Education
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Lectures bridge academic-industrial gap Speakers at University of Massachusetts introduce students to chemistry as it is practiced in industry Many college chemistry students have little idea of what industrial chemists do. But students at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst are getting a feel of what industrial chemistry is all about from a lecture series called "Chemistry in Action." Organized last fall by chemistry professor Sidney Siggia, the lecture series is an attempt to reach across the academic-industrial interface. "Because of my industrial background (he was head of analytical research and services at Olin Corp.'s research laboratory in New Haven, Conn., before coming to the University of Massachusetts), many students come to me for orientation when they are seeking employment," Dr. Siggia explains. "They ask questions such as: 'What types of jobs exist in industry?' and 'What type of a job might best suit me?' I felt that it would be helpful to pre-
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C&EN MAY 3, 1971
sent a series of lectures describing chemical activities outside the universities. As a pilot lecture, I asked Dr. W. E. 'Butch' Hanford, vice president for research at Olin Corp., to speak to our students on 'Chemistry in the 70's and Beyond.' The talk was so enthusiastically received that a full lecture series was organized." Relationship. The lecture topics were selected to explore the role of chemistry and chemists in modern society and technology and to indicate the relationship of the chemistry taught in school to the chemistry practiced in the field. The lectures give the student some idea of the broad spectrum of chemical areas that are available to him as a career. "In the universities, we accent the scientific aspects of the field," Dr. Siggia says. "The student sees little of the applied aspects or of the areas on the fringes of chemistry—namely, chemical law, sales, management, chemical information handling, and the like." Through the lecture series, it is hoped that the student will become better able to orient his personal qualifications to the needs of the field. The lectures acquaint the student with direct job opportunities in diverse areas and introduce people to whom the student might write for information on specific areas. Twenty-four lectures in addition to Dr. Hanford's were scheduled for 1970-71. The topics range across applied chemistry from the isolation of metallic elements from their ores (Dr. W. D. Peterson, associate director of Olin's metallurgical research center, New Haven, Conn.) to the chemistry and formulation of cosmetics (Dr. Edward Levy and Dr. C. E. Eden, Gillette Co., Boston, Mass.). Painting other sides of the industrial picture, Dr. John Flagg, director of American Cyanamid's research laboratory in Stamford, Conn., talked about chemical management, and Dr. Thomas O'Day, patent counsel at Olin Corp., discussed law and chemistry. One and one half hours are allowed for the talks and discussions. The lectures are open to undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. In
Dr. W. £. Hanford
general, one lecture has been scheduled per week. In addition to people from the University of Massachusetts, students from other colleges in the Amherst area and even from the University of Connecticut at Storrs have attended the lectures. Occasionally, students from local high schools have also been present. Rapt. Olin's Dr. Hanford is quite enthusiastic about the "Chemistry in Action" series. "When Sid introduces a speaker he doesn't give the usual introduction lifted from 'American Men of Science,' " Dr. Hanford says. "Instead, he tells the audience the actual scientific accomplishments of the speaker. He captures the rapt attention of the audience, and the speaker then tells it like it is. I have received letters from many students asking for more information and asking questions about job opportunities in industry." In general, student response has been very good, Dr. Siggia says, and several of the speakers have told him that students have contacted them. The series will be repeated next year, with possibly more emphasis on selected topics to be determined by a questionnaire that will be submitted to the students.
