ChemformationChemformation
Volume 14, Number 25
Friday, October 2, 1998
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, 617/253-4080; 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/
The Faculty, Staff and students at the Department are pleased to welcome the 1998 Corporation Visiting Committee for the Department of Chemistry. The two-day session held bi-annually begins Monday morning, October 5 and will end on Tuesday, October 6 in the afternoon. The MIT Corporation Visiting Committee system since 1875 has influenced the course of education and research at MIT. Operating as advisory groups to the Corporation, Visiting Committees afford the Corporation, Senior Administration, Faculty and Students appraisal, advice and insight on each academic department and on certain major activities at the Institute. Members help to maintain a close relationship between academic procedure and professional practice, and also provide expert comment on current and proposed departmental programs. In this forum, recommendations are made to improve the Department's infrastructure including: facilities, space and services. Subsequently, they report to the MIT Administration providing suggestions regarding the overall state of the Chemistry Department.
The Membership structure of the committee is typically 17 members; 5 Corporation members, assigned by the Chairman of the Corporation, 6 alumni nominees, nominated by the Alumni/ae Association Committee on Alumni/ae Nominees to Corporation Visiting Committees and 6 Presidential nominees, nominated by President Charles Vest. The Visiting Committee Roster for 1998-1999 includes: Chairman: Mr. Richard Simmons, Chairman, President and CEO of Allegheny Teledyne Incorporated; Members include: Dr. Barry Bloom, Professor John Brauman, Mr. Glen Dorflinger, Mr. William Edgerly, Mr. L. Robert Johnson, Dean James L. Kinsey, Mr. John Kozarich, Professor Michelle Millar, Leslie Misrock, Esq., Professor Jerry Mohrig, Dr. David Morse, Dr. Paula Olsiewski, Mr. Elliot K. Wolk and Dr. Robert Young. We look forward to a productive and energetic visit! Those unable to attend are Mr. Paul Cook, Mr. Joseph Gordon, II, Mr. Robert Wickham, and two invited guests: Mr. Kenneth Jamieson and Dr. George Thorn.
9:00-9:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
(All Meetings in Moore Room 6-321 except the two lunches)
9:30-11:00 a.m. Review of Previous Visiting Committee Recommendations
Overview of Department and Update on Chemistry Campaign 2000 by Professor Stephen J. Lippard, Department Head
11:00-11:30 a.m. Tour of Research Laboratories in Buildings, 18, 6, 4 and 2
11:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch and discussions with Senior Faculty in Norris Room 18- 490
1:30-2:30 p.m. Overview of Educational Programs
Professor Rick L. Danheiser, Associate Department Head
2:30-3:30 p.m. Meeting with Undergraduate Students
3:30-3:45 p.m. Break
3:45-4:15 p.m. Meet with Robert J. Birgeneau, Dean of Science
4:15-5:00 p.m. Meet with Postdoctoral Associates
5:00-6:00 p.m. Executive Session &endash; Committee only
6:00-6:30 p.m. Transportation to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
6:30-7:15 p.m. Cocktail Reception
American Academy of Arts and Sciences with the Visiting Committee, Department of Chemistry Faculty
7:15-8:45 p.m. Dinner- American Academy of Arts and Sciences with the Visiting Committee, Department of Chemistry Faculty
8:00-8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast in the Moore Room 6-321
8:30-10:00 a.m. Faculty Research Presentations: Sylvia Ceyer, Daniel Nocera, Richard Schrock and Larry Stern
10:00-10:15 a.m. Break
10:15-11:30 a.m. Meet with Graduate Students
11:30-12:30 p.m. Lunch and discussions with Junior Faculty in Norris Room 18-490
12:30-12:45 p.m. Break
12:45- 2:00 p.m. Executive Session
2:00-3:30 p.m. Report to Senior Administration
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Wednesday, October 7, 1998 and |
Lecture 1: "Structure and Mechanism of DNA Base Excision Glycosylases" Lecture II: " Crystal Structures of T7 DNA Polymerase: An Open and Closed Case of DNA Synthesis" |
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Tuesday, October 13, 1998 |
"Controlling the Future of Matter" |
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Wednesday, October 14, 1998 |
"Controlling the Structure and Composition of Mesoporous Materials" |
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Wednesday, October 21, 1998 |
"Chemistry and Electrochemistry of Porous Silicon Surfaces: Applications in Biosensors and Display Materials" |
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Thursday, October 22, 1998 |
Topic TBA |
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Monday, October 26, 1998 |
"Cellular Signaling with Nitric Oxide: The Nuts and Bolts" |
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Wednesday, October 28, 1998 |
"Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity Studies of Organometallic Titanium Complexes Stabilized by Aminotroponiminate Ligands" |
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Thursday, October 29, 1998 |
Topic TBA |
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Thursday, October 29, 1998 |
Topic TBA |
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Friday, October 30, 1998 |
"The Challenges of Editing the Newsmagazine of the Chemical World" |
Congratulations to Professor Rick Danheiser who has been awarded the School of Science Prize for excellence in undergraduate teaching! Rick was cited for his "enthusiastic, well-organized, and carefully planned lectures, masterful use of visual aids (including the blackboard and three-dimensional models), deep insight in and contribution to curriculum design and genuine concern for the well-being of his students." A reception was held in Dean Bob Birgeneau's office on September 29, 1998 where Rick was presented with a formal Teaching Award Certificate.
Philips Analytical, a division of Royal Philips Electronics N.V. of the Netherlands, wholly acquired a start-up company based on research at the MIT Department of Chemistry in August. The company, Active Impulse Systems, grew out of research in the laboratory of Professor Keith A. Nelson, a physical chemist in the department. Professor Nelson and two of his former Ph.D. graduate students, John A. Rogers and Matt Banet, started the company two years ago along with a fourth founder who brought a business background into the venture.
The company developed an optical metrology instrument used for measurement of metal film thicknesses in microelectronics fabrication. Measurements are made with a precision of about one angstrom, which is less than a single atomic layer. The measurement time is under one second, permitting rapid determination of film thickness uniformity, and there is no contact with or damage to the sample, which is fabricated, in an ultraclean environment. The instrument uses short laser pulses to generate ultrasonic waves in a film, and light from another laser is used to monitor the acoustic waves and determine their velocity, which depends sensitively on the film thickness.
"The measurement method was developed through the work of several outstanding students in my group over a number of years", according to Professor Nelson. "It was applied initially to polymer films whose elastic and thermal transport properties were determined, and also was used for detection of film-substrate delamination and monitoring of polymer film cure. Metal film thickness measurement was demonstrated later, and opened the door to successful commercialization. The acceptance of the measurement method in the microelectronics industry has been gratifying. Acquisition by Philips, with its strong reputation in the semiconductor metrology area and its worldwide sales and service infrastructure, ensures effective transfer of this technology from MIT throughout the microelectronics industry." Professor Nelson expects to stay involved with the company and intends to "push for aggressive development of new technology to remain a few years ahead of the field."
Please join women chemists for an informal gathering on Wednesday, October 7th at noon in the Amdur Room (6-233). The discussion will be with ombudspersons Mary Rowe and Toni Robinson. We provide dessert and you bring your lunch. Questions please contact: Dana (dana@masamune.mit.edu x3-1854) or Jane (jrbrock@mit.edu x3-0738)
Dean & Company is seeking Ph.D. candidates for positions as management consultants. We will be holding an informational presentation about the opportunities for graduate students at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 13 at the Cambridge Marriott. Dean & Company is a strategy consulting firm based in the Washington DC area and provides advice to Fortune 200 clients across a wide variety of industry sectors. We will give serious consideration to Ph.D. candidates with exceptional problem solving ability, excellent communication skills, and an interest in developing solutions to complex business problems. We are not seeking candidates with a specific industry expertise or thesis topic. More information about the firm can be found at our website (http://www.dean.com) and in our informational binder at Undergraduate Career Services.
Call Ed Udas at 253-4505 or stop by room 6-026 if students, faculty, or staff need help in organizing their MIT space.
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.
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.
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.: Seeks applicants for organic and inorganic positions for fall of 1999. Send all materials to appropriate search: organic or inorganic, Dept. of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Box 571227, Washington, D.C. 20057-1227, check their website at:
http://www. georgetown.edu/departments/chemistry/chemistry.html
North Dakota State University: Tenure-track position will open in August of 1999 in inorganic chemistry. Please send materials to: Professor Philip Boudjouk, Chair, Inorganic Search Committee, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 580105-5516, phone is (701) 231-8601, email: boudjouk@plains.nodak.edu Review of applications begins on November 13th.
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY: Has openings for any fields of chemistry or chemistry/biology. Send applications to: Chair, Faculty Search Committee, Dept. of Chemistry & Chem. Biology, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1301.
Boston University, Boston, MA: Invitation to those in all areas of chemistry for assistant professor for fall of 1999. Send materials and contact: Professor Tom Tullius, Chairman, Dept. of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI: Three positions for the summer of 1999 in the areas of: biological, organic, materials or molecular chemistry. Send materials to: Professor Louis J. Romano, Associate Chair, 123 Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202-3489.
Emory University, Atlanta, GA: Seeks applicants for organic chemistry faculty for fall of 1999. Send packets to: Chair, Search Committee, Dept. of Chemistry, 1515 Pierce Drive, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, email: ljsmith@emory.edu and also check their website at: http://www.emory.edu/HR/jobseop.html.
University of Kansas: Post Doctoral Position in Synthetic Chemistry. A postdoctoral position is available in an on-going program that involves molecular design, synthesis, characterization and evaluation of new transition metal compounds for catalysis. The work is industrially sponsored and involves close collaboration between industrial and academic researchers. The academic group involves specialists in synthesis, catalysis, and physical inorganic chemistry. The successful candidate for the present opening will enjoy an exceptional experience working in this collaborative environment. The new position requires a researcher with strong abilities and experience in the synthesis of organic molecules and transition metal complexes. Preference will be given to candidates who also have experience with catalysis. Applications may be sent by mail to D.H. Busch, Chemistry Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, by e-mail dbusch@eureka.chem.ukans.edu, or by fax at 785-864-5747.
Academia Sinica, Taiwan, Postdocotroal position chemical dynamics group, Chemistry, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences. A post doctoral position is open in the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, ROC. The primary mission of the candidate is to investigate chemical dynamics of CN and C2H reactions with unsaturated hydrocarbons relevant to the chemistry in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan employing crossed molecular beams experiments. The results of these investigations are expected to play a significant role to understand data of the Cassini probe - a Saturn bound spacecraft analyzing Titan's atmosphere. Pertinacious energetic candidates should send inquiries to Dr. Ralf I. Kaiser, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, 1 Section 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106, Taiwan, ROC.Tel:886-2-23645370;Fax:886-2-23620200; email:kaiser@po.iams.sinica.edu.tw. http://po.iams.sinica.edu.tw/~kaiser.