Chemformation

The Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 18, Number 3

Friday, February 8, 2002

Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Liz McGrath, Room T18-390, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-4080; 617/258-7500 (fax) or e-mail to emg@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/.

Upcoming Seminars and Lectures

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONGRATULATIONS to Professor Tim Jamison who has recently been awarded the Boehringer-Ingelheim New Investigator Award for 2002.

RESERVE THE DATE!!

Saturday, August 17, 2002

The Chemistry Department will host an afternoon celebration/dedication of Building 18 phase 1 laboratories and the completion of the renovated laboratory space in the main group buildings, namely, Buildings 2, 4 and 6.

CONFERENCE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE: The 2002 Conference on Infectious Disease is the sixth annual international symposium organized by the Hippocratic Society. The two-day Harvard-MIT Conference on Biotechnology will be held at Harvard University on March 9-10 and will feature a series of Keynote and Featured speakers, Panel Discussions, Case Studies, and Expert Seminars. Organized by the MIT and Harvard Hippocratic Societies, the Conference highlights the need that current and future leaders in medicine must appreciate the implications that developments in infectious disease have on other fields. The conference aspires to illustrate that a multidisciplinary analysis leads to better understanding of medicine and health policy.

ANNUAL TAX INFORMATION WORKSHOP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

WHO ARE US CITIZENS AND PERMANENT RESIDENTS

Friday, February 22, 2-002

Room 4-370

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 and TA’s. Federal and State forms will be available in the lobby of 4-370 before, during and immediately following the workshop. There will be a separate tax workshop for International Students. Please contact: Maria Brennan, International Students Office, 253-3795, Room 5-133 for further information.

DREYFUS CHEMISTRY LABORATORIES RENOVATION PROJECT

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY
Move-in day finally arrived for the Lippard and Imperiali groups in January. Both groups partially moved into their permanent Phase 1 labs. The Stubbe group moved into swing space in the 4^th floor north lab. These moves allowed work to begin on the border areas between Phases 1 and 2. Work on the 2^nd floor south end office area is also in full swing.

LOCALIZED ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWNS
A series of localized electrical shutdowns affecting the existing Phase 2, Phase 3 and North end labs are scheduled to begin on Monday February 10, 2002.

Monday 2/1 -- Basement & Subbasement
Tuesday 2/11 -- 5^th Floor & 4^th Floor X-ray Lab Emergency Only
Wednesday 2/12 -- 4^th Floor
Thursday 2/13 -- 3^rd Floor
Friday 2/14 -- 1^st and 2nd Floor

These outages are required to complete work on the new electrical distribution system. Please connect any critical laboratory equipment / instrument via extension chords into the wall mounted outlets in the East Corridor. All outages are scheduled to 7 AM to 9 AM.

EAST CORRIDOR -- PHASE 2-3 AREA
A trash chute and exterior window access doors have been installed on all floors in the East corridor in the Phase 2 -- 3 boundary. This chute will be used to facilitate the removal of debris from the demolition of the remaining old labs. Window access doors will be used to bring construction materials, new fume hoods and lab furniture into the Phase 2 area. Construction activity will be taking place between 6 AM and 2 PM Monday through Friday. Dust barriers will be erected at the East corridor lab doors on all floors in the Phase 3 area, please minimize the use of the remaining East corridor during construction hours.

CIRCLE 1 BIO-PHARMACEUTICAL AND HEALTH CARE CAREER FAIR - See PDF.

CGSC (CHEMISTRY GRADUATE STUDENT COMMITTEE) NEWS

The CGSC would love to hear from graduate students in the department. Please refer to our website at http://web.mit.edu/diff/www/chemgrad/ to find out what we do or email us directly at cgsc-board@mit.edu.

1) The next TGIF will be held on Friday Feb 15th at 5:30 p.m. in the Moore room (6-321).

2) The next Biochemistry Journal Club will be held on MONDAY Feb 18th at 12:00 Noon. Please note change in day and time!! The paper to be discussed will be announced at a later time. For more information contact Hector Hernandez (hectorh@mit.edu).

3) The next Physical Chemistry Graduate Student Seminar will be on Feb 22nd at 5:00 p.m. in room 4-237. The speaker will be Bruce Yu (Swager Lab) and the title of his talk will be "Molecular Actuators: A New Approach toward Actuating Materials and Sensors." For more information, contact Dave Lahr (lahr@mit.edu).

FELLOWSHIP AND AWARDS OPPORTUNITIES

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND COOPERATION: The Center for International Security and Cooperation is a multidisciplinary community dedicated to research and training in issues of international security. CISAC’s Science Program offers fellowships for scientists and engineers to explore the policy dimensions of a research topic of their choosing in an interdisciplinary environment. Fellowships are available for postdoctoral fellows and mid-career professionals. Stipends are awarded for an eleven-month period and are determined on a case-by-case basis commensurate with experience. Deadline for applications is February 15, 2002. More information is available in Chemistry Headquarters.

BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND CAREER AWARDS AT THE SCIENTIFIC INTERFACE The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has announced the call for nominations for the Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI) program. These awards are intended to foster the early career development of postdoctoral scientists with backgrounds in the physical/computational sciences whose work addresses biological questions and who are dedicated to pursuing a career in academic research. Applicants are expected to draw on their training in a scientific field other than biology in proposing innovative approaches to answer important questions in the biological sciences. These awards provide up to $500,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of a faculty appointment. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry (physical, theoretical, or computational), computer science, statistics, or engineering. Deadline for applications Thursday, March 14, 2002. More information on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD-NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH SCHOLARS IN THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES PROGAM: The National Institutes of Health-University of Oxford Scholars in Biomedical Science interdisciplinary program is specially devoted to the training of outstanding students in various areas of biomedical research leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree awarded by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Being a collaborative program between the NIH laboratories and University of Oxford, students are provided with the opportunity to work at both institutions. Student research projects will be co-mentored by a research investigator at NIH and a faculty member at University of Oxford who work together on a collaborative project in which students carry out research. It is envisioned that students will spend roughly half of their time at Oxford and half their time at NIH, though the specific division of time will be dictated by the nature of the research. Students will receive a stipend of $18,500 per year, travel expenses and all tuition and fees while at the University of Oxford. Up to three individuals will be awarded scholarships to begin in September 2001. Application packages must be returned by March 15, 2001. More details on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

THE CORNING INCORPORATED FOUNDATION SCIENCE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM: will offer a grant of up to $27,500 in support of a fellowship for pre-doctoral study and research in specific disciplines. This award is to be used toward tuition and a stipend. The foundation will pay all grants in two installments the first installment payable before August 30, 2002. Deadline April 1, 2002. Please see Liz McGrath in Chemistry Headquarters for application details.

WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION: The Sea Grant Program is now accepting applications for the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program, a one-year program open to any student enrolled in a graduate or professional program in marine-related studies. The deadline for applications is April 9, 2002.

INTERNATIONAL PRECIOUS METALS INSTITUTE: is accepting nominations form faculty members for its 2002 Student award Program. The Awards will be made to students who have started or plan to do research or development projects in the field of precious metals and will not have graduated before June 2003. The IPMI Graduate Student Award, sponsored by Gemini Industries, Inc. is $5,000. There is also be five IPMI Student Awards for 2002 in the amount of $3,000 each for undergraduate or graduate students. Each recipient will be provided complimentary registration to the IPMI 26^th Annual Conference to be held in Miami, Florida, June 15-18, 2002 and up to $1,000 in travel expenses. More information may be obtained from Chemistry Headquarters.

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences offers awards for postdoctoral scientists and engineers at participating federal laboratories. These awards provide generous stipends (ranging from $34,000 - $61,000, depending on the laboratory), and the opportunity to conduct independent research in some of the best-equipped and staffed laboratories in the country. For detailed information and application materials, prospective applicants should visit the NRC Research Associateship Programs Web site at: http://www.national-academies.org/rap. Faculty may also be interested in the NRC Senior Associateship Programs, which include both sabbatical and summer faculty opportunities. There are three application review cycles each year, with postmark deadline dates of April 15 and August 15. Applicants should begin a dialog with prospective Advisers at the laboratory as early as possible before the application deadline. More information on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

NATIONAL DEFENSE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS: As a means of increasing the number of U.S. citizens trained in disciplines of science and engineering of military importance, the Department of Defense plans to award approximately 200 new three-year graduate fellowships in April 2002. National Defense Science and Engineering Application information on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

MORSE TRAVEL GRANTS
for
GRADUATE STUDENTS

The Chemistry Department has recently received a grant from the Morse family to help support the travel of several graduate students to attend and present a paper at a National conference or meeting.

Anyone interested in applying should send a brief letter to Professor Stephen J. Lippard, Head of the Department of Chemistry, indicating which conference or meeting he/she would like to attend and the topic of his/her presentation. An accompanying endorsement letter from the faculty advisor is also required. A budget must be submitted that lists the total costs, assuming that the Morse travel grant contributes $1,000 towards the total. Support from another travel grant source, fellowships, trainee program, the faculty sponsor, and/or personal funds should be identified to indicate how the total amount required to attend the meeting/conference will be met.

Requests for calendar year 2002 are now being considered.

CHEMISTRY OUTREACH PROGRAM

Consider participating in this year’s MIT Chemistry Outreach Program. It’s great fun, requires very little time, and provides an excellent opportunity to get young people excited about chemistry. The MIT Chemistry Outreach Program was founded by grad students James Nowick and Ron Brisbois in 1987 and has been presented to over 30,000 New England area high school students during the past 13 years. The whole program is organized and run by MIT chemistry grad students. The outreach presentations feature dramatic chemistry demonstrations which we have perfected over the years, and also include lots of discussion of the importance and relevance of chemistry in everyday life. In addition, an important part of our agenda has always been to interest more students to pursue careers in science (and chemistry in particular). The high school students are always surprised to find that chemistry grad students don’t at all resemble stereotypical scientists like "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in the Back to the Future movies, and they are fascinated by the personal reminiscences of our grad students as they describe their own background and aspirations. Participants are expected to make a minimum of one, maximum of three outreach presentations, each requiring a commitment of only one-half day. Scheduling of visits to the high schools is quite flexible and many visits take place in late May and June after MIT classes have ended. All expenses are covered by the program, including a rental car if needed. More info on file in Chemistry HQ.

SUMMER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Information on all positions on file in Chemistry Headquarters

The Department of Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University is pleased to announce summer research opportunities in chemistry and chemical engineering for undergraduate students. The program will couple research experiences in graduate research laboratories with a program of tutorials and seminars designed to provide perspectives on career issues in the chemical sciences. Participating students will receive a stipend of $3000, and will be provided with dormitory accommodations, a $500 meal plan and health services. Some assistance with travel to Richmond is also available. Further information can be found at http://www.people.vcu.edu/~sruder/reuhome.htm.

The Center for Micro-Engineered Materials at the University of New Mexico will be a site for the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates Program. Applications from undergraduate students in their sophomore through senior years majoring in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or Ceramics are sought. The students will spend 10 weeks on campus from May 28 to August 2, 2002 and will receive a stipend of $3,800 and a travel allowance up to $500. Further information can be found at http//www.unm.edu/~cmem/reu.html.

Maryland Sea Grant College Summer Undergraduate Fellowships in Estuarine Science: The College will offer up to fourteen undergraduate students who have completed at lest two years of study towards a bachelor's degree and are still undergraduates in the fall of 2002 the opportunity to work with university scientists on major marine research programs that focus on the Chesapeake Bay. The Maryland Sea Grant program will provide each fellow with a stipend of $3,600, dormitory costs and round-trip travel expenses. More information can be found at www.mdsg.umd.edu/education/reu.

Faculty Positions

Information on all positions on file in Chemistry Headquarters

* University of Windsor: invites applications for a tenure-track position in Chemistry and Biochemistry in the area of Organic Chemistry at an open rank commencing as early as July 1, 2002.

* Bowdoin College: The Chemistry Department seeks applicants in Physical Chemistry of Biophysical Chemistry for a one-year appointment with the strong possibility of renewal for a second year, beginning August 2002.

* Skidmore College: invites applications for a one-year sabbatical replacement position in Organic Chemistry commencing September 1, 2002.

Postdoctoral Positions

Information on all positions on file in Chemistry Headquarters

* Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory: Dr. Miquel Salmeron's group has several postdoctoral positions open:

• Use of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Surface Forces Apparatus and Sum Frequency Generation spectroscopy to study force, friction and adhesion measurements at the molecular scale. Molecular structure of materials under extreme confinement.
• Application of high frequency voltage modulation in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for dielectric spectroscopy studies of surfaces with nanometer resolution. Application to studies of soft organic matter, liquid films and surfaces. The candidate should have knowledge of radio frequency techniques (or with a good disposition and will to learn).
• Manipulation of single atoms and molecules using low temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). Structure, diffusion and reactions on metal surfaces. Vibrational and electronic spectroscopy with atomic resolution

  For more information on these and other group activities please consult the web page: http://stm.lbl.gov

* OakRidge National Laboratory: is seeking qualified persons to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship position at the laboratory in synthetic organic chemistry. The successful candidate will conduct organic synthesis of macrocyclic ionophores in support of molecular recognition research.

* University of Rochester: Postdoctoral research position in synthetic inorganic chemistry. This person will expand upon the bioinorganic modeling studies communicated in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, p. 9222. This is part of a research program in bio-organometallic chemistry and very low-coordinate complexes of the late first-row transition metals. This area is ideal for (a) an organometallic chemist who wants to learn more about biochemistry and spectroscopy or (b) a bioinorganic chemist who wants to work with especially exciting model compounds. The ideal candidate will have experience in synthesis (preferably with air-sensitive compounds), and an interest in understanding the mechanism of enzymes through synthetic work.

* California Institute of Technology : has opportunities at the Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (LMS) at Caltech for the appointment of new postdoctoral scholars. The goal of the LMS is to conduct multidisciplinary research on fundamental processes in complex molecular systems. The areas of interest are diverse:

• Solvation and Weak interactions
• Excited state dynamics
• Electrocatalysts and interfaces
• Time-resolved studies of biological systems
• Neuronal receptor proteins
• Electron and energy transfer in molecular assemblies

Other Job Listings

Information on all positions is on file in Chemistry Headquarters

* 3M Pharmaceuticals, St. Paul, Minnesota: currently seeks individuals ranging from soon to graduate Bachelor, to well-seasoned Ph.D.'s for the following fields:

- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Medical Operations
- Analytical R&D
- Pathology & Toxicology
- Pharmacology
- Pharmacokinetics
- Regulatory Affairs
- Research Administration
- Chemistry
- Genomics-Proteomics
- Drug Surveillance and Information
- Business Development

* A San Diego recruiter has the following positions:

- Chemistry Research Associates x 2, San Diego
- Director In Vivo Pharmacology, San Diego
- Pharmaco-Informatics Product Manager, Anywhere in the States
- Product Manager, San Diego
- Business Development Manager, Massachusetts
- Project Leaders (Scientists, Senior Scientists or Managers), Kingston, Ontario and Toronto, Canada

* Pfizer Global Research and Development : seeks BS and MS graduates with strong scientific competency in biology, chemistry, engineering and/or pharmaceutical sciences . Details for several positions held on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

* Prime Organics, Inc. Lowell, MA. (http://primeorg.com) has an opening for B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. level chemists, full time or part time positions. E-mail your resume to info@primeorg.com. Prime Organics provides custom synthesis, contract R&D and manufacturing.

DEPARTMENTAL SERVICES

Glass Blowing Services: 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 4-064 or call Ed Udas at 3-4505. Bob will do the work on a first-come, first-served basis.

Get Organized! Call Ed Udas at 253-4505 or stop by room 4-065 if students, faculty, or staff need help in organizing their MIT space.

CLASSIFIEDS

To place an advertisement: email Liz McGrath, emg@mit.edu

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Copyright © 2001 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Comments and questions to lhowe@mit.edu