Executive Committee Openings 2012
Chair-Elect
The Chair-Elect serves as program chair and has the principal responsibility for planning and arranging the Section's meeting programs for the year during which he or she will be Chair. In addition, the Chair-Elect frequently serves as the host for Section speakers. It is essential that the Chair-Elect choose speakers of high caliber that reflect the needs and interests of the local membership. Initial speaker planning shall be made at the leadership conference via the ACS speakers list.
Education Committee Chair
The first event of the education "season" is the chemistry Olympiad. All local high school students are invited to take the local screening test. The top performers are invited back for a full-day national exam. The top 20 performers on the national level are invited to a 2-week study camp. The team of 4 that will represent the US will be selected from those 20 students. For now, Debbie Tahmassebi plans to continue hosting the local screening and national Olympiad exams.
The High School Contest brings teams of students from local high schools to enjoy a day of fun experimentation in a relaxed atmosphere. The teams compete on 2 different levels depending on the amount of high school chemistry they have had (1 or 2 years). this is currently a lab-based experience where each local high school is invited to bring 2 teams (each team has 4 students that work in pairs). The teams are separated into Div 1 and Div II (in theory based on years of high school chemistry - but, the high school curriculum keeps moving around so that often times students take AP as sophomores as their very first chemistry experience so often it's more appropriate for those students to compete in Div II (more than 1 year of chem) because some of the Div I kids have very little, if any, lab experience. The Chair needs to design/develop/test the labs and make sure that they are safe and feasible - they are designed to be open-ended and not typically something the students will have seen before.
The Education Awards Banquet is the opportunity to recognize students who performed well on the Olympiad local screening, national exam and the high school contest. Additionally, the Education Committee awards the annual Outstanding High School Teacher. The Chair needs to solicit nominations, request materials from nominees, letters of rec from the Principal and/or others at their high school and organize a committee to review the materials.
We maintain an e-mail list of high school teachers that tend to participate in these events and add/delete as people move around. There are always new teachers/schools getting involved and some dropping out. The ACS sends mailing labels for all San Diego high schools so materials are also sent out via snail mail to every high school (the e- mail ensures that it gets directly to the active teachers).
The ideal Education Chair has good organizational skills, access to lab space to host the lab contest, needs to find a place to host the banquet (all events have been at USD since I've been running things) and work out lab prep help for the contest. Things move quickly between the high school contest and the banquet so the labs need to be graded quickly, winners determined and people invited to the banquet. Also, some connections to invite a good speaker for the banquet.
If you are interested in applying, please contact: Fred Heineken at heineken.f@gmail.com
Hi All:
Many thanks to Julann Miller for coordinating the SDACS participation in the EarthFair at Balboa Park on April 22nd. Visitor response was very good. Thanks also to Bill Szabo, Jim Shih and Mike Levin for being judges for the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair. Three awardees in the senior division and three in the junior division were chosen. Congratulation letters have been sent to all awardees.
Debbie Tahmassebi conducted the competition for the Chemistry Olympiad again and results were outstanding. Two students from San Diego will be among 20 selected to travel to the Air Force Academy to compete for the US team, which will consist of four students. These two students will then travel to the University of Maryland to participate in the international competition.
Congratulations to Erica Conroy for finding four sponsors for the May meeting. I hope you had a chance to go to the May meeting which looks to be an excellent one.
Plans for the Picnic on June 24th are moving ahead. See first page of the June issue of the newsletter.
We still have vacancies on the Executive Committee for a Chair-Elect and Education Committee Chair. Barbara Sawrey is leading the search for the Education Committee Chair. Randy Smith and Renate Valois have put advertisements in this Newsletter for both open positions.
At the recent Executive Committee meeting, Jim Shih, who chairs the Nominations Committee, was urged to start finding nominees for the 2013 open positions on the Executive Committee. Those open positions are listed in this newsletter. Let us know if you are interested in any of these open positions.
There was also discussion at the ExCom meeting about a redesign of the website. The Communications Committee agreed to look into this and provide a report at the June ExCom Meeting.
Upcoming events include the Seniors Breakfast scheduled for June 4th and the MedChem Symposium scheduled for July 13th.
Our next Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 5th, and I hope to see many of you at this meeting.
With best regards.
Fred Heineken
2012 Chair
San Diego Local Section
American Chemical Society
Phone 760 929 0760
Cell 301 525 3765
Email heineken.f@gmail.com
FAMILY PICNIC
Free Food, Games & Fun for Families, Friends, and Fido!
DATE: Sunday, June 24, 2012
WHERE: Picnic Area #3, San Dieguito County Park, Solana Beach, at Lomas Santa Fe Drive and El Camino Real. Pay parking fee ($3.00/car, free for seniors). At booth, proceed to Picnic Area #3 Parking. Note: Due to the San Diego County Fair.
There will be heavy traffic on I-5 near the Lomas Santa Fe exit. Please allow extra driving time!
TIME: 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM (food served from approx. noon to 3 PM)
WHO: Youngsters, seniors, in-betweensters, guys, gals, chemists, recovering chemists, guests and
other friends of the ACS!
WHAT: BBQ, cold drinks, games and prizes for children of all ages. Please bring a homemade dessert to enter the Best Dessert Contest. Prizes will be awarded! If you bring a cold dessert, bring a cooler. Guests with special dietary needs should provide for them.
RSVP: As soon as possible but no later than Wednesday, June 20th, by registering HERE. Please tell us how many adults and how many children (with their ages) will be in your party.
● Younger Chemists: Schmooze and network!
Invite your friends! Make it WORK for you!
● Women Chemists: Meet and greet! Make this event
a "Meeting Within a Meeting"! Share your ideas!
Volunteers Needed for Morning Setup!
Chef Jim Shih Please contact Jim Shih to sign up: tel. 858-274-5875
e-mail: jimshih@earthlink.net