Chemformation

The Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 18, Number 4

Friday, February 22, 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 Professors Peter H. Seeberger and Andrei Tokmakoff who have recently been selected as Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellows.

DCIF: The DCIF will soon be acquiring a second probe for the Bruker Avance 600 MHz NMR spectrometer. This probe will benefit those interested in performing high-sensitivity NMR measurements of carbon-13 and other broadband nuclei.

BIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL EDUCATION : (held at Western Washington University, July 28 to August 1, 2002), A series of sessions focusing on green chemistry and its role in chemical education. The three symposia and one poster session focusing on green chemistry are described below. There will also be a hands-on workshop focusing on green organic chemistry experiments. Abstracts are being accepted for the symposium and poster session titled "Green Chemistry in Action." Educators who have incorporated green chemistry into their curriculum are encouraged to submit abstracts. To learn more about the conference visit: http://chem.wwu.edu/acs/bcce/index.html. Abstract Deadline is February 26, 2002.

For information on how to submit an abstract visit: http://chem.wwu.edu/acs/bcce/index.html. Green chemistry is the design, development, and implementation of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of substances hazardous to human health and the environment. Chemistry is a rapidly evolving discipline and societal pressures and economic incentives are demanding that chemists develop new ways to carry out vital chemical processes using environmentally benign ("green") methods. By incorporating green chemical principles into the chemistry curriculum, educators have the opportunity to transform student perceptions about the role chemistry plays in our society and to prepare future scientists, educators and policy makers to address the national need to discover and develop sustainable chemistry for the future.

I. (Symposium) "Green Chemistry and Its Role in Chemical Education" (Invited speakers only) Sunday afternoon, July 28. Organizer: Dr. Mary Kirchhoff; Co-organizers: Dr. Julie Haack and Dr. Jim Hutchison. This three-part symposium aims to introduce the principles of green chemistry and provide some tools for implementing green chemistry in the undergraduate curriculum. In part one, we will define green chemistry and provide examples that illustrate the importance of green chemistry in society, the chemical industry and education.

II. (Symposium) "Resources in Green Chemistry Education" (Invited speakers only) Monday morning, July 29. Organizer: Dr. Ken Doxsee; Co-organizers: Dr. Mary Kirchhoff and Dr. Julie Haack.

The rapid adoption of green chemistry into our curricula is essential to address the challenges of resource depletion and environmental impact due to the chemical enterprise. Part two of this three-part symposium will provide educators with the information and tools needed to effectively integrate green chemistry into their curriculum.

III. (Symposium) "Green Chemistry in Action" (Abstracts are being solicited for this symposium). Monday afternoon, July 29. Organizer: Dr. Julie Haack; Co-organizers: Dr. Mary Kirchhoff and Dr. Jim Hutchison.

The final part of this three-part symposium will provide practical examples of the incorporation of green chemistry in diverse teaching environments.

IV. (Poster Session) "Green Chemistry in Action" (Abstracts are being solicited for this poster session). Organizer: Dr. Mary Kirchhoff; Co-organizers: Dr. Julie Haack and Dr. Jim Hutchison.

This poster session is part of a three-part symposium and will present practical examples of the incorporation of green chemistry in diverse teaching environments.

For more information, contact Julie Haack, (jhaack@oregon.uoregon.edu) or one of the co-organizers directly. Phone: (541) 346-4604 Fax: (541) 346-4643

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.

FELLOWSHIP AND AWARDS OPPORTUNITIES

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY: Announces the Goldhaber Postdoc Fellowships. PDF

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.

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.

University of Southern California: Announces the NSF/REU summer undergraduate research program. The ten-week program is an opportunity for students to conduct research in residence in the Chemistry Department. Housing, meals, medical coverage, and travel costs are covered by the Department, and students will also receive a $3,000 stipend. Sophomores and juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply online by visiting http://chem.usc.edu/undergraduate/reu_prog.html.

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

* Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gessellschaft and The Pennsylvania State University A Ph.D. and a postdoc position is available in a joint project of the Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (Matthias Scheffler, http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/th.html) and The Pennsylvania State University (Henry C. Foley, http://fenske.che.psu.edu/Faculty/Foley/index.html and Kristen Fichthorn, http://fenske.che.psu.edu/Faculty/Fichthorn/index.html). Theme: The role of nano-porous carbon in dehydrogenation and oxidation catalysis.

Project summary: This is a highly interdisciplinary project involving, e.g. extensive density-functional theory calculations and Statistical Mechanics simulations (with DFT derived parameters). The catalytic production of styrene is one of the most important processes in chemical industry (a key process for making most plastics). Recently it could be shown that the typically employed iron-oxide catalyst is in fact not the active material, but the true catalysis is formed during the induction period: The material that is actually doing the catalysis apparently is "nano porous carbon". This consists of strained and twisted graphite sheets that have a lot of defects (in particular five-fold rings). http://www.fhi berlin.mpg.de/th/Slides/Scheffler_transparencies_pdf/npc-2002.pdf summarizes some aspects of recent work.

* Western Washington University: Full-time teaching/research postdoctoral position in chemistry. This position is funded by a Camille & Henry Dreyfus Scholar/Fellow Award. For program details see: http://www.dreyfus.org/sf.shtml. Initial appointment is for 12 months with possibility for renewal for an additional 12 months. Preferred starting date: summer 2002, exact starting date negotiable. Salary: $35,000.

* University of Colorado: Several postdoctoral research positions are currently available in the area of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) in the research group of Professor Steven George at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The positions are as follows:

1) In situ probing of surface chemistry and thin film growth during ALD in a viscous flow reactor. Project will utilize various in situ probes, such as quartz crystal microbalance and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, to monitor surface chemistry and thin film growth during ALD. Initial studies will concentrate on catalytic SiO2 ALD.
2) Surface chemistry during ALD on particles. Project will utilize Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to monitor surface chemistry during ALD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to measure the conformality and structure of ALD films on the particles. Initial studies will concentrate on MgO ALD on BaTiO3 particles and Al2O3 ALD on polymer particles.
3) Applications of ALD in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Project will focus on the use of ALD to deposit conformal protective and tribological films on MEMS devices to improve MEMS reliability. This project is in collaboration with Prof. Y.C. Lee's group in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Please email Steven.George@Colorado.Edu if you have any questions or to apply for these postdoctoral research positions.

* 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

Great apartment for Rent in heart of Coolidge Corner, Brookline!!!

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