department in 1985, will be introduced by President Vest as one of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award Winners.

The breakfast hosted by President Vest and his wife Rebecca, is the centerpiece of MIT's 24th annual celebration of Dr. King's birthday. Other upcoming events include the ninth annual youth council for high school students from Boston and Cambridge and the fifth annual musical tribute to Dr. King by jazz vocalist Semenya McCord and Associates to be held on Saturday, February 14th.

SEMINAR CALENDAR

Tuesday, February 10, 1998
9:00 a.m. in Room 56-114
Ph.D. Thesis Defense in Biological Chemistry

Stuart Licht
MIT, Stubbe Group
"A Kinetically Competent Thiyl Radical in Ribonucleotide Reduction"

Tuesday, February 10, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 2-105
Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-233

Professor Bret Jackson
University of MA at Amherst
"Eley-Rideal and Hot-Atom Reaction Dynamics of H(g) with H adsorbed onto Cu(111)"

Wednesday, February 11, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry
Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-321

Professor John Groves
Princeton University
"The Chemistry and Biology of Peroxynitrite"

Thursday, February 12, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 4-163
Special Organometallic Seminar
Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321

Professor Ulrich Schubert
Technical University of Vienna
"Activation of Silicon- and Tin Element Bonds by Transition Metal Complexes"

Wednesday, February 18, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry
Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120

Chris Morse
MIT (Davison Group)
"Polyaryl Chemistry of Rhenium and Technetium"

Wednesday, February 25, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120
Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry

Carlos Navas
MIT (Tuller Group- Materials Science)
"Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conductivity in Layered Oxides: Effect of Doping in SR₃Ti₂O₇"

Thursday, February 26, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Seminar in Organic Chemistry
3:30 p.m. in 18-490

Professor Dale Boger
Scripps Research Institute
"Azadiene Diels-Alder Reactions: Scope and Applications"

Tuesday, March 3, 1998
1998 Arthur D. Little Lecturer in Physical Chemistry
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Reception following lecture in Amdur Room 6-233

Professor Richard A. Mathies
University of California at Berkeley
Lecture I: "A Coherent Picture of Visual Excitation"

Thursday, March 5, 1998
1998 Arthur D. Little Lecturer in Physical Chemistry
5:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Refreshments outside of 6-120 @ 4:30

Professor Richard A. Mathies
University of California at Berkeley
Lecture II: "New Tools for the Genomic Revolution"

GEO Sponsoring Tax information Workshop For Graduate Students who are US Citizens and Resident Aliens

A workshop will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 1998 from 2 to 4 pm in Room #10-250. A formal presentation will be followed by a Q&A session during which students will have the opportunity to ask specific questions regarding taxation policies on Fellowships and RA&TA's. Federal and State forms will be available in the lobby of 10-250 before, during and immediately following the workshop. Please contact: Brima A. Wurie, Administrator for Fellowship/Grant Programs, MIT, Graduate Education Office, 77 Massachusetts Avenue Room 3-136A, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 Telephone is (617) 253-1958 Fax is (617) 253-5620 or by Email: wurie@mit.edu

GEO Sponsoring Tax Information Workshop For Graduate Students who are International Scholars

A workshop will be held for those international scholars who need tax assistance on Thursday, February 19, 1998 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Student Center, 3rd floor, 20 Chimneys. Topics include: tax requirements for international researchers and faculty members in the US, residency status for tax purposes, treaty provisions, filing requirements, and types of income subject to US taxation. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.

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

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.

Faculty 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.

Wichita State University, Wichita Kansas: Has two visiting professor slots open for one year, up to three. Applicants should be able to teach general chemistry and possibly analytical or physical chemistry. Send materials to: Professor Mel Zandler, Dept. of Chemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS 67260-0051 (email is zandler@wshub.uc.twsu.edu and department website is: www.twsu.edu/~chemwww/. February 16th is the deadline for positions.
Instrument laboratory supervisor New Mexico State University. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry seeks a full-time professional staff member to: supervise and maintain four nmr spectrometers, to maintain, calibrate and certify users of other major research and teaching instruments, including uv/vis and ftir spectrophotometers, centrifuges, scintillation counters and mass spectrometers, to supervise activities of a 46ull-time electronics technician and to work with both faculty and graduate students on instrument matters. the successful candidate must have a b. s. degree in chemistry, or equivalent training, and three years of related experience. he/she would find supervisory experience beneficial. the department has 20 full-time faculty, 65-75 graduate students, technicians and post-doctoral fellows and expends about $2.5 million per year on research projects. Applicants must submit a resum=c9 of training and experience and copies of relevant degree transcripts or training certifications. the applicant needs to have three letters of reference be forwarded to the department. Completed applications must be received by Friday, February 27, 1998 to receive full consideration. salary ranges from $25,912 to $38,868 , depending on qualifications and experience, and a full health and benefits package is offered. all materials should be submitted to: dr. gary rayson, chairman, supervisor search committee, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Box 30001, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM m88003. nmsu is an eeo/aa employer

Index of Chemformation Back Issues

Tuesday, February 10, 1998 9:00 a.m. in Room 56-114 Ph.D. Thesis Defense in Biological Chemistry	Stuart Licht MIT, Stubbe Group "A Kinetically Competent Thiyl Radical in Ribonucleotide Reduction"
Tuesday, February 10, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 2-105 Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-233	Professor Bret Jackson University of MA at Amherst "Eley-Rideal and Hot-Atom Reaction Dynamics of H(g) with H adsorbed onto Cu(111)"
Wednesday, February 11, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-321	Professor John Groves Princeton University "The Chemistry and Biology of Peroxynitrite"
Thursday, February 12, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 4-163 Special Organometallic Seminar Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321	Professor Ulrich Schubert Technical University of Vienna "Activation of Silicon- and Tin Element Bonds by Transition Metal Complexes"
Wednesday, February 18, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120	Chris Morse MIT (Davison Group) "Polyaryl Chemistry of Rhenium and Technetium"
Wednesday, February 25, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry	Carlos Navas MIT (Tuller Group- Materials Science) "Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conductivity in Layered Oxides: Effect of Doping in SR₃Ti₂O₇"
Thursday, February 26, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Seminar in Organic Chemistry 3:30 p.m. in 18-490	Professor Dale Boger Scripps Research Institute "Azadiene Diels-Alder Reactions: Scope and Applications"
Tuesday, March 3, 1998 1998 Arthur D. Little Lecturer in Physical Chemistry 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Reception following lecture in Amdur Room 6-233	Professor Richard A. Mathies University of California at Berkeley Lecture I: "A Coherent Picture of Visual Excitation"
Thursday, March 5, 1998 1998 Arthur D. Little Lecturer in Physical Chemistry 5:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments outside of 6-120 @ 4:30	Professor Richard A. Mathies University of California at Berkeley Lecture II: "New Tools for the Genomic Revolution"