Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 14, Number 6

February 13, 1998

Next issue: Friday, February 20th. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, February 17th. 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

1998 Women Chemists Committee Travel Awards

The Eli Lilly and Company, Hoechst Celanese Corporation, and the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society are sponsoring a program to provide funding for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral women chemists to travel to scientific meetings in 1998 to present their results of the research. Grants may be applied only to registration, travel and accommodations, and are restricted to travel to meetings within the US. Grant funds are limited, but there are some funds set aside for undergraduates. Only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible. Preference will be given to those who have not made a previous presentation at a national or major meeting. Applications should be limited to one per research group. Women who have received a prior award under this program are ineligible. There are two deadline dates for receipt of applications for 1998 meetings- March 15th, 1998, to attend meetings held between July 1 and December 31, 1998; and a deadline of October 15, 1998 to attend meetings held next year between January 1 and June 30, 1999. Please submit the following: (1) a brief resume of educational and scientific training; (2) an abstract of work which you have submitted for presentation, using an official meeting abstract form if possible; (3) a letter detailing the reasons you want this award (both scientific and financial), and specifying whether you have made a previous presentation at a national or major meeting; (4) a letter from your advisor confirming your participation in the meeting at which you will be making your presentation, commenting on your technical ability and potential, and listing any other travel support that would be available from the department or research grants; (5) an estimate of your registration, lodging, and travel expenses to the meeting (please indicate auto, train, bus or plane), (6) a completed application that you must obtain though the staff liaison at the American Chemical Society (See address below or call 1-800-227-5558; e-mail c_brown@acs.org) Send completed applications to: Ms. Cheryl H. Brown, Women Chemists Committee, American Chemical Society, 1155 15th St. NW., Washington, D.C. 20036

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, RA's and 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.

Positions

• Surface Analysis Opening- Rohm and Haas Company has an immediate opening for a Ph.D. chemist with outstanding qualifications in surface science. This position is at our Spring House Research Laboratories, ten miles north of Philadelphia. The Surface Analysis Laboratory of our Analytical Research Department seeks a scientist with a solid knowledge of techniques for surface characterization and excellent laboratory skills. Our surface and morphological capabilities include: ESCA and ESCA/SIMS; an array of microscopic techniques, such as TEM, SEM, FESEM, EDS, OM and AFM; and other instrumentation. The scientist will apply these methodologies to solve problems related to polymers (oligomers, moderate- and high-MW polymers, and polymerization mechanisms) and to biologically active compounds (agricultural chemicals, biocides, and other biomolecules) on surfaces. He or she will participate in all aspects of the laboratory, with involvement in characterizing samples, developing analytical methodologies, and problem solving in a team atmosphere. A Ph.D. degree in Physical or Analytical Chemistry or in Materials or Polymer Science is required. Research experience in materials or polymers and capability in surface characterization are important. The preferred candidate will be a self-starter with strong communicating and interpersonal skills. Rohm and Haas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits program, including relocation assistance and profit sharing. Moreover, we provide many resources for the professional development of our Research staff. Candidates must be legally authorized to hold regular employment in the U.S. We invite them to send their resumes, including the names and addresses of three professional references, to Dr. James D. Burke, Rohm and Haas Research Laboratories B-70, 727 Norristown Road, Spring House, PA 19477-0904.-telephone: 800/336-9235 -fax: 215/619-1632 Internet: jdburke@rohmhaas.com
• The U..S. Geological Survey California District Office in Sacramento, California is seeking an environmental chemist GS-11. The position is for a senior analyst as part of a long-term project studying the transport and fate of pesticides in San Francisco Bay. Responsibilities include laboratory management and supervision; analysis of environmental samples for pesticides; quality control, quality assurance, and method development; and providing analytical organic chemistry expertise to theoverall project development and design. Analysis and method development includes modifying concentration and cleanup techniques for pesticide analysis, utilizing the ms-ms and large volume injection capabilities of a Varian Saturn gcms with ion-trap detection, and utilizing an HP hplc with diode-array detection. Responsibilities also include presentations at national scientific meetings, writing data reports and journal articles, and interacting with scientists studying other aspects ofSan Francisco Bay, such as sediment transport and biological effects of contaminants. The position requires an MS with experience or a PhD in chemistry or an environmental chemistry-related field. Experience in organic chemistry, analytical laboratory techniques, and organic analyses of environmental samples by gcms is required. Familiarity with ion-trap detection and pesticide analyses would be helpful but not required. Experience overseeing a laboratory and supervising technicians or students would also be helpful but not required. You MUST be a US citizen to be eligible for this job vacancy. The Federal Government is an equal opportunity employer. The position will be officially advertised through the Office of Personnel Management in late February or early March. For more details, contact Dr. Kathryn Kuivila (kkuivila@usgs.gov). If interested, please email or fax a resume (916)278-3071.
• POST-DOCTORAL POSITIONS IN BERKELEY-Opportunities are available on the new Chemical Dynamics Beamline at the Advanced Light Source to study reaction dynamics and photochemistry of radicals. This unique User Facility (http://www.lbl.gov/chemicaldynamics) features a 10cm undulator providing 1e16 VUV photons/second continuously tunable from 5 to 30eV, along with dedicated molecular beam endstations using both neutral time-of-flight as well as ion imaging detection methods. Successful candidates will be expected to develop new radical molecular beam sources; perform studies of radical photochemistry and crossed-beam reaction dynamics; develop innovative applications of synchrotron radiation to chemical dynamics studies such as coincidence imaging studies of neutral photochemistry; perform collaborative studies with outside users; publish results in recognized journals. These positions require a PhD in Chemical Physics or a related discipline, experience in molecular beam photochemistry or reaction dynamics studies and a record of publication in chemical dynamics or a closely related field. Experience with synchrotron radiation is useful but not necessary. Interested applicants should send a CV and arrange for two letters of recommendation (email preferred) to: Dr. Arthur G. Suits. Chemical Dynamics Group. MS 10-118 - E. O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA 94720 USA -Tel +1 510-486-4754 - Fax +1 510-486-5664 Internet agsuits@lbl.gov- http://www.lbl.gov/~agsuits
• Postdoctoral Position Open: Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia PA Research in molecular recognition of transfer RNAs by aminoacyl tRNA synthetases and the molecular dissection of these RNAs and protein molecules. We also explore applications of tRNAs in the development of a novel cancer therapy. Methods currently used are structural and functional analyses of tRNA mutants; molecular biology of protein-RNA interaction; genetic screening and in vitro mutagenesis; design and creation of novel RNA molecules that function in vivo and in vitro; reaction kinetics. Interested individuals should contact: Prof. Ya-Ming Hou-Room 222 Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology- Bluemle Life Sciences Bldg.- Thomas Jefferson University- 10th and Locust Sts.- Philadelphia, PA 19107 EMAIL: hou1@jeflin.tju.edu

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