Pittsburgh Conference March 6-10,1989 · Atlanta, GA
D
espite tornadoes and travel snafus caused by the Eastern Airlines strike, scores of analytical chemists converged on Atlanta in early March to attend the 40th annual Pittsburgh Conference and Exposition. Once there, more than 26,000 conferees discovered that the spirit and hospitality of the region, recounted by Margaret Mitchell in Gone with the Wind, remains today. The Pittsburgh Conference has a history of breaking records, and this year's ruby anniversary meeting was no exception. Attendance was higher than that of the 1988 conference, more technical papers (1534) were presented, and more exhibitors (850) in more booths (2556) displayed state-of-theart analytical instruments, chemicals,
FOCUS equipment, supplies, and services than ever before. (See Table I for a comparison with previous years.) Unlike last year's conference, which was held in two halls, this year's meeting and exposition were held entirely within the spacious Georgia World Congress Center. As the week wore on and conferees visited booths and attended talks, they learned firsthand that the facility encompasses 15 acres, the size of 14 sideby-side football fields. For detailed coverage of the exposition, see the March 20 issue of Chemical & Engineering News. During the week of the conference, an Employment Bureau once again offered assistance in matching job candidates and employer representatives. The number of job candidates registered increased (861 vs. 704 in 1988), and the number of job openings was higher than last year (917 vs. 836 in 1988). (See Tables II and III for comparison with previous years.) Centcom, Ltd., advertising sales management for American Chemical Society publications, held its annual Pittsburgh Conference breakfast on Tuesday, March 7. This year's program featured a discussion on the biopharmaceutical industry in the 1990s. Panelists included Gerald L. Hawk, Centu-
ry International, Inc.; Linda I. Miller, Paine Webber Inc.; and William T. Comer, Bristol-Myers Co. Moderated by Richard A. Dreher of RAD Associates, the spirited discussion focused on the need for citizen involvement in science policy and science education, the biotechnology industry from a stock analyst's viewpoint, and the instrumentation necessary to bring new biotechnology and biopharmaceutical products to market. In recognition of the importance of science, science education, and the meeting of the Pittsburgh Conference, Atlanta mayor Andrew Young and Georgia governor Joe Frank Harris proclaimed March 5-11 as Science Week in Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Conference officials again made science education a focus of the week. "There is a critical need to address the need for better science education," said Thomas J. Conti, chairman of the Publicity and Public Relations Committee. "We must look ahead to the many future jobs that will go unfilled if we do not prepare today's students for the technical world we have created." To this end, conference officials invited Atlanta science teachers to be their guests for Science Teachers' Day on Tuesday, March 7. Activities included lectures and demonstrations to ac-
quaint them with new concepts and innovative teaching methods; tours of both SCITREK, Atlanta's science and technology museum, and the exposition itself; recognition of science fair award winners; and presentation of Pittsburgh Conference college equipment grants to two Georgia colleges, Shorter College and Valdosta State College. Special events, including Science Students' Day in Atlanta when 1000 area students toured the exhibit, were
Table 1. Pittsburgh Conference attendance statistics, 1986--1989 Category
1986
1987
1988
1989
Total no. of conferees No. of technical papers No. of exhibitors No. of booth spaces
29,146 1,094 730 2,012
31,555 1,145 790 2,039
25,264 1,325 830 2,300
26,741 1534 850 2556
Table II. No. of job candidates, 1986-1989 Degree
1986
1987
1988
1989
Ph.D. M.S. B.A. or B.S Other Total
380 168 322 39 909
535 72 314 18 939
348 132 212 12 704
403 157 261 40 861
602 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 61, NO. 9, MAY 1, 1989
also scheduled by the conference committee and a number of exhibitors. They were designed to enable area students to learn about real-life applications of scientific principles, to see how science influences their lives, and to gain an understanding of career opportunities available to then» in scientific fields. "By providing the teachers and young people of Atlanta with an opportunity to see firsthand some of the exciting areas of interest to which these students may someday contribute, we hope to demonstrate that the study of science can lead to rewarding careers," said Conti. "At the very least, a better understanding of basic science enables
us to interact effectively with the world around us. Our hope is that in some small way, Science Week will help us reverse the declining number of scientists graduating from our schools." Another problem facing all science and engineering disciplines is the current underrepresentation of women and the need to increase their participation in these fields. This situation, together with the unique strengths and needs of women scientists, was addressed at a special luncheon seminar and panel discussion held in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Tuesday, March 7. Panel members included Henry N. Blount and Margrete S. Klein, NSF; Linda J. Magid, University of Tennessee; Judith C. Giordan, Henkel Corp.; and Jeanette G. Grasselli, Ohio University. Alice J. Cunningham, Agnes Scott College, acted as moderator. Approximately 200 women heard Blount present statistics about the projected shortage of scientists in the 1990s and the need to encourage all bright young people, particularly those from underrepresented demographic sectors, to consider science as a profession. Today more women than ever attend college and pursue graduate study in chemistry. In fact, 28% of recent doctoral-level chemistry degrees have been awarded to women, most of whom embark on industrial careers. This increasing participation by women provides an opportunity for them to function as role models for students contemplating a scientific career. NSF has devised several special programs to assist women and minorities, including its Visiting Professorships for Women Program, in which women scientists hold positions as visiting professors at host academic institutions. This program is a particularly appropriate means of tapping the growing resource
Table III. Comparison of job openings, 1986--1989 Description Academic Government Industrial labs Industrial sales Industrial management Research institutions Employment agencies Analyst Miscellaneous Total ' Comparable breakdown not available.
1986
1987
1988
1989
15 64 543 198
19 28 413 143
10
24
•
* 113 104 58
*
*
170 147 61
3 61
26 71
* *
# *
• *
* •
884
700
372 76 836
210 408 917
of women in industry who are in an excellent position to be proactive for chemistry at all levels. This year's expanded technical program reflected the breadth of analytical chemistry and covered techniques ranging from those just starting to achieve analytical usefulness to those that are proven workhorses. As program chairman Stephen G. Weber put it, "Everything from quantum mechanics to quality assurance" was included. The program also offered opportunities to discuss the implementation of the Pimentel Report and to hear experts assess the future of analytical chemistry. Special attention was given to the role of analytical chemistry in biotechnology and bioanalytical science. The link between the well-constructed technical program and exhibition was evident. For example, again this year, conferees and instrument manufacturers showed continuing interest in the biotechnology arena. The symposium devoted to new developments in capillary electrophoresis (CE) was extremely well attended, and five commercial CE instruments were introduced. High-resolution magnetic sector mass spectrometers and a variety of LC/MS instruments suitable for the biotechnology, clinical, and pharmaceutical markets were also unveiled. Environmental analysis was discussed in a symposium dealing with OSHA, NIOSH, EPA, and SARA III in the analytical laboratory. These sessions, which emphasized the expanding role analytical chemistry plays in regulatory analysis, were complemented by the introduction of new, lower cost mass spectrometers designed for contract laboratories. The reemergence of chromatography was also apparent in the emphasis on preparative chromatography and columns that is being spurred by the expanding bioanalytical market. Thinlayer chromatography (TLC) has been rediscovered. With automated sample handling equipment and new spectroscopic and mass spectrometric detection, TLC is no longer as low-resolution or as labor-intensive as most analysts believe. After having been south of the Mason-Dixon line for two years, the conference continues its rotation and moves to New York City in 1990. Conference officials are calling next year's meeting, to be held March 5-9 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, "one significant sensation." It's not too early to mark your calendar and start training for this upcoming Manhattan marathon. Louise Voress
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 61, NO. 9, MAY 1, 1989 · 603 A
