Chemical Education Today
News & Announcements News from Journal House
Awards Announced
ConfChem: Focus on NSDL
3M National Teaching Fellowship
The Spring 2008 Conf Chem will focus on Chemistry at the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). ConfChem is a free, open-to-the-public conference that is presented entirely online. Papers are posted online, and discussion takes place on a ListServ. The first paper, authored by Lee L. Zia, (NSF) fo cuses on the history, progress, and promise of the NSDL. John Moore, Jon Holmes, and Theresa Zielinski will present a paper on the ChemEd Digital Library (ChemEd DL). Other papers from ChemEd DL collaborators will focus on everything from online learning communities to resources in the digital library and how to use them. In addition to ChemEd DL, there will be presentations about two other NSDL Pathways: Computational Science (CSERD) and Physics and Astronomy (Compadre). All papers and discussion will be archived and available on the ChemEd DL at completion of the conference. The conference will be held April 15 to May 15, 2008. To participate, sign up (before April 15) at http://www.ched-ccce.org/ confchem/2008/b/index.htm (accessed Feb 2008). ConfChem is sponsored by the Committee on Computers in Chemical Edu cation of the ACS Division of Chemical Education.
Peter Mahaffy, a member of the Department of Chemistry, The King’s University College in Edmonton, Canada, has received a 2008 3M National Teaching Fellowship. The 3M award honors educational leader ship and excellence in undergraduate teaching. It is regarded as Canada’s top teaching award. Mahaffy teaches chemistry ma jors but has also developed innovative approaches to teaching chemistry to Peter Mahaffy arts and science students (see J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83, 49–55). He has a strong interest in visualiza tion for both research and teaching and is the co-director of the King’s Centre for Visualization in Science.
JCE Editor Search: Update After 13 years of innovative leadership as the seventh editor of the Journal of Chemical Education, John Moore will step down in October 2009. Following a national search for a new editor in 2007, the JCE Board of Publication has selected Norbert Pienta of the University of Iowa, (Iowa City, IA) to be the next editor of the Journal. Norb brings a wealth of experience in the field of chemical education including as editor and con tributing author of the Chemists’ Guide to Effective Teaching (Prentice Hall) Norbert Pienta as well as that of textbook author of Chemistry in Context, 4th and 5th edi tions (ACS–McGraw Hill), and chemical education researcher. In addition, Norb has extensive experience in the business world which will be put to use in managing the Journal. Norb’s vision for JCE includes continuing the Journal’s goal of serving several constituencies including the high school teacher; the 2-year, 4-year, and university classroom teacher; and the chemical edu cation researcher through both print and online resources. The transition of the editorship from the University of Wisconsin– Madison to University of Iowa is currently underway. Norb will take over the reins as editor of the Journal starting with the October 2009 issue. Questions regarding the new editorship can be addressed to Norb Pienta (
[email protected]) or to Diane Bunce, Chair of the Board of Publication (bunce@ cua.edu). Manuscripts should continue to be submitted to the UW–Madison address. 494
Chemical Heritage Foundation Award The Chemical Heritage Foundation has announced that Yuan Tseh Lee will receive the 2008 Othmer Gold Medal. He will receive the award on May 15, 2008, at the annual Othmer Gold Medal luncheon, the opening event in Heritage Day. This is the 11th annual presentation of the medal. Lee received the Nobel Prize in 1986 along with Dudley R. Herschbach and John C. Polanyi for their contributions to the study of the dynamics of chemical reactions. Their research contributed to the field of reaction dynamics by allowing the study of complex reaction mechanisms beyond the capability of previous methods. 2008 Edelstein Award The ACS Division of the History of Chemistry announces that Sir John Shipley Rowlinson will receive the 2008 Sidney M. Edelstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry. Rowlinson was chosen “because of the breadth and quality of his research publications in the history of physical chemistry and his contributions over the last three decades to the development of the history of physical chemistry at the Univer sity of Oxford”. Publications in the history of science include a translation of J. D. van der Waals’s doctoral thesis, On the Continuity of the Gaseous and Liquid States (1988); a collaborative biography of van der Waals with A. Ya. Kipnis and B. E. Yavelov, Van der Waals and Molecular Science (1996); and Cohesion: A Scientific History of Intermolecular Forces (2002). The award consists of an engraved plaque and a check for $3500; it will be presented to Rowlinson at the fall ACS national meeting.
Award Deadlines ACS 2008 Overcoming Challenges Award The ACS Women Chemists Committee has established an award designed to recognize a woman undergraduate from a 2-year or 4-year institution for her efforts in overcoming hard
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ship to achieve success in chemistry. The award consists of a plaque, a monetary award of $250, and up to $1,000 in travel expenses to the fall ACS national meeting. Details about award criteria and administration may be found at http://membership.acs.org/W/WCC/OCA-2007-NominationsCall.pdf (accessed Feb 2008) or phone 800/227-5558, ext. 6334. Nominations must be received by May 1, 2008. Hach Foundation Grants for High School Chemistry Teachers The Hach Scientific Foundation will strategically change a portion of its out reach budget to better support U.S. high school chemistry teachers in improving their classrooms. Grants have a maximum of $1,500 and a simple application form—High School Chem istry Classroom Outreach—which is available at http://www. hachscientificfoundation.org/outreach.shtml (accessed Feb 2008). Applications are due May 31, 2008, to be sent to Hach Scientific Foundation, 6833 Antigua Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525; fax: 970/223-3570; email:
[email protected]. Responses to applications will be by July 1, 2008.
Courses, Seminars, Meetings, Opportunities 20th ICCE in Mauritius Reminder: the 20th International Conference on Chemical Education (ICCE), will be held August 3–8, 2008, in Mauritius. The conference is sponsored by IUPAC, and its theme is Chem istry in the ICT Age, in line with the worldwide trend in science and technology development. In addition, part of the conference will be virtual, to be held in July 2008 (for which registration is free). More information is at the conference Web site at http:// www.uom.ac.mu/icce/index.asp (accessed Feb 2008). Bytesize Science: ACS Podcast for Young Listeners Bytesize Science is an educational, entertaining podcast for young listen ers recently launched by the American Chemical Society Office of Communica tions. Bytesize Science translates cuttingedge scientific discoveries that have been reported in ACS journals into stories for young listeners—stories about science, health, medicine, energy, food, and other topics. A new installment is posted every Mon day and is available without charge. The archive now includes items on environmental threats to killer whales, a scientific ex planation of why some people love chocolate, a hairy tale about “hairy roots”, and more. Listen to Bytesize Science in your Web browser at http://feeds.feedburner.com/BytesizeScience (accessed Feb 2008) or subscribe to it in iTunes, where it is listed as a new and notable podcast.
The Chemistry of Fire for High School Students The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has partnered with Discovery Education to create a new in-school program titled The Chemistry of Fire. The program is geared to high school chemistry students, with an aim to teach students the science behind fire as a way to help them fully understand its dangers. The interactive program includes a teacher’s guide with five lesson plans, a DVD that demonstrates the experiments included in the lessons, three classroom posters, and a Web site where teachers and students can find more classroom and career resources. The program is aligned to the NSTA Standards for 9–12 grades. The Chemistry of Fire program is being sent to high school science department chairs in the U.S. Nanoscience: Online Course Are you interested in learning about nanoscience and how to incorporate it into your current curricula? The University of Wisconsin–Madison is offering an 8-week online course about nanoscience starting June 16 , 2008. Specifically geared toward high school or middle school teachers, the course covers a variety of nanoscience topics, offers activities for use with students, and shows how to incorporate nanoscience into your curriculum. Teachers will receive two hours of graduate credit for completing the course. This is a typical teacher reaction to the course. I am a middle school science teacher…with a so-so background in chemistry…and no background in nanotechnology. I learned so much, and I can see ways that I can teach nanotech concepts to my 8th graders through my curriculum.
For information contact Janice Hall Tomasik at janicehall@ wisc.edu or phone 608/262-8647. The deadline for receiving applications is June 1, 2008. Call for Field Test Collaborators: Physical Science The Large Enrollment Physical Science Curriculum (LEPS) project has received funding from the NSF CCLI program to develop a one-semester guided inquiry-based physical science curriculum for large enrollment, general education settings (60+ students). The work will build on two successful curricula, Physics and Everyday Thinking and Physical Science and Everyday Thinking, both of which were designed for classes with small enrollments (40 students or less). Field test collaborators are needed and will be selected on these criteria: currently teaching a large enrollment one-semester general education physical science class; willingness to attend a 3-day LEPS workshop in San Diego during summer 2009; com mitment to teach LEPS at least once (preferably twice) during the 2009–2010 academic year; willingness to provide substantial feedback and to carry out project evaluation responsibilities; and familiarity with and access to technology (e.g. real-time, computer-based data acquisition, class response systems, and learning management systems). Field test collaborators will receive stipends for participation and travel support to attend the workshop. Send questions to Fred Goldberg at fgoldberg@
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News & Announcements sciences.sdsu.edu; information and an application form are available on the LEPS Web site at http://cpucips.sdsu.edu/leps/ (accessed Feb 2008). The deadline for applications is June 1, 2008.
Supporting JCE Online Material
http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2008/Apr/abs494.html Full text (HTML and PDF) with links to cited URLs and JCE articles.
Proposal Deadlines National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources These NSF deadlines have been established or are anticipated.
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Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Preliminary Proposals April 24, 2008 Full Proposals October 16, 2008 Centers for Res. Excellence in Sci. & Technol. (CREST) Research Infrastruc. for Sci. and Engin. (RISE)(CREST) Full Proposals March 14, April 8, or April 10, 2008 Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) Full Proposals April 3, 2008 Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research: Workshop Opportunities (EPS) Full Proposals accepted any time Informal Science Education (ISE) Full Proposals June 19, 2008 Integrative Grad. Educ. & Res. Traineeship Prog.(IGERT) Full Proposals, Resource Center April 24, 2008 Prelim. Proposals, Traineeships April 24, 2008 Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Full Proposals (see Web Site) March 25 or April 10, 2008 NSF Scholarship in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (S-STEM) Letter of Intent July 10, 2008 Full Proposals August 12, 2008 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Full Proposals, REU Site (Antarctic) June 6, 2008 Full Proposals, REU Site August 18, 2008 Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Full Proposals (see Web site) April 9 or April 10, 2008 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) Full Proposals, Planning accepted any time Full Proposals, Innov. through Instit. Integ. April 10, 2008
Official deadline dates for proposals will be specified in the new program solicitation for each program, to be published at least three months before the relevant deadline date. Consult the NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR) Web site (http:// www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=EHR) and that of its Division of Undergraduate Education (http://www.nsf.gov/div/index. jsp?div=DUE) for the most up-to-date listings and guidelines; phone: 703/292-8670; email:
[email protected].
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The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.*
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Camille Dreyfus Teacher–Scholar Awards Program: February 5, 2009 (new deadline) Faculty Start-Up Awards Program: May 8, 2008 Henry Dreyfus Teacher–Scholar Awards Program: June 26, 2008 New Faculty Awards Program: May 8, 2008 Postdoctoral Program in Environmental Chemistry: May 22, 2008 Senior Scientist Mentor Program: November 13, 2008 Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences: Preliminary Proposals: June 5, 2008 Full Proposals (by invitation): November 13, 2008
* New submission guidelines may apply. For details and infor mation on online application and nomination forms, check the Dreyfus Foundation Web site at http://www.dreyfus.org or contact The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., 555 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3301; phone: 212/753-1760; email:
[email protected]. Research Corporation** ** Major changes in the Research Corp. awards program have taken place: some programs were terminated, there have been changes in ongoing programs, and an entirely new program has been initiated (about which details will appear in summer 2008). “The Foundation has decided to sharpen the focus of its programs on early-career academic scientists in the U.S.” See http://www.rescorp.org/ for more information.
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Cottrell College Science Awards: new guidelines avail able at http://www.rescorp.org/ • Cottrell Scholar Awards: changes to be announced Spring 2008 These awards have been terminated: • Research Innovation Awards • Research Opportunity Awards • Special Opportunities in Science Awards • Department Development Awards
Further information may be obtained from Research Corpora tion, 4703 East Camp Lowell Drive, Suite 201, Tucson, AZ 85712; phone: 520/571-1111; fax: 520/571-1119; email:
[email protected]; WWW: http://www.rescorp.org/. NOTE: check this Web site for information about a new requirement for submitting applications online.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 85 No. 4 April 2008 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • © Division of Chemical Education
