BUDGET & FINANCE

The Society Committee on Budget & Finance met on Saturday, March 22, and elected Judith Benham as vice chair. The committee reviewed the budgetary performance report for the year 2002 and the financial impact statement for one petition for action. The decline in the capital markets and falling interest rates have resulted in investment losses and an erosion of the financial position of the society's pension plan. These factors have lowered the society's fund balance ratio to 38%, which is slightly below the lower limit of the 40 to 60% targeted range. The society was in compliance with all other board-established financial guidelines at year-end. After receiving a presentation from staff on the calculations and assumptions used in deriving the escalated dues, the committee voted to recommend to council approval of the 2004 fully escalated dues rate of $120.--JAMES D. BURKE, CHAIR

EDUCATION

Plans were finalized to hold an invitational conference in June titled "Exploring the Molecular Vision" in response to Immediate Past-President Eli M. Pearce's challenge to reinvent chemistry education. Guidance for precollege teacher preparation developed by the Society Committee on Education (SOCED) will be published on http://chemistry.org. SOCED voted to support the development of an ACS policy statement on the impacts of increased government scrutiny of the visa applications of foreign students, scientists, and engineers. SOCED voted to recommend to the board of directors that it delay any action to revise the previously approved meeting registration fee schedule for students until SOCED has been consulted. SOCED will work with the Committee on Minority Affairs to find appropriate and effective opportunities to raise awareness on issues related to students' transition from two- to four-year colleges. SOCED members will recommend ACS members from underrepresented minority groups for potential committee membership. The committee heard reports on the Education & International Activities Division's activities, including evaluation metrics, a study of chemistry programs at two-year colleges, graduate education, and K—8 programs.--DARYLE H. BUSCH, CHAIR

Board Committee Reports

STANDING COMMITTEES GRANTS & AWARDS

The Board Committee on Grants & Awards (G&A) voted to accept the recommendations of the ACS Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF) Advisory Board for funding grants totaling more than $7.0 million, contingent upon the determination that the distribution from ACS-PRF is sufficient to allow for such funding. G&A also voted to accept the recommendations of the ACS-PRF Advisory Board for funding Alternative Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship and Undergraduate Faculty Sabbatical grants totaling $1.2 million.

G&A voted to accept the recommendations of the Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) Governing Board for funding for two grants totaling $84,500 from the GCI/ACS-PRF Programming Initiative allocation.

A new subcommittee was formed to develop criteria and procedures for considering the endowment of new awards.

Contact Lawrence Funke at L_Funke@acs.org for more information about the ACS-PRF Program or Michael Shea at m_shea@acs.org for more information concerning the ACS National Awards Program.--STANLEY C. ISRAEL, CHAIR

PROFESSIONAL & MEMBER RELATIONS

The committee discussed its 2003 goals and objectives. The committee agreed to focus its efforts this year on three major areas:

• The B.S./M.S. chemical professional (including interdisciplinary groups): Meet with pertinent committees to discuss their current offerings for this membership segment and, with appropriate committees, review admissions requirements for society membership.
• Communication: Meet with chairs of pertinent councils and other committees to discuss issues and facilitation; review the chemistry.org website from the point of view of B.S. chemists and potential new members; a C&EN comment; and resource for the board of directors, especially vis-à-vis members and planning.
• Strategic Plan Input: Investigate the establishment of a Development Program activity and its inclusion in the ACS 2003—06 strategic planning process.

In addition, the committee reviewed its current charge and voted to amend its charge to focus on advancing the members' professional and economic interests and stature, rather than only increasing those areas, as well as reviewing and advising on the services that ACS provides to its members, instead of only adding to those services.

The committee reviewed a request for nominal cosponsorship from the chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee representing the International Conference of Computational Methods in Science & Engineering. The committee voted to recommend that the ACS Board of Directors approve nominal cosponsorship of the International Conference of Computational Methods in Science & Engineering, Sept. 12—16, in Kastoria, Greece, contingent upon concurrence of the ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry.

The committee reviewed the 2002 year-end membership statistics. At the end of 2002, the total society membership number was 161,144. That represented a 1.4% decrease in membership from year-end 2001. There was a slight decrease in the overall retention rate. Much of the decline in the overall membership number and the retention rate is attributed to the less than favorable financial climate for the chemical enterprise.--ANNE T. O'BRIEN, CHAIR

PUBLIC AFFAIRS & PUBLIC RELATIONS

The Committee on Public Affairs & Public Relations discussed the growing number of concerns from ACS members regarding the increasing delays and denials of visas to foreign scientists and engineers. The committee agreed that timely action was warranted and asked that the Office of Legislative & Government Affairs work with SOCED and the International Activities Committee (IAC) on a draft statement.

The committee considered a nomination from the National Historic Chemical Landmarks Committee to designate the Polymer Research Institute as a National Historic Chemical Landmark for its notable achievements in the science of polymers. The committee voted to recommend approval by the board of directors of this designation, which will be held in New York City in September in connection with the ACS national meeting. The committee also previewed a test multimedia presentation developed by the ACS Committee on Public Relations & Communications (CPRC) to help ACS members communicate more effectively with young people, based on recent opinion research. The committee agreed that the board should commend CPRC for its work on the multimedia presentation.

The committee discussed the issue of scientific openness, specifically scientific publishing and security, and recent government efforts in this area. Given the importance and complexity of this issue--and the significant number of ACS units affected--the committee voted to recommend that the ACS Board appoint a task force made up of appropriate governance members and other ACS experts to evaluate and recommend ACS action in this area.

Following a presentation and discussion on the ACS policy fellowships program, the committee considered a request from the State Department to support a new Science & Diplomacy Fellow. The committee voted to support the concept of this new fellowship. The committee also instructed staff to explore options to fund the proposal at no direct cost to the society.--JAMES P. SHOFFNER, CHAIR

Other Committees

CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS SERVICE (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

The committee met in executive session on March 21 and in open session with the Joint Board-Council Committee on Publications and the Division of Chemical Information on March 24.

The committee heard from CAS management on a range of issues including database improvements, products and services news, and a general performance update. CAS met or exceeded all financial targets in 2002; electronic revenues again grew at a double-digit rate.

The "most requested" article and journals of 2002 were identified by CAS Science Spotlight, the first real-time, real-usage rating system for scientific publications. Details of the honors, including most requested journals, were shared with committee members. Those honored included ACS Publications, whose journals published the greatest number of most requested articles.

The committee discussed its duties as well as possible future CAS website improvements. Also discussed were suggested agenda topics for the fall meeting.--GARY D. WIGGINS, CHAIR

CHEMICAL SAFETY (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

The seventh edition of Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories (SACL), the flagship publication of the Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS), is now available. This edition has two volumes, one for faculty and administrators and one for students. In addition, a student "pocket guide" is under preparation for publication in 2003. With this latest edition of SACL, CCS has now produced new safety booklets within the past two years for all academic levels: Safety in the Elementary (K—6) Science Classroom; Chemical Safety for Teachers and Their Supervisors, Grades 7—12; and SACL. All of these publications may be ordered from ACS [(800) 227-5558; single copies are free] and may be viewed in PDF on the committee website, http://chemistry.org/committees/ccs.

A booklet on managing mercury spills, developed in conjunction with the Task Force on Environmental Health & Safety, is in the final stages of preparation and will be available in 2003. Revision of the Chemical Safety Manual for Small Businesses is under way, with publication planned in 2004. The committee agreed to cosponsor a Presidential Symposium, "Issues on Homeland Security--What Can Chemists Do?" on Sept. 11 at the ACS national meeting in New York City.--KENNETH P. FIVIZZANI, CHAIR

CHEMISTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Committee on Chemists with Disabilities (CWD) continues to revise its strategic plan. The amended mission statement will now read: "The committee will promote educational and professional opportunities in the chemical sciences and in fields requiring a knowledge of chemistry for persons with disabilities. The committee will champion the capabilities of those persons to educators, employers, and peers." The amended vision is "The committee envisions a time when all individuals, including those with disabilities, will advance the chemical enterprise by drawing on the full range of their talents."

The first recipient of a CWD Travel Grant presented her paper at the New Orleans meeting. The committee continues to seek new ways to attract recipients for this award. CWD voted to sponsor a ChemLuminary Award that will be presented for the first time at the fall meeting in 2004. Information about the criteria will be available at the New York City meeting. CWD continues to receive inquiries from individuals regarding opportunities for those with disabilities. As inquiries are received, they will be forwarded to the committee and those with appropriate expertise and information will respond to the CWD mailbox. All requests will receive a response. Finally, in anticipation of the 25th anniversary of the committee in 2005, a history of the committee will be compiled.--JUDITH A. SUMMERS-GATES, CHAIR

CORPORATION ASSOCIATES

The Committee on Corporation Associates (CCA) met on Sunday, March 23, and received reports from its Subcommittees on Awards, Education, Finance & Grants, Industrial Membership, Programs, and Public Policy. Its subcommittees will continue to review CCA's sponsored awards for creative invention and team innovation, strengthen relations with targeted ACS groups and committees, support the strategic goal of enhancing connections between industry and academe by reviewing and presenting specific graduate programs, develop activities to address the issue of diversity in the chemical industry, and present expert analyses of niche markets that impact and influence the chemical industry.

CCA received a report from Paul Semenza, executive vice president of Stanford Resources, who presented an overview of the electronic display technology market. CCA also heard from Elsa Reichmanis, ACS president, who commented on her goals as president and her outreach to industry. Reports were also received from Sam Stevenson and Don Jones (ChemTechLinks), Tamara Nameroff (Green Chemistry Products), and Frankie Wood-Black (PROGRESS Overview).

Five ACS divisions received support for a total of five symposia through the CA Grants for Industrial Programming. As the grant program was well received but not achieving its stated mission, CCA voted to end the program after this year. The subcommittee voted to implement a new program wherein CA will sponsor a dinner meeting and invite an eminent scientist or business leader to present their research or market area and share with CA their estimates for the future of the area. The purpose of this program is to institute a new program to add value to CA membership and to encourage CA member company awareness, participation, and membership. The program will coincide with the ACS national meetings.--ROBERT J. CORAOR, CHAIR

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

At its meeting in New Orleans and at the previous day's strategic planning session, the Committee on Environmental Improvement (CEI) focused its efforts on "protecting the environment by making ACS a change agent for achieving sustainability in the chemical enterprise." The committee will measure its activities by how well they address this challenge and by their potential impact on the issue. The primary objectives are to encourage application of green chemistry and green engineering principles to chemical and allied products industries; to define sustainability in the chemical enterprise in a position paper; to identify incentives and barriers to its adoption; to develop and apply assessment techniques and standards; to encourage ACS members to take an active role in developing sustainable products, processes, and metrics; to encourage the use of science and the precautionary perspective in policies affecting important environmental issues; and to encourage the inclusion of green chemistry, sustainability, and other environmental content in chemical education.

Specific short- and long-term projects are being developed in these areas.

CEI and an ACS/AIChE working group reviewed a draft paper by ACS Science Fellow Michael Eichberg on the precautionary perspective. A final white paper and policy paper is expected by the New York ACS meeting.

In other actions, CEI voted to consult with the National Science & Technology Council and, if appropriate, develop a scientific paper on air particulate matter issues to share with the council. CEI voted to recognize volunteers participating in Earth Day 2003 pilot projects by cohosting a small reception with the Task Force on National Chemistry Week at the fall 2003 meeting.--JURGEN EXNER, CHAIR

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

The committee received reports from its Subcommittees on International Outreach/Developing Countries, Inter-Society Communications & Meetings, Scientific Freedom & Human Rights, and International Policy Issues. The four subcommittees have developed proposals for new projects in light of the society's strategic plan. Projects included a seminar in Latin America on environmental/green chemistry; a letter to the Chinese government on behalf of 23 imprisoned Chinese scientists and educators, the Global Instrument Partners program to help researchers in Latin America to identify U.S. volunteer partners for analytical chemistry collaboration, an exchange lectureship with the Italian Chemical Society, NSF-supported visits to U.S. laboratories by African chemists, and a proposal to invite two of the five membership agreement partner countries to participate in a symposium on international younger chemists issues. The International Initiatives program continues to support highly effective exchanges of scientists from Latin America and Central Europe. The NSF-sponsored program to enhance U.S.-Brazil research collaborations is continuing. A third German-American Symposium on the Frontiers of Chemistry is planned for 2004 in Germany. Reports were presented on society participation in the meeting of the Federacion Latinoamericana de Asociaciones de Química (FLAQ), visits by Chinese scientists to Pittcon 2003, and Project Bookshare. The committee will continue to monitor events involving chemical scientists in Cuba. A petition to form an International Chemical Sciences Chapter in Hungary was recommended for approval by the ACS Board of Directors and Council.--WILLIAM F. CARROLL JR., CHAIR

MINORITY AFFAIRS (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

The committee celebrated its 10th anniversary at the New Orleans meeting with a series of special events focusing on the theme "Celebrating Success and Reaffirming Commitment." These events included a commemorative luncheon, a symposium highlighting the history and future direction of the committee's activities, and a reception/poster session of Project SEED students and ACS Scholars.

The Scholars Program, now in its eighth year, received authorization from the board of directors to continue awarding scholarships through 2008. To date, the program has awarded scholarships to 1,220 underrepresented minority students. Of the 436 program graduates, 171 have entered the chemical workforce and 199 have gone on to graduate school. Fifty-four of the 199 graduate students are in Ph.D. programs and five have graduated. To date, the program has attracted more than $1.7 million in outside contributions.

The committee was briefed on the activities of the Presidential Working Group on Data Collection of Women & Minorities in the Chemical Workforce and the Minorities in Academe Implementation Project. The committee also received a series of reports from its subcommittees on opportunities to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities in local sections, divisions and regional meetings; ways to better monitor the progress of minority students at community colleges; and mechanisms to identify and nominate underrepresented minorities for ACS awards. On recommendation from its executive subcommittee, the committee adopted the following vision statement: "The vision of the Committee on Minority Affairs is that its goals, initiatives, and activities be integrated into and promoted by the governance, committees, divisions, local sections, and the general membership of the ACS."

As part of its interactions with minority advocacy organizations, the committee will sponsor the Distinguished Scientist Series and a luncheon at the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers annual meeting. The committee also will sponsor a chemistry symposium at the annual meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science, and award prizes for outstanding poster and oral presentations in chemistry at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.

The committee agreed that one of the best mechanisms to get more minorities involved in the society is to offer a workshop on how ACS works. The workshop and the committee luncheon, which continues the 10th anniversary theme joined with a celebration of Project SEED's 35th anniversary, are part of the events planned for New York City.

The Committee on Minority Affairs continues its active involvement with all ACS activities designed to increase the participation of minorities in the chemical sciences and in the membership and governance of the society.--SAUNDRA Y. MCGUIRE, CHAIR

NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK (NCW) TASK FORCE

The Earth Day (April 22) program is in pilot this year. Activities based on those developed by the Midland Section have been adapted and are available online at http://chemistry.org/earthday. The theme for Chemists Celebrate Earth Day is "ChemisTREE," the unifying event is tree planting, and the K—12 event is a haiku contest.
The Chemagination program is showing steady growth in this, its rollout year. A new brochure has been developed for the program and a CD-ROM with templates, ideas, and judging guidelines has been distributed to all interested parties. The CD-ROM also contains PowerPoint presentations for teachers, students, and local section leaders. A follow-up CD-ROM is in development that will contain more detailed information.

The task force will be examining questions on the NCW survey, as well as those in the local section annual report, to determine the efficacy of the questions. Suggestions for changes will be presented at the New York ACS national meeting.

The theme for NCW 2003 is "Earth's Atmosphere and Beyond!"; the unifying event will be "Honoring Innovators and Pioneers in Aviation and Atmospheric Chemistry"; and the K—12 event will be a poster contest. Several activities and articles have already been developed for the celebration, and the timeline for materials development has been moved up by several months.

Guaranteed to Succeed and the NCW Safety Guidelines are currently being revised, and should be available in July for distribution to all NCW Coordinators by Web and CD-ROM by mid-July.

The theme for NCW 2004 will be "Health and Wellness," and the topic for 2005 will be related to the chemistry of toys.

The NCW Task Force unanimously agreed to change the name of the Phoenix Awards to the ChemLuminary Awards for National Chemistry Week.--WILLIAM (JACK) BREAZEALE JR., CHAIR

PATENTS & RELATED MATTERS (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

The following are the highlights of the Committee on Patents & Related Matters (CPRM) meeting in New Orleans:

The Education Subcommittee discussed plans to include the committee in more programming at future national meetings. CPRM also discussed how to publicize its recently released publication, "What Every Chemist Should Know about Patents." Copies are available through the ACS Office of Society Services by calling (800) 227-5558. The first copy is free, and additional copies are $5.00 per copy. Bulk orders of more than 25 copies are $3.00 each. The booklet is also available on the ACS Office of Legislative & Government Affairs website at http://chemistry.org/government/patentprimer.pdf

CPRM and the Awards Subcommittee discussed nominations for the National Inventor's Hall of Fame. ACS members are encouraged to suggest chemists whose contributions ought to be recognized by the National Inventor's Hall of Fame or the National Medal of Technology. Please provide suggestions to the CPRM staff liaison, Caroline Trupp Gil, by e-mail at c_trupp@acs.org or by phone at (202) 872-4098.

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office's proposed strategic plan dominated discussion during the Legislation & Regulation Subcommittee meeting. Improvements suggested by ACS and other organizations in the intellectual property community have been taken into account, but PTO's draft plan continues to be of concern to CPRM.

The Long-Range Planning Subcommittee focused on finalizing the committee's strategic plan.--BARBARA L. LENCES, CHAIR

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

At meetings in January and March 2003, the Committee on Professional Training (CPT) reviewed 64 new and additional information reports from approved institutions. Conferences were held with three schools seeking approval. Written updates on applications from seven additional schools and three site visit reports were reviewed. Probation reports from nine schools and one appeal of a withdrawal action were discussed. Six schools were granted ACS approval, bringing the total number of colleges and universities with ACS-approved chemistry programs to 630.

The committee voted unanimously to adopt the new edition of the ACS guidelines for approval of undergraduate chemistry programs. The booklet was distributed to all chemistry faculty members at ACS-approved institutions. The guidelines document is also available at the CPT website (http://chemistry.org/education/cpt). The committee is now accepting applications for approval of the revised chemistry education option and the ACS-approved minor in chemistry education that is designed for majors outside of chemistry who are planning careers as high school science teachers.

The committee is planning a workshop with representatives from minority-serving institutions to be held in late fall of 2003. The goal of the workshop is to learn more about the challenges these schools face in delivering a program that satisfies the ACS guidelines for approval. The committee continued development of the survey of industrial employers on their satisfaction with the educational preparation of chemists at all degree levels. The committee plans to distribute the first questionnaire, which will focus on chemists with bachelor's degrees, in the fall of 2003. A subsequent survey will solicit information on employees with graduate degrees in the chemical sciences.

The final phase of data collection is under way for the 2003 edition of the ACS Directory of Graduate Research and continues in the spring. Once again, a Web-based system is being used to gather information from departments offering graduate degrees in the chemical sciences.--F. FLEMING CRIM, CHAIR, AND C. DALE POULTER, VICE CHAIR


PUBLICATIONS (JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

C&EN successfully launched Chemjobs (http://www.cen-chemjobs.org) on Feb. 10. This is the society's one-stop shop for chemically related jobs.

Final monitoring reports for Accounts of Chemical Research, the Journal of Chemical Information & Computer Sciences, and Organic Process Research & Development were presented. Organic Letters and the Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry will be monitored next.

The Copyright Subcommittee approved two PowerPoint teaching resource modules titled "Key Principles of Copyright" and "Examples of Applying Principles of Copyright," as well as a compilation of frequently asked questions. The first draft of an interactive tutorial on copyright was also discussed. All of this material is designed to be Web-based and will be used to update or replace the existing Copyright Learning Module, which appears on the Publications Division's website.--THEODORE L. BROWN, CHAIR

SCIENCE
(JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

In New Orleans, the Committee on Science (ComSci) debuted a new type of event--the "Lunchbox Forum." Each forum will begin with an expert or two giving short presentations--perhaps positions and counterpositions--to stimulate discussion and then serving as facilitators for member discussion. These programs will begin at 11:30 AM and end at approximately 1 PM, with boxed lunches available for purchase and tables set up to facilitate eating and note-taking. Using this time slot may minimize competition with other national meeting events. In New Orleans, the topic was, "Is the Burden Shifting for Long-Term Research Support?" ComSci is testing this new format to see if it's effective in sparking discussion of important issues that affect chemists.

Also in New Orleans, ComSci organized two outstanding symposia: "Can the High Tech Enterprise Grow without Long-Term Research?" and "Funnel Vision: The Role of Media in Science Communication."

In response to a request from the ACS president-elect, ComSci sought to identify, evaluate, and recommend topics that represent important technical advances in emerging or expanding areas of chemistry, and/or hold important implications for society constituencies as well as the public. ComSci recommends the following areas for consideration: nanoscience and graduate education.

ComSci was asked to comment on a draft statement from the Office of Legislative & Government Affairs titled "Impact of Visa Restrictions on Science." The committee recommended that the statement be organized to estimate the scope of this problem; detail the "unintended consequences on scientific progress" resulting from the policy; and develop a balanced conclusion.

ComSci considered five funding requests for program support at this meeting. The committee approved a request in the amount of $1,500 for a session on the "Role of Chemistry in Homeland Defense," to be held at the 2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting. It also approved $1,000 for a symposium on "Environmental Radioactivity and Low-Background Radioactive Monitoring," to be held at the New York national meeting.--MARGARET A. CAVANAUGH, CHAIR

WOMEN CHEMISTS
(JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

In New Orleans, the Women Chemists Committee (WCC) focused on the effective use of partnerships by hosting three members of AKCC (an organization of the German Chemical Society equivalent to WCC) at all WCC activities. At the WCC open meeting, Sonja Schwarzl, a Ph.D. student at the University of Heidelberg, gave an overview of AKCC and presented data on the status of women chemists in Germany.

The committee set 2003 goals for attracting, developing, and recognizing women in the chemical sciences that included launching the submission of Eli Lilly travel grant applications electronically, providing a mechanism to enhance the online mentoring program, and collaborating with the Committee on International Activities to sponsor a symposium in 2004 to feature international women in chemistry. A Subcommittee on Local & Regional Activities was created to strengthen interactions with local WCC's and to coordinate WCC activities at ACS regional meetings.

WCC hosted two symposia, "The Changing Role of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)" and "Corporate America's Contributions to Science: Successful Women Chemists." The "Developing" Subcommittee will be working with the ACS Publications Division to publish a book based on the latter symposium. WCC also cosponsored 11 symposia with six technical divisions and five committees. Additional WCC activities included the Women in Industry Breakfast that focused on various topics of communication and the Local Section WCC Networking Lunch. At the well-attended WCC reception and luncheon, a poster session featuring 10 Eli Lilly travel grant awardees was presented, and Martha Greenblatt, recipient of the 2003 Garvan-Olin Medal, gave a very inspiring keynote address.--CAROLYN RIBES, CHAIR

YOUNGER CHEMISTS
(JOINT BOARD-COUNCIL)

During the ACS New Orleans national meeting, the Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) welcomed five new committee members; engaged visitors at its open meeting and inaugural coffeehouse reception; offered programming on "Faculty 101: A Day in the Life of a Faculty Member," "Writing Excellent Research Proposals Workshop" and "The TA: What Am I in For?'; and cosponsored nine other career and professional development-related programs. More than 270 eager meeting registrants participated in the 2nd Annual Fun Run & Walk. The 3rd annual race will be held at the Spring 2004 national meeting in Anaheim, Calif. YCC looks forward to hosting its second annual Blood Drive & Bone Marrow Registration at the upcoming fall 2003 national meeting in New York City.

Additionally, in New Orleans, YCC members participated in a team-building workshop, brainstormed joint programming ideas with the Committee on Minority Affairs, and prepared plans for YCC's upcoming 30th anniversary celebration in 2004. The theme of the committee's 30th anniversary will be "Encouraging, Empowering, and Connecting Younger Chemists," and programming is being planned for both the Anaheim and Philadelphia national meetings. Programming will include a "Rising Stars in Chemistry" symposium, special anniversary receptions, and a celebratory dinner. The committee plans to launch an improved website in early 2004.

YCC extended the application deadline until May 1 for the 2003 Leadership Development Workshops & Awards. ACS members could apply for this award to attend one of the workshops being held at the ACS Western, Central, or Southeastern regional meetings in 2003. Award recipients will learn about common leadership behaviors and leadership opportunities within the society and exchange ideas with other ACS members involved in society leadership. The workshops will be repeated at select regional meetings in 2004.

For more information on YCC and its activities, visit http://www.chemistry.org/ycc or send an e-mail to ycc@acs.org.--JOHN C. CRAWFORD, CHAIR

Council Committee Reports

ELECTED COMMITTEES COMMITTEES

The Committee on Committees (ConC) held a very successful annual New Committee Chair Training Conference in Washington, D.C., in February as part of a larger Leadership Development Conference.

Performance reviews for the Committees on Chemical Abstracts Service, Chemical Safety, Chemistry & Public Affairs, Minority Affairs, Patents & Related Matters, and Technician Affairs have been completed, and ConC's recommendation for the continuation of these committees was on the council agenda for action. Council endorsed ConC's recommendations for continuation of these committees.

ConC continues to implement its recommendations on increasing and enhancing member involvement and improving committee operations and communications, specifically informing potential members of the requirements of serving on ACS committees; supporting enhanced efforts to increase the number of women, younger chemists, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities serving on ACS committees; using multiple communication vehicles to inform ACS members of opportunities to serve on, and actions taken by, ACS committees; and ensuring that the society and its committees present a unified governance home page on the Web.

ConC received a request from the Council Policy Committee to consider the formation of a Committee on Ethics.

ConC has begun developing its recommendations for 2004 committee chair appointments for consideration by the president-elect and the chair of the board. Also, ConC is seeking names of potential members for consideration for service on council-related committees. For more information, contact the Office of the Secretary.--Barbara A. Sawrey, Chair

NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS

During the committee's executive session, members of the Board Task Force on Campaign Conduct joined the Committee on Nominations & Elections (N&E) to discuss election issues and campaign concerns. Several of these concerns were highlighted in an ACS comment that was co-written by Peter J. Stang and Paul R. Jones. The comment was published in the March 17 issue of C&EN and is titled "Secret Handshakes and Smoke-Filled Rooms." This comment also explains the evaluation and selection process used by N&E in the preparation of nominee slates.

N&E now has in place a reimbursement program for president-elect nominees to help defray expenses they incur traveling to the national meeting to appear before council. The committee voted to establish a candidate website on http://chemistry.org that contains candidate biographies, statements, and photos, as well as a link to candidates' personal websites.

In order to obtain feedback on the current level of satisfaction with the nomination, campaign, and election processes, N&E will conduct a survey of a randomly selected subset of the membership. Input from this survey will be considered by N&E for potential modifications to improve these processes.

On March 24, N&E sponsored a Town Hall Meeting for president-elect 2004 nominees for the first time on a trial basis. This forum was intended to facilitate communication among nominees and councilors. Nominee feedback and attendee survey responses indicate strong support for continuation of this new format. N&E will incorporate several suggestions for improving the format and timing of this event and will hold another Town Hall Meeting featuring director-at-large candidates at the New York City meeting.

The committee also developed slates of potential candidates for election to the Council Policy Committee and the Committee on Committees for the years 2004-06. The pertinent biographical data for the candidates for those committees to be elected by council will appear in the council agenda book for the fall meeting in New York City. At that time, the candidates will be introduced to council prior to casting of ballots.--PETER J. STANG, CHAIR

STANDING COMMITTEES CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS

The committee, acting for the council, approved bylaw amendments and issued new certified bylaws to the San Gorgonio Section, the New York Section, and the Division of Environmental Chemistry. The committee also prepared preliminary reports on proposed amendments to bylaws for the Akron Section, Boulder Dam Section, Portland Section, Toledo Section, North Jersey Section, and Western Carolinas Section.

The council approved the Petition for Division & Local Section Funding. Because this amendment includes changes to both the society's constitution and its bylaws, changes to the constitution will become effective upon ratification by the membership. Amendments to the bylaws, following confirmation by the ACS Board of Directors, will become effective upon ratification of the constitutional amendments by the membership.

No new petitions were received by the deadline of Dec. 4, 2002, to be presented to council and committees for consideration at the New Orleans meeting.

New petitions to amend the constitution and/or bylaws must be received by the executive director by May 21 to be included in the council agenda for the fall 2003 meeting in New York City.--M. ELIZABETH DERRICK, CHAIR

DIVISIONAL ACTIVITIES

The Committee on Divisional Activities (DAC) is reviewing the 2002 division and secretariat annual reports. DAC continues its practice of having liaisons to each division and secretariat.

The Divisional Status Subcommittee met with three divisions, including the probationary Division of Laboratory Automation, to discuss the overall health of each, including examining their long-range financial, membership, and leadership planning.

A newly established Meetings Subcommittee will coordinate with the Committee on Meetings & Expositions in areas of mutual interest, including abstract submission and production of meeting publications. This subcommittee will also facilitate interactions between divisions and other types of programming units.

DAC voted unanimously to support the Petition for Division & Local Section Funding. The council approved the Distribution Formula for Division Funding proposed by DAC. The distribution formula includes a significant increase in the base allotment, a modest per member increase, an increase for national meeting programs, and funds to support innovative projects such as collaborative efforts between divisions and local sections.

Contact Michael Shea, DAC staff liaison, at m_shea@acs.org for more information.--RUTH HATHAWAY, CHAIR

ECONOMIC & PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS

At the New Orleans meeting, the Committee on Economic & Professional Affairs (CEPA) made great strides in enhancing the career services offered to ACS members.

CEPA continued to improve NECH, the ACS employment center, with significant reductions in the resources needed to run the operations. For example, the number of computers needed was reduced from 135 in Boston to 66 in New Orleans, the number of printers from 20 to two, and the number of support personnel from 29 to eight. In New Orleans, activity at NECH held steady in spite of the hard economic times. Ninety employers posted 303 jobs with a potential to hire 646 candidates. A total of 1,751 interviews were scheduled for 1,151 job seekers.

In addition, the Department of Career Services staff put together an excellent lineup of 34 different career development workshops, ranging from "Interviewing 101" to "Career Transitions" and "Critical Steps to Success." To give an example of the one-on-one career assistance offered to members, a record 99 résumé reviews and 45 mock interviews were conducted on March 23 alone.

CEPA also reviewed the ACS workplace surveys. The class of 2002 Starting Salary Survey results were published in C&EN the first week in April. An early look at the Starting Salaries Survey indicates that the market has softened and salaries are slightly down--perhaps due to the general downturn in the economy, as well as pharmaceutical producers slowing down their hiring.

The ACS 2003 Member Comprehensive Salary & Employment Status survey is currently in the field. If you receive this ACS survey, we hope that you take the time to respond. In New Orleans, CEPA also started preparations for the ChemCensus 2005. The last census in 2000 led to four special workforce publications (ChemCensus, Academic Chemists, Industrial Chemists, and Women Chemists), plus the introduction of the Salary Comparator.

CEPA is also making final preparations for the release next year of an updated 6th Edition of the Professional Employment Guidelines (PEG). The guidelines offer a variety of recommended practices in employment for professional scientists and their employers in today's work world. Simply put, PEG is intended to foster productive working relationships between chemical professionals and their employers. ACS advocates the application of these guidelines to promote the security, productivity, and economic well-being of chemical professionals and their employers. CEPA is examining PEG in light of current trends in the workplace.

Just as we improved employment services by going electronic with NECH, we are now about ready to launch a new electronic service for our popular career consultant program. This new service will allow our members to self-select from our 70 ACS career consultants.

In fact, we still have a need for additional volunteer career consultants, especially in the areas of biotech and pharmaceuticals. If you, or someone you know, might be willing to help fellow members in this way, I urge you to contact the ACS Department of Career Services.--MARINDA WU, CHAIR

LOCAL SECTION ACTIVITIES

The Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC) met in March 2003 at the New Orleans national meeting. LSAC is pleased to report that eight local sections are celebrating anniversaries in 2003: Alaska and Ozark (25 years); Corning and Southern Arizona (50 years); Kansas State University, Montana, and Washington-Idaho Border (75 years), and Pittsburgh (100 years).

LSAC will host both spring and fall leadership conferences in 2003 to provide training and support for incoming local section officers. The first of the two spring conferences was held in Washington, D.C., in February. The second spring conference was held in Salt Lake City, April 25-27. The spring conferences focus on how to organize and manage the work of a local section.

Local section alumni of the spring conferences will be invited to the Advanced Leadership Conference, which will be held in St. Louis, Oct. 3-5. The fall conference will center on developing leadership skills. We ask local section councilors to strongly encourage section officers to attend these valuable and award-winning conferences.

LSAC has established a Speaker Service Advisory Board, which met for the first time in New Orleans. The mission of the advisory board is to provide advice, information, and recommendations on the Speaker Service's current and future policies and procedures.

LSAC currently has four working subcommittees:

The Subcommittee on Future Local Sections & Leaders discussed the changing challenges and opportunities facing local sections. The subcommittee is developing programs, products, and services to assist local sections to address and take advantage of these changes.

The Awards & Recognition Subcommittee continued discussions with all of the committees and divisions involved with the ChemLuminary Awards program, to ensure that local sections and divisions receive appropriate recognition without undue duplication. The subcommittee discussed and recommended to LSAC that a new ChemLuminary Award be established for the "Best Activity Involving a Local Section-Division Interaction."

The Subcommittee on Technology, Tools & Operations is LSAC's focal point for Web-related issues. The subcommittee will launch an HTML newsletter for local section officers and councilors this fall.

The Local Section Assistance & Development Subcommittee piloted a local section visitation program last fall. Committee members visited two sections late last year and have already visited two local sections this year.

The National Chemistry Week Task Force announced the theme for NCW 2003 as "Earth's Atmosphere and Beyond!" for the week of Oct. 19-25. The theme for 2004 will be based on the chemistry of health.

The task force, in partnership with the Committee on Environmental Improvement and the Green Chemistry Institute, launched an Earth Day pilot program this year with hands-on activities. The celebration took place on April 22; more information is available at http://chemistry.org/earthday.

LSAC also formed a Senior Chemists Working Group to determine ways to encourage local sections to form Senior Chemists Committees in an effort to harness the expertise and enthusiasm of our growing number of "senior" members.

The LSAC-DAC Task Force on Collaboration continues its efforts to identify and develop programs, products, and services to promote enhanced interactions among local sections, divisions, and regional meetings.

LSAC voted to support the Petition on Division & Local Section Funding and proposed a Distribution Formula for Local Section Funding, which was approved by the council.--YORKE E. RHODES, CHAIR

MEETINGS & EXPOSITIONS

The Committee on Meetings & Expositions (M&E) is pleased to report that the New Orleans meeting attracted a total of 14,745 attendees, consisting of 11,804 regular members, 759 guests, 677 exposition only, and 1,505 exhibitors. The exhibit consisted of 290 companies occupying 504 booths.

The entire committee reviewed the report of the National Meeting Task Force on Finances that was presented to the board on Dec. 7. After further review by several of the cognizant subcommittees, the committee adopted a motion to achieve by 2009 a registration fee for undergraduate and graduate students that is 25% and 50%, respectively, of the advanced registration fee. The council had previously approved these percentages. M&E will continue to track student attendance annually and assess the impact, if any, of these increases.

The Task Force on National Meeting Programming made its final recommendations to the committee and these recommendations, which will ensure consistent adherence by all programming groups, were adopted by the committee. These recommendations include compliance with event programming and emphasis on cosponsorship with divisions. The Subcommittee on Meeting Arrangements reported that there is excellent adherence to these recommendations at the current meeting in New Orleans.

The Site Selection Subcommittee endorsed another of the recommendations of the Task Force on National Meeting Finances that there be a minimum of five months between the spring and fall meetings, and reviewed the prospective dates of future meetings to seek such an interval where possible.

The Subcommittee on Regional Meetings expressed concern that the organizers of some regional meetings are not fully utilizing the services and expertise offered by the ACS Office of Regional Meetings with respect to liability exposure and ancillary services such as registration and contract review.--GEORGE E. HEINZE, CHAIR

MEMBERSHIP AFFAIRS

The Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC) had an active and productive meeting. There was considerable discussion of the Division & Local Section Funding Petition. MAC voted to oppose the petition, however the vote was extremely close (8 to 7, no abstentions). The committee still has concerns about the potential negative impact of the proposal on the recruitment and retention of new, less involved, and at-risk member groups. Questions remained on exactly how the assessment funds will be managed and distributed.

The recruitment of new ACS members showed a slight increase over past year and the society continued to showed growth in the underrepresented and B.S. chemist categories. Personal member benefit programs, such as the ACS credit card and rental car programs, achieved an 8% increase over the previous year.

At the national meeting in New Orleans, MAC prepared a petition to amend the bylaws to facilitate the inclusion of precollege educators who do not otherwise qualify for full membership as regular members of the society. In addition, MAC participated in programs focused on encouraging graduating seniors of the Student Affiliate program to join the society.

MAC continues to solicit input from committees that represent targeted underrepresented groups including the Younger Chemists Committee, the Women Chemists Committee, and the Committee on Minority Affairs as to what these groups value most about their membership. Additionally, a subcommittee of MAC is looking into ways to keep senior members involved in ACS activities.

Even though the membership campaign has ended, the ongoing marketing program continues to provide the critical influx of new members to replace those who do not renew.--R. GERALD BASS, CHAIR

Other Committees

NOMENCLATURE, TERMINOLOGY & SYMBOLS

A joint IUPAC-IUPAP Working Party (JWP) has confirmed the discovery of element number 110 by the collaboration of Hofmann et al. from the Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung mbH (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany. In accord with IUPAC procedures, the discoverers have proposed a name and symbol for the element.

The ACS Committee on Nomenclature, Terminology & Symbols concurs with the IUPAC provisional recommendation for the naming of element of atomic number 110 as darmstadtium, with the symbol Ds.

We look forward to the formal adoption of the provisional recommendation by IUPAC at its meeting in Ottawa.--G. CLARKE DEHNE, CHAIR

PROJECT SEED

Project SEED offers a summer experience for economically disadvantaged high school students. The program has had a significant impact on the life of more than 6,300 high school students during the past 34 years. The Committee on Project SEED approved 291 students to be placed at 93 institutions for the Summer I program and 115 students for the Summer II program for placement at 39 institutions. In addition, the committee awarded 29 college scholarships to former Project SEED students totaling $145,000 for the 2003-04 academic year. Among the scholarship winners were 12 students who completed the Summer II program in 2002. The program is supported by contributions from industry, academia, local sections, ACS members, the ACS Petroleum Research Fund, the Project SEED Endowment, and the ACS Matching Gift Fund.

Project SEED met in New Orleans and selected the winner of the first Project SEED ChemLuminary Award recognizing the local section with the outstanding SEED program. To support the Project SEED Strategic Plan for Program Growth, the committee discussed strategies for increasing the participation of local sections currently without Project SEED programs. The committee proposed identifying high school chemistry teachers and retired chemist to serve as coordinators.

In 2003, Project SEED is celebrating 35 years of encouraging high school students through summer research. To commemorate this anniversary, the committee is planning a significant event at the fall ACS meeting in New York City, with a luncheon, a symposium, a reception to recognize long-term mentors, and a poster presentation of Project SEED students' research projects.

The ACS Board of Directors approved the Russell J. Fosbinder Endowment of $250,000. Proceeds from the endowment will be used to fund college scholarships for Project SEED students.

The committee encourages all members to support the continued success of the SEED program by using the dues check-off option on their ACS membership renewal form.--MILAGROS DELGADO, CHAIR

TECHNICIAN AFFAIRS

The Committee on Technician Affairs made significant progress toward developing its strategic plan establishing its purpose, mission, vision, goals, and objectives for the next three years. The committee's goals are to increase the awareness of the important contributions that technicians make to the national economy and to society; to make technicians relevant to ACS; and to make ACS relevant to technicians. In addition, the committee agreed to endorse and cosponsor with the Division of Chemical Technicians a program that awards a certificate of recognition to chemical technology students based on performance and merit. The certificate would be awarded at local schools during their awards ceremonies. Also, the committee will seek a presidential event for the ACS national meeting during spring 2004, which marks the 40th anniversary for CTA, the 10th anniversary for TECH as a full division, and the 15th anniversary for the ACS annual Chemical Technician Award.--LARRY HAMPTON, CHAIR

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