THE IOTAN

February, 2000 No. 77

Iota Sigma Pi Recognizes Three Outstanding Students

Iota Sigma Pi

National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry

by Lily Ng, (F), National Director for Student Awards

Joanne Marie Wittbrodt

Anna Louise Hoffman Award Recipient

Joanne Marie Wittbrodt, a fourth year graduate student from Wayne State University is the 1999 recipient of the Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research. Joanne is a computational chemist whose research is primarily focused on studying the gas phase reactivity of small molecules and their interactions with surfaces. She has studied competing pathways for thermal decomposition of dichlorosilane, on interactions of water with models of an aluminum oxide surface and on the isomerization pathways and reactivities of a set of silicon-phosphorus compounds. Another portion of her work is performed in direct collaboration with experimentalists and involves the use of

ab initio calculations to help interpret and explain the observed structure and behavior of newly synthesized compounds. Professor H. Bernhard Schlegel, Joanne's advisor and nominator called her "truly one of our outstanding graduate students". He commented that by the end of her first year of graduate studies, Joanne already completed three papers. "It was clear to me right from the start that Joanne is highly self-motivated and driven to excel," Professor Schlegel wrote. With all her projects, Joanne carried out the calculations with minimal supervision from her advisors, and wrote the papers from beginning to end by herself. Joanne has authored seven publications from her graduate research and has made several posters presentations at national and regional conferences.

In addition to her scientific achievements, Joanne has initiated an undergraduate course on Computational Chemistry at Saginaw Valley University. She developed this new course single-handedly and enjoyed the challenge of teaching. Her students enthusiastically agree that she is an excellent teacher.

Joanne has been awarded the Jaspar Teaching Fellowship and the Thomas C. Rumble University Graduate Fellowship from Wayne State University. She was also awarded the Esther and Stanley Kirschner Teaching Award in 1998.

Jessica I-Jane Chuang

Gladys Anderson Emerson Scholarship

Jessica I-Jane Chuang, a junior at Harvard University, was selected as the recipient of the 1999 Gladys Anderson Emerson Scholarship. Her nominator, Dr. Cynthia Friend, wrote that Jessica is an impressive student with considerable ambition and talent. Jessica has already distinguished herself in undergraduate research and course work while maintaining an active participation in her interest as a musician.

Jessica's research career started before she entered college. In the second semester of her senior year in high school, as a special student, she took the

In this issue...

Supplies and Information 3

Member News 5

Editors 6

National Council 7

Page

February, 2000

month-long thermondynamics module of the general chemistry course taught by Dr. Norman Craig at Oberlin College and attained the highest grade for that module in a class of 120 college students. In the summer after graduation from high school, she asked to do research in Dr. Craig's laboratory without a stipend and only for the experience. She explored a new idea for synthesizing isotopic species of 1,1,2,2,-tetrafluoroethane and quickly learned her way around a vacuum system, an infrared spectrometer, a high field NMR spectrometer and preparative GC. In the summer after her freshman year at Harvard, she passed up an interesting offer at NASA Lewis Research Center to gamble on the possibility of Dr. Craig receiving a new NSF grant and returned to Oberlin to continue the synthesis project. The successful synthesis led to two cooperative projects with Justus Liebig University in Germany and the National Institute of Standards and Spectroscopy in Gaithersburg, MD.

At Harvard, Jessica joined Professor Charles Lieber's group and carried out research on the mechanical properties of DNA at the single molecule level. Dr. Lieber stated that "Jessica is an exceptional young student ...who has all the key characteristics that I believe are critical for a career at the highest level in the sciences." He further commented that Jessica is highly motivated and has the intellectual tools to do so. Working essentially on her own initiative, she accomplished a difficult synthesis of several oligonucleotides in record time. Dr. Lieber wrote that he doubted that a postdoctoral fellow could have accomplished so much in such a short period of time.

Jessica maintains an active life outside of the chemistry lab. She is the vice president of the undergraduate student group Women in Science at Harvard-Radcliffe, supervising social outreach for the organization. She is also helping to organize a program for members to

volunteer at Boston's area hospitals. Because she believes that introductory science courses are critical for determining undergraduate women's attitudes towards majoring in the sciences, she has initiated a study group program aimed at first-year women and involving undergraduate peer tutors. Through her efforts, she hopes to motivate and encourage more female students to pursue scientific degrees and careers. Jessica is the Concertmaster of the Mozart Society Orchestra for which she was also President. She combined her love of music with her love of chemistry by performing the Brahms clarinet quintet with her chemistry colleagues for the summer school chemistry students.

In her essay, Jessica stated that she aspires to be "an excellent educator, a good researcher and a sound scientist" just like her mentor, Dr. Craig. Jessica's award was presented to her by Dr. Cynthia Friend.

Nicole R. Brinkmann

Award for Excellence in Chemistry

The 1999 Iota Sigma Pi Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry was awarded to Nicole R. Brinkmann, a senior at the College of Wooster. Her nominator, Dr. Virginia Pett, wrote that it was a pleasure to have a student as enthusiastic as Nicole in her classes. Her leadership abilities are

evident, both in the laboratory and the classroom. She organizes other students to work on group projects and asks good questions to get the group moving. In addition to her academic achievements, Nicole was a laboratory assistant in the Physical Chemistry I Lab. She arrived in lab each week fully prepared. She asked students good questions and enabled them to figure out for themselves how to proceed. In addition, Nicole took full responsibility for helping the students with a Differential Scanning Calorimeter.

Nicole also took part in several extracurricular activities, including the marching and symphonic bands, as well as the Wooster Christian Fellowship. She also served as Treasurer in the Women In Science group. The College of Wooster has recognized Nicole's academic ability and scientific potential by awarding her several scholarships, including the College Scholar Award and the Arthur Holly Compton Scholar Award. The Chemistry Department also awarded her a four year Dow Scholarship.

Nicole's undergraduate research is in computational chemistry. She works with Dr. Henry Schaefer at the University of Georgia and in less than a three months' period she completed a research project that was accepted for publication in a peer review journal. Dr. Schaefer commented that " Nicole demonstrated the ability to assimilate information that is typically reserved for graduate level courses." Nicole has been accepted to the University of Georgia to work in the center for Computational Quantum Chemistry under Dr. Schaefer in pursuit of a Ph.D.

Nicole's award was presented to her by Dr. Virginia Pett at the May 13, 1999 meeting of the Local Section of American Chemical Society.

We wish all these outstanding students the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Page February, 2000

New Chapter Position: Membership Activities Coordinator

by Susan Marine, (Ra), National President

At the national convention in June the Chapter Program Development Committee addressed a recurring problem for many chapters: recruitment. Chapters will gladly accept new members but have trouble identifying women to invite. Most chapters have a faculty liaison to contact colleges and universities in their domain; some chapters have one at each school. Multiple liaisons certainly help contact the chapter contact all schools, but they make communications from national council to one central liaison difficult.

In response to these needs and problems, the national convention approved a motion made by the Chapter Program Development Committee to establish a new chapter position called the Membership Activities Coordinator (MAC). This position is not a chapter office and can be filled by a non-member if necessary, such as a male faculty member. If a chapter currently has one liaison, that person is now designated the Membership Activities Coordinator. In the chapters where there are several faculty liaisons, one has been designated the MAC.

The Membership Activities Coordinator acts as the liaison to the colleges or coordinates the activities of the multiple faculty liaisons. In addition, she/he is responsible for conducting at least one membership drive per year. Typical recruitment efforts target colleges to identify qualified juniors, seniors, and graduate students. In addition, the membership drive should include contacting local companies to identify exceptional female chemists in the industrial sector. Human resource managers are usually quite willing to recognize qualified workers to highlight their company's assets. A dynamic recruitment effort increases the visibility of Iota Sigma Pi, which in turn improves future recruitment efforts. All members should work with their Membership Activities Coordinator to make their membership drive a success.

Sources of Iota Sigma Pi

Supplies and Information

Supplies

The publicity pamphlets, "Membership Information", "National Awards", History, Constitution and Bylaws, The Iotan, Speakers Bureau

Supplies Coordinator - Jeanne M. Buccigross 3891 Stillwell Rd.

Hamilton, OH 45013

Membership Application

National Secretary

Initiation

Report of Initiation Forms

National Secretary

Forming a Chapter

Procedural information and application forms

National Vice President

Rules and Regulations, Charter Certificates

National Historian

Financial Reports

Financial Report Forms

National Treasurer

Awards criteria and nominations forms

Director for Professional Awards

Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award

National Honorary Member

Award for Professional Excellence

Director for Student Awards

National Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry

Anna Louise Hoffman Graduate Research Achievement Award

Gladys Anderson Emerson Scholarship

Dues

Dues statements and payments

National Treasurer

Chapter Operations

Changes in the Chapter Officers list

Forms for reporting local elected officers

National Vice President

Address Labels and Membership List

Change of address and member death

Records Chair

Historical Information

National Historian

Handbooks

New editions when published

Individual handbooks for newly created offices

(all others receive handbooks from predecessors) National Secretary

***

See National Council listings elsewhere in The Iotan for officers' names and addresss.

Fifty Year Members

Send your congratulations to our fifty year members for the turn of the century.

Eloise Crittenden (O)

Barbara Densmore (MAL)

Mamie Wong Moy (Np)

Mary Louise Schafer (Ra)

Ardeth J. Vogt (AuI)

See you in

San Francisco!

ISP Alumni Hour Social

219th American Chemical Society Meeting

San Francisco, CA

Monday, March 27, 2000

Hilton 6:00 PM - cash bar

February, 2000

Page

ISP Graduation Braids Available

Iota Sigma Pi graduates now can be honored with a ISP braid for their graduation ceremony. The attractive braids are worn over the shoulder of the graduation gown. The braids consist of three ropes about 5 feet long with tassels at the ends; each rope is an ISP color: green, gold, and white. It can be worn braided or unbraided. The price is $10. Look at the ISP web page for a color photo of a graduate with the braid: http://chem-faculty.ucsd.edu/sawrey/ISP. Orders can be sent to

Jeanne M. Buccigross Supplies Coordinator

3891 Stillwell Road

Hamilton, OH 45013

jeanne_buccigross@mail.msj.edu

513-244-4718 (w)

513-244-4222 (fax)

Checks should be made payable to Iota Sigma Pi..

Past Iotan is Remembered

The Last Will and Testament of Zana G. Skidmore read, "All the rest and residue of my property of every kind and character, I give, and bequeath to distributees as follows.... To Iota Sigma Pi, as a memorial to Zana G. Skidmore, the sum of $3,000." This memorial gift has been put into the Iota Sigma Pi scholarship fund. Zana Skidmore (MAL), a Life member of Iota Sigma Pi died on December 24, 1996. She was a resident of Sedgwick County, KA. A nephew of Zana and executor of her will, Leland Johnson, had taken care of her affairs for a number of years. In looking at Zana's files, he noticed The Iotan from December 1996 and a comment by Frances Crean, then the Membership Chair, stating that, "Perhaps being a Life Member of Iota Sigma Pi adds years to one's lifespan". Leland agreed this may be true since Zana Skidmore died at the age of 95. Iota Sigma Pi would like to thank Zana's family for her generosity in contributing to our award fund.

Positions available at Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University is seeking an assistant Professor in Clinical Chemistry and an assistant Professor in Physical Chemistry. CSU has a joint Ph.D degree program in Clinical/Bioanalytical Chemistry with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Masters in Clinical, Inorganic, Analytical, Organic, Physical Chemistry. A new program in Molecular Medicine, again in conjunction with CCF, is being planned. If you know of any colleagues, postdocs and/or graduate students who may be interested in these positions, please inform them. Questions can be emailed to Lily Ng <l.ng@csuohio.edu> and she will direct them to the appropriate persons.

Notice of Change of Name or Address

Attach mailing address here or write new name and

address in this space

New Address

Name Chapter

Address

City, State, Zip

Effective Date

New position, School, or Employer

Please mail to Iota Sigma Pi Records Chair

Pat Fish

May-Oct 1213 South Shore Court Oct-May 16588 Bear Cub Ct.

Amery, WI 54001-5102 Fort Myers, FL 33908-4323

Page February, 2000

The person closest to the true values from among all contestants received the grand prize of a National Chemistry Week T-shirt. The teacher of the grand prize winner received a chemical clock that is powered without a dry cell battery. Several participants asked for a similar contest next year.

On December 8, 1999, Marine was a guest speaker at Franklin High School for Career Day and spoke about various careers in chemistry and the education required for those jobs.

Marquis Publishing has listed Susan Marine's biography in "Who's Who in the World 2000" millennium edition.

Janet E. Del Bene (MAL), retired as Professor of Chemistry at Youngstown State University in June, 1999 in order to have more time for research and will maintain her office at YSU. She is now Professor Emeritus and an Adjunct Member of the Graduate Faculty at Youngstown State University.

During the fall, 1999, Del Bene was a Visiting Professor at the University of Sydney, Australia working with Dr. Meredith Jordan. Dr. Jordan is a Co-PI on Del Bene recent NSF grant "An Ab Initio Study of Vibrational Anharmonicity and Matrix Effects on Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes". Del Bene is also a Co-PI with Dr. Bruce Ault at the University of Cincinnati on NSF grant "Matrix Isolation and Theoretical Study of the Mechanisms of Oxidation Processes".

Del Bene was recently appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida, Quantum Theory Project. She now has about 140 publications. Most recently, Dr. Jordan and Del Bene published an invited review article in International Reviews in Physical Chemistry entitled "Vibrational Spectroscopy of the Hydrogen Bond: An Ab Initio Quantum-Chemical Perspective".

Del Bene commented "I guess I view retirement as a commencement of full-time research. I am embarking on what I hope will be a very long sabbatical!"

Susan Marine (Ra) and ISP National President, has been involved in many outreach activities this fall. On November 9, 1999, Marine presented "Addressing the Need for Trained Chemical Technicians" at IAMS (Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Sciences, Inc.) in Cincinnati, OH. A fax from Mary Beth Holley (IAMS Project Manager) states, "Thank you again for your presentation. I think this was the best Chemical Collab. meeting we've had."

On November 13, 1999, Marine presented "Iota Sigma Pi: 100 Years of Women in Chemistry" to the Cincinnati Women Chemist Committee of the American Chemical Society.

Every Friday in October, Marine's students from Chemical Technology Program and from Analytical Chemistry visited Monroe Elementary School and worked with all the science classes. They introduced the concept of chromatography and led the children through a paper chromatographic analysis of inks in felt-tipped markers. Students recorded their observations and followed proper experimental procedure of finding trends, making a theory, and predicting the outcome of an experiment. The students then applied the chromatography principles to an art project decorating paper butterflies. Remember: Chemistry is everywhere, even in art!

In celebration of Mole Day (October 23) and National Chemistry Week (November 7-13) Marine conducted a contest for local area high schools (and MUM campus) to estimate the number of sugar molecules in 1/2 cup sucrose (sugar). Winners at all participating schools received a 4" stuffed Milli Mole.

Elena S. Franklin (MAL), has moved to Stanford University where she is pursuing a Ph.D. under the joint supervision of Dr. Richard Zare and Dr. W.E. Moerner. Elena is very excited about the move and is looking forward to enjoying the natural beauties of the bay area and hoping to get more involved in Iota Sigma Pi. Elena's email address is elenakatie@hotmail.com.

Dr. Gabrielle Rum (MAL ) was inducted into the Sigma Xi society (full member).

In July, she and several other doctoral students started a Doctoral Students Association at the University to address concerns specific to the Ph.D. students. Rum is vice-president of the organization.

In October Rum presented her research at the Joint 55th ACS Southwest/16th Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting.

Rum graduated with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. She was given the honor of the chemistry department's Outstanding Doctoral Student and was a Student Marshall at the graduation ceremony.

Rum is teaching Freshman Chemistry at UTEP and is doing a post-doc for the semester as well.

Catherine Woytowicz (AuI-R) (PhD, Chemistry, UCRiverside 97) was named Science Policy Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS). During her fellowship, Dr. Woytowicz will be responsible for the ACS's Science and the Congress program, an attempt to present the science behind policy issues to members of Congress.

Page

February, 2000

A Crushing Experiment

by Margaret Workman, (AuI)

Mworkman@wppost.depaul.edu

This is an experiment that can be used when discussing atmospheric pressure. It can also be useful when discussing properties of gases. The students really enjoy it and ask to see it again, and again, and again …

Equipment

Soda Can (Coke, Pepsi, etc.)

Hot Plate or Bunsen burner

Water

Fish Tank (or other large, transparent

Procedure

1. Fill the fish tank up with cold water. Add a tray full of ice cubes. Set aside.

2. Can the air molecules get back inside once you turn the can upside down and plunge it into the water? [No, the water prevents that.]

3. What do the outside air molecules do to the can? Why? [The outside air molecules crush the can. That is because the pressure inside the can is now less than the pressure outside the can.]

Activity _ How much does air weigh?

1. Determine the surface area of the can. [Remember, the curved surface area of a cylinder is 2prh.]

2. The weight of air at sea-level is 14.7 lbs. per square inch. To find the weight of the air that crushed the can, multiply the surface area of the can by 14.7 lbs. (provided your surface area is in square inches).

3. Did you think air could weigh that much?

2. Pour a small amount of water (about 5 mL) into the soda can.

3. Put the can on the hot plate (or Bunsen burner) until it steams.

4. Using the tongs, quickly flip the can upside down into the fish

tank. [The water will prevent air from entering the can. A little of the ice water may enter the can, but not enough to cause a problem.]

5. Watch in amazement as the can gets crushed.

Discussion

1. What happens to the air molecules inside the can when they are heated in the can? [As the temperature goes up, the volume will go up. So some of the air will escape into the atmosphere outside the can.]

container)

Tongs

Ice Cubes

Introduction

Ask students if they think air has weight. If so, ask them how much they think the air around a soda can weighs.

You May Be In the

Member Spotlight!

by Sharon Vercellotti, (Cl) Editor, The Iotan

We will have a random drawing from the roster to select the next lucky Iotan for the Member Spotlight. Chris Rener, Member Spotlight Editor, will mail you a notice with the information needed for your article approximately 4-6 weeks before each issue deadline. A picture is not necessary, but would be appreciated. This is voluntary, so if you receive a notice, please reply with permission to be featured. Thanks for your participation.

The Iotan

Editor Sharon V. Vercellotti - v-labs@wild.net

Feature Editors

Member Spotlight: Chris Rener - rener@carthage.edu

Industrial Chemist: Gretchen Shearer - gshearer@mccrone.com

Member Outreach: Margaret Workman - mworkman@wppost.depaul.edu

Science: Dawn Norman - dawn319@juno.com

Manuscripts for publication in The Iotan may be submitted to the Editor at the address listed elsewhere in this newsletter. Suggestions for articles for the Special Editors are appreciated. Feature articles and book reviews are acceptable. Documents should be on floppy disk, or emailed, typed, double spaced, and no longer than two pages.

Deadlines for consideration for the November, February, and May issues, respectively, are September 15, December 15 and March 15. Manuscripts will not be returned and are subject to editing. Publication is based on editorial assessment of reader interest and space available.

Letters to the Editor are encouraged and may be published. Letters should be no longer than 250 words.

Science Articles Needed

We need your science articles - up to 250 words. Send to our science editor, Dawn Norman, 4 Consulate Drive, Apt. 4B, Tuckahoe, NY 10707 (dawn319@juno.com).

Page February, 2000

Women 2000:

Beijing Plus Five

by Sharon Vercellotti, (Cl) Editor, The Iotan

Women are invited to evaluate the status of women at Regional Conferences of Women 2000: Beijing Plus Five being held in Charlotte, Boston, Seattle, Denver, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baton Rouge and Oakland. The conferences will serve as an access point for women to express their interests and needs. Participants will leave with a platform for women and will be prepared to meet the challenges of the new century! Results of these Regional Conferences will be reported June 5-9, 2000, at Women 2000 a United Nations Special Session in New York City. International progress will be celebrated at the UN Special Session; the 189 countries that signed the Platform for Action in Beijing in 1995 will report on the progress made in each of their countries on advancing the status of women and girls.

The 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was a historic event, with 189 countries adopting the Platform for Action. The platform calls for economic opportunity and security for women, quality education and health care, full political and economic participation of women, equality, and the promotion of human rights for women. It is one of the strongest policy statements promoting women's advancement ever made by the international community.

For more information, visit the web site at http://secretary.state.gov/www/picw/beijing/events.html

"Advancing the role and status of women isn't just a social or moral issue, it is an economic imperative." Delores L. Crocket, Field Coordinator, Women's Bureau

IOTA SIGMA PI

NATIONAL COUNCIL 1999 - 2002

President

Susan S. Marine

Miami University Middletown

4200 East University Blvd.

Middletown, OH 45042-3497

(513)422-1683 (h)

(513)727-3372 (w)

(513)727-3462 (fax)

mariness@muohio.edu

Vice President

Donna J. Nelson

Dept of Chemistry

University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK 73019

(405)325-2288 (w)

(405)325-6111 (fax)

DJNelson@chemdept.ou.edu

Secretary

Janet R. Clark

Exxon Research & Development Labs

P.O. Box 2226

Baton Rouge, LA 70821

(225)769-2089 (h)

(225)359-8551 (w)

(225)359-1138 (fax)

jrclark@erenj.com

Treasurer

Kathryn Louie

Dept. Of Pediatrics

Children's Nutrition Research Center

1100 Bates, Room 7060

MC 5-1000

Houston, TX 77030-2600

(713)799-8429 (h)

(713)798-7160 (w)

(713)798-7119 (fax)

louie@bcm.tmc.edu

Records Chair

Patricia A. Fish

May-Oct 1213 South Shore Court

Amery, WI 54001-5102

(715)268-4632

Oct-May 16588 Bear Cub Ct.

Fort Myers, FL 33908-4323

(941)466-8381

lapafish@hotmail.com

Editor

Sharon V. Vercellotti

V-LABS, INC.

423 N. Theard Street

Covington, LA 70433

(504)893-0533 (w) (h)

(504)893-0517 (fax)

v-labs@wild.net

Historian

Anne T. Sherren

North Central College

P.O. Box 3063

Naperville, IL 60566-7063

(630)637-5193-(w)

(630)637-5121-fax

ats@noctrl.edu

Coordinator of Members-at-Large

Kathryn A. Thomasson

University of North Dakota

Chemistry Dept. Box 9024

Grand Forks, ND 58202-9024

(701)777-3199 (w)

(701)777-2331 (fax)

Kathryn.thomasson@mail.chem.und.nodak.edu

Director for Professional Awards

Christine K. F. Hermann

Box 694, Dept of Chemistry & Physics

Radford University

Radford, VA 24142

(540) 639-6705 (h)

(540)831-5413 (w)

(540)831-6615 (fax)

chermann@runet.edu

Director for Student Awards

Lily Ng

Department of Chemistry

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 44115

(216)687-2467 (w)

(216)687-9298 (fax)

l.ng@popmail.csuohio.edu

Immediate Past President

Linda C. Brazdil

Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy

Office of Research and Evaluation

1500 W. Sullivan Road

Aurora IL 60506-1000

(630)907-5069 (w)

(630)907-5918 (fax)

brazdil@imsa.edu

February, 2000

Page

The Iotan

Sharon V. Vercellotti, Editor

423 North Theard Street

COVINGTON LA 70433

Please send news and information to

Sharon V. Vercellotti, Editor

(504)893-0517 - fax; v-labs@wild.net

or to one of our feature editors

listed in the masthead

Wait!

News about you makes this publication interesting for other Iotans.

Please take a few minutes to jot down what you are doing.

1) Speeches, papers, symposia, invited talks

2) Publications, patents, grants awarded

3) New positions, appointments, promotions, awards, honors

retirements, postdoctoral research

4) Offices held in professional societies

5) Avocational achievements, miscellaneous

Items for "Resources" or "Chapter News" are also solicited. Send a photo of your activity. Please include your chapter name.

Page February, 2000