AWARDS
Applications Open For Frasch Grants
P
ROPOSALS ARE BEING ACCEPTED FOR
the 2007 Frasch Foundation grants to support research in the field of agricultural chemistry. The awards place an emphasis on projects that promise practical benefit to agricultural development in the U.S. The grants are supported by the Herman Frasch Foundation, a trust created under the will of Elizabeth Blee Frasch. The grants will begin onJury 1,2007, and will continue forfiveyears. The ACS Committee on Frasch Foundation Grants will recommend approximately 12 to 14 grants of $50,000 per year for thefive-yearperiod. Research proposed for support should be primarily chemical or biochemical in nature. Projects that focus on nutrition, agronomy, genetics, or entomology are not usually favored. Competitionfor2007 grants will be limited to faculty in their first seven years of tenure-track status. Projects should involve graduate students or postdoctoralfellowsin the research. Applicationformsmay be obtained from the Research Grants Office, ACS, 1155— 16th St., N.W., Washington, D C 20036, (202) 872-4481; on the Web at chemistry. oi^frasch.htrnl; or by e-mail to fraschinfo® acs.org. Completed applications must be received by Oct. 2.
Herty Medal Goes To Gary Schuster
G
ARY B. SCHUSTER, VASSAR WOOLLEY
Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry and dean of the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology, has been awarded the 2006 Charles Holmes Herty Medal. The medal is presented annually by the ACS Georgia Section to recognize the work and service of an outstanding chemist from the southeastern region of the U.S. Schuster performed fundamental experiments and developed the theoretical rationale for the mechanism of charge transport in DNA. He has also played a pivotal role in the revitalization of Georgia Tech's chemical sciences department and the invigoration of science faculty throughout the University System of Georgia by establishing a faculty development program for yearlong visits to Georgia Tech. One of Schuster's earliest discoveries involved chemically initiated electron-exchange luminescence, which combines aspects of peroxide decomposition and WWW.CEN-0NLINE.ORG
electrogenerated chemiluminescence. It provided the mechanistic basis that explains the glow of the North Americanfirefry.This discovery also forms the basis for clinical procedures that were subsequently commercialized. More recently, Schuster's research hasfocusedon developing an understanding of the oxidative reactions of DNA.
Samuel Danishefsky Wins Inaugural Creativity Award
S
AMUEL J. DANISHEFSKY, A CHEMISTRY
professor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Columbia University, is the inaugural recipient ofthe Award for Creativity in Molecular Design & Synthesis. The award, which consists of a plaque and a cash prize, will presented by the Organic Topical Group of the ACS Northjersey Section on Sept. 20 in Somerset, N J. The award is given in recognition of accomplishment in pure or applied chemistry as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual and indicated by published or unpublished evidence. Award candidates are world-renowned leaders ofunusual merit; for example, individuals who have demonstrated broad impact in the areas of chemical synthesis, method development, bioorganic/medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and/or molecular recognition. The award was established by the North Jersey Section of ACS and is sponsored by Rutgers University and major pharmaceutical companies (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Schering-Plough, and Roche) throughout NewJersey. At the presentation, Danishefsky will present a keynote address on provocative problems in total synthesis. For more information, visit www.njacs.org/ organichtml.
Arieh Warshel Is Honored
A
RIEH WARSHEL, A PROFESSOR OF
chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Southern California, has been awarded the 2 0 0 6 President's Award in Computational Biology of the International Society of Quantum Biology & Pharmacology (ISQBP). The award is presented every two years to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the field of computational chemistry and biology. The award was pre-
sented at the ISQBP President's Meeting in Strasbourg, France, in June. Warshel is among the world leaders in computational biophysics. He and his research group introduced several of the most effective models for computer simulations of biological molecules. They pioneered molecular dynamics simulations of biological systems in studies of the vision and photosynthesis processes and introduced simulation studies of chemical reactions in enzymes and solutions, as well as simulations of protein folding and studies of electrostatic energies in proteins. Warshel and his coworkers have been responsible for the development of the emerging field of computational enzymology. As a result of Warshel's work, questions about the functions of particular biological molecular structures can now be formulated as well-defined problems in computational chemistry, ranging from enzyme design to ion flow to the action of molecular motors.
Call For Nominations For Esselen Award
T
HE ACS NORTHEASTERN SECTION IS
seeking nominationsforthe Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest. The award is given annually to a chemist whose scientific and technical work has contributed to the public well-being and has thereby communicated positive values of the chemical profession. The significance of this work should have become apparent within thefiveyears preceding nomination. The awardee must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada. The award consists of a bronze medal and a check for $5,000. Travel expenses incidental to the conferring of this award will be reimbursed. The award will be presented at the April 12,2007, meeting of the Northeastern Section. The awardee will deliver an address related to the work for which the honor is being conferred. Nominations should include the names of two cosponsors, a biography of the nominee, a description of the work that has been recognized as communicating the positive values of the chemical profession, along with copies ofpertinent articles and popular news and feature articles indicative ofpublic interest. Joint nominations are acceptable. Nominations should be sent by Oct. 15 to Robert Langer, c/o Karen Piper, 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451. Inquiries maybe made to Langer at (617) 253-3107, e-mail: danger® mit.edu; or Piper at (978) 456-8622, e-mail:
[email protected]. Award recipients will be notified by Feb. 1,2007. • C&EN
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