SERMACS 2009 - Program

Symposia

To submit an abstract for a symposium or a scientific session, click the "Abstracts" button. The deadline for abstract submission is August 31, 2009.

Supramolecular Science and Self-Assembly.
Dedicated to the memory of Professor Dmitry Rudkevich (1963-2007).
Tentative date for the symposium: Friday, October 23, 2009
A one day activity is planned covering a range of supramolecular chemistry topics, including molecular receptor design, host-guest complexation, molecular recognition, synthesis and/or characterization of systems with supramolecular properties, molecular self-assembly in the solution and solid state, functional devices, topological molecules, supramolecular interactions in systems with relevance to nanoscience (dendrimers, nanoparticles), supramolecular systems inspired by biological systems, and others.
Plenary Speaker: "The Inner Space of Molecules" Julius Rebek, Jr. (The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA)
Organizers: Dr. Angel E. Kaifer, Phone: 305-284-3468; Fax: 305-384-4571; E-mail: akaifer@miami.edu;
Dr. José M. Rivera; Phone: 787-764-0000 ext. 2906; Fax: 787-756-8242; Email: jmrivortz@mac.com

Current Trends in Environmental Chemistry.
A one-day symposium will cover current topics in environmental chemistry such as current research, current teaching practices and current resources.
Organizer: Marina Koether, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, MS 1203, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Tel: 770-423-6166 (Office), 770-499-3526 (Lab), Fax 770-423-6744; Email mkoether@kennesaw.edu

Nanotechnology: from Energy to Medicine
Overview: This 1.5 to 2 days symposium will feature between 6 to 10 invited speakers. The symposium will broadly develop around synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites and nanomaterials
Organizers: Steven W. Buckner, Chair and Professor, Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, Tel. 314-977-2850, FAX 314-977-2521, Email: buckners@slu.edu
Christopher E. Bunker, Propulsion Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433. Tel: 937-255-7431, Email: christopher.bunker@wpafb.af.mil
Ya-Ping Sun, Clemson University, Howard L. Hunter Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, Clemson, SC 29634-0973, Tel. 864-656-5026, Email: syaping@clemson.edu

Frontiers in Nucleic Acid Chemistry
Length: two days (four sessions). Overall, the section will have 2-3 keynote speakers, 6-7 talks from PIs and 15-16 talks from postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.
Organizer: Luis A. Marky, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986025 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6025 Tel: (402) 559-4628 Lab: 402-559-7870, ext 5384 Fax: 402-559-9543; Email: lmarky@unmc.edu

Patent Law Developments
Organizer: Jeremy M. Stipkala, Ph.D., J.D., Patent Attorney. Stipkala LLC 5401, Netherby Lane, Suite 102A, North Charleston, SC 29420; Tel. 843-580-9057, Fax 843-207-8842, Mobile 202-256-5696; Email: Jeremy.Stipkala@StipkalaLaw.com

Small Business Startups - A Guide
A half day program on small business. Sponsored by the Division of Small Chemical Businesses
Small business owners and advisors will share their experiences and advice on starting and maintaining a small chemical business.

The Division of Small Chemical Businesses invites you to submit an abstract for an oral or poster presentation. For instructions click the "Abstracts" buttom. The deadline for abstract submission is August 31, 2009.

Organizer: Sharon V. Vercellotti, Councilor, SCHB, V-LABS, INC. email: v-labs@v-labs.com
Co-organizer: Dr. Larry Evans, Secretary of SCHB, e-mail: larry.evans@soltecventures.com

New Polymeric Materials and Applications
Date for the symposium: Thursday, October 22, 2009
This one day symposium will highlight the broad application of polymeric materials to emerging applications. Topics will include molecular design, synthesis, investigation of physical properties and applications.
Plenary Speaker: "Polymers for Optoelectronics and Nanolithography." Seth R. Marder (Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE), The Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400 USA )
Organizer: Christopher Gorman, Professor of Chemistry & Director of Graduate Program, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Box 8204, Raleigh, NC 27695-8204. Tel. 919-515-4252 (office), 919-515-8920 (fax), 919-515-8918 (lab); Email: Chris_Gorman@ncsu.edu

Physical Chemistry Symposium
This will be a two day oral and poster symposium focusing on research in traditional and biological physical chemistry. The first day will address research in theoretical or computational areas. The second day will focus on experimental results. Each session will feature a plenary speaker doing cutting edge research in one of these four areas.

Plenary Speakers:
Experimental Traditional - Jon Camden, Ph.D.; University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Experimental Biophysical - Linda Columbus, Ph.D.; University of Virginia
Theoretical Traditional - So Hirata, Ph.D.; University of Florida
Theoretical Biophysical - Garegin A. Papoian, Ph.D.; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Organizers: Tad Whiteside, Ph.D.; Senior Scientist, Savannah River National Laboratory; Tel. 803-725-8267; Email: tad.whiteside@srnl.doe.gov
Clifford Padgett, Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Armstrong Atlantic State University; Tel. 912-344-2719; Email: clifford.padgett@armstrong.edu

Bioenergy: Fuels, Chemicals, and Power
Organizers: Dr. Rafael Hernández, Assistant Professor Co-Director of the Renewable Fuels and Chemicals Laboratory Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering Mississippi State, MS 39762
Dr. Kevin L., Armbrust State Chemist State of Mississippi
Dr. Joy Doran-Peterson, University of Georgia Microbiology Department Chair University-wide Bioenergy Initiative 527 BIO SCI Bld. 1000 Cedar St. Athens, GA 30602

Current Interdisciplinary Trends in Organic Chemistry (Abstracts )
A one-and-half-day activity will be featured, which covers three timely topics of interdisciplinary organic chemistry, organized as individual sessions. These will focus on Catalytic Oxidations (enzymes, metal, and nonmetals), Transformations in Microreactors (calixerenes, cyclodextrins, micelles, and zeolites), and  Applications of Chemiluminescence/Bioluminescence (biology, chemistry, and medicine).

Plenary Speakers:
Oxidation Catalysis by Hydrogen Bonding - A. Berkessel, Ph.D.; Cologne University, Greinstrasse, Cologne, Germany
Chemiluminescence: Mechanisms and Applications - Wilhelm J. Baader, Ph.D.; Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Catalysts Design for Environmentally Friendly Chemical Processes - Avelino Corma, Ph.D.; Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain

Organizer: Dr. Waldemar Adam, phone number, fax: 787-756-8242, e-mail: wadam@chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de

Process Technologies in Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry
The Pharmaceutical industry in general has recognized the need to innovate its processes through the development and implementation of new technologies. This symposium will feature speakers from industry on new and emerging technologies for continuous processes, crystallization, filtration and bio-catalysis. The focus will be on small and large molecules to cover synthetic and bio-processes as well as their properties for formulations to delivery dosage forms.
Organizers: Dr. David Hernández, E-mail: david.hernandez@pfizer.com,
Dr. Carlos Tollinche, E-mail: ctollinche@induniv.org

Current Trends in Inorganic Chemistry
A one-day activity will cover two aspects of contemporary inorganic chemistry, organized as individual sessions. These will focus on Crystal Engineering (Synthesis, characterization, and properties), Porous Materials (synthesis, characterization, gas storage and separation, catalysis).
Organizer: Raphael G. Raptis, (787) 764-0000, ext 2598, (787) 756-8242, raphael@epscor.upr.edu

Chemical Scholarship via Education
The definition of scholarship has been extended beyond the area of research and this symposium will highlight chemical education activities that involve the scholarship of teaching, discovery, integration, application, and/or outreach. Contributing papers might include creative approaches in teaching, chemical education research projects, advances in cognitive sciences or evaluation of instructional innovations among others. A one-page extended abstract describing how the chemical education activity has been taken to a scholarly level is required.
Organizer: Maria Oliver-Hoyo, Associate Professor of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Chemistry Department, Box 8204, Raleigh, NC 27695, (919) 515-2212 (office), (919) 515-8909 (fax), Email: maria_oliver@ncsu.edu

Preparing the 21st Century Chemistry Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges for the Student and Faculty
The 21st century has brought a new paradigm in the practice and teaching of chemistry to meet some unique needs of the chemical industry.  This has resulted in many opportunities that must be identified, albeit exploited, and challenges that must be overcome to provide the future chemist with the best employability skills.  This session will focus on innovative strategies in the areas of curriculum design, reform and instruction that have been successfully implemented to prepare the next generation of the chemistry workforce.  Topics of discussion will include, but are not limited to, increasing awareness of emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology;  integrating knowledge and transfer to an inter-disciplinary application; dealing with complex issues such as energy and economic crisis; learning advanced techniques and instrumentation; adjusting to workplace diversity due to widespread globalization; professional ethics; social responsibility.
Organizer: Dr. Sharmistha Basu-Dutt, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of Engineering Studies, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 30118; Phone: (678) 839-6018, Fax: (678) 839-6551, Email: sbdutt@westga.edu

History, Chemistry, and Art of the Elements (Click for speakers information and program)
This symposium will embrace topics on elements known from ancient times and  their uses today, through the spectrum of elemental discoveries to elements that exist only as a few atoms. Talks surrounding elements that never existed at all which marked the false starts along the way to actual discoveries will also be considered.
Organizer: Sister Mary Virginia Orna, Department of Chemistry, College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY 10805; Phone: (914) 310-0351, Email: mvorna@cnr.edu

Speakers
Mary Virginia Orna, the College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, New York.
Cheryl Safren, Artist. Her specialty is using the chemical elements in art.
Anshul Samar, CEO of Alchemist Empire Inc.
Darleane C. Hoffman, Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Department of Chemistry.
Theodore Gray, co-founder of the software company Wolfram Research.

Chemical Education Research
Chemistry education research is increasingly being recognized as integral component of many chemistry departments. To date over thirty departments across the nation offer graduate degrees of some kind with specialization in chemistry education. This symposium will bring together researchers in the field of chemistry education to talk about their current research projects and how their findings might impact chemistry education in general.
Organizer: Melanie Cooper, 259 Hunter Chemistry Laboratories/105 Holtzendorff, Clemson University,Clemson, SC 29634; Phone: (864) 656 2573/656 4325, Email: cmelani@clemson.edu

Analytical Chemistry Symposia
A one-and-half-day activity covering topics of impact in current analytical chemistry research, organized as individual sessions.  These will emphasize Biological Mass Spectrometry (advances in instrumentation as applied to biomedical problems, as well as current and novel applications), Chemical Sensors (ranging from design to applications in biology, medicine and environmental research) and the Teaching of Modern Analytical Chemistry (trends, challenges and opportunities).
Organizer: Marisol Vera, Phone: 787-832-4040 X-3460; Fax: 787-265-3849; Email: mvera@uprm.edu

Biochemistry
Two half-day activities are planned, which will cover two important topics on interdisciplinary biochemistry, organized as individual sessions. These will focus on Chemical Modifications in Gene Regulation (DNA methylation, histone modifications, global vs specific analysis of epigenetic modifications) and Protein Structure and Function (protein crystallization, enzyme reaction mechanisms, ligand binding specificity, protein expression).
Plenary Speaker “Chemical Modifications in Gene Regulation” Esteban Ballestar, Ph.D (Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory/Molecular Pathology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO)
Organizer: Carmen L. Cadilla, Ph.D., (787) 754-4366, fax: (787) 274-8724, Email: ccadilla@rcm.upr.edu

Undergraduate Program
Undergraduate Poster Session: Posters in the general areas of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and chemical education
Organizer: Carmen Gauthier, Department of Chemistry, Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingswoth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801. Tel (863)-680-4320; Fax (863)-680-3970; e-mail: cgauthier@flsouthern.edu

High School Program
Details to be announced.