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[email protected] C&EN Online: http://pubs.acs.org/cen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Madeleine Jacobs MANAGING EDITOR: Rudy M. Baum ART DIRECTOR: Robin L. Braverman SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Lois R. Ember NEWS EDITOR: Janice R. Long SPECIAL FEATURES EDITOR: Celia M. Henry ONLINE EDITION: Melody Voith (Editor), Luis A. Carrillo (Editorial Assistant) ED1TOR-AT-LARGE: Michael Heylin CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Κ. Μ. Reese, Susan J. Ainsworth ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Patricia Oates PROGRAM ASSISTANT: Stephanie Wahl BUSINESS William J. Storck, Assistant Managing Editor Northeast (732) 906-8300. Rachel Eskenazi (Adminis trative Assistant), Michael McCoy (Senior Editor), Marc S. Reisch (Senior Correspondent), Alexander H. Tullo (Assistant Editor), Karen J. Watkins (Associate Editor). Houston: (281) 486-3900. Ann M.Thayer (Bu reau Head). Hong Kong: 852-2984-9072. Jean-François Tremblay (Bureau Head). London: 44 20 88706884. Patricia L Short (Senior Editor) GOVERNMENT & POLICY David J. Hanson, Assistant Managing Editor Washington: (202) 872-4495. Bette Hileman (Senior Editor), Cheryl Hogue (Senior Editor), Jeffrey W. Johnson (Senior Editor), William G. Schulz (Associate Editor) SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY/EDUCAnON Pamela S. Zurer, Assistant Managing Editor Washington: (202) 8724411. Stuart A Borman (Senior Correspondent), Mairin B. Brennan (Senior Editor), Doron Dagani (Senior Correspondent), Rebecca L Rawls (Senior Correspondent), A Maureen Rouhi (Senior Editor), Sophie L Wilkinson (Associate Editor). Northeast (732) 90&8301. Stephen C. Sanson (Senior Editor). Chicago: (847) 679-1156. Mitch Jacoby (Associate Editor). West Coast (510) 8490575. Elizabeth K. Wilson (Associate Editor). London: 44 1256311052. Michael Freemantie (Senior Editor) ACS NEWS Linda R. Raber (ACS News Editor), Kevin R. MacDermott (Assistant Editor) EDITING & PRODUCTION Robin M. Giroux, Assistant Managing Editor Janet S. Dodd (Associate Editor), Arlene Goldberg-Gist (Associate Editor), Deanna Miller (Assistant Editor), Susan R. Morrissey (Assistant Editor), Stephen K. Ritter (Senior Editor), DianaL Slade (Assistant Editor) PUBLISHING & CREATIVE SERVICES William R. Succolosky (Head), Linda Mattingly (Staff Artist). Production & Imaging: Vincent L Parker (Manager), Meltem Akbasli (Assistant) MARKETING MANAGER: Scott Nathan ADVISORY BOARD Paul S. Anderson, Bernard D. Azoulay, Shenda M. Baker, Robert T. Betz, Ronald Breslow, Vincent A Calarco, Margaret A Cavanaugh, Jean Chmielewski, John R. Danzeisen, Mark E. Davis, Earnest W. Deavenport Jr., John G. Ekerdt, J. Michael Fitzpatrick, Renée G. Ford, Cynthia M. Friend, Lynn R. Goldman, Ryota Hamamoto, Peter R Heinze, J. Roger Hirl, Nancy B. Jackson, Carl A Jennings, Robert L Lichter, Chad A Mirkin, James C. Mullen, Riccardo Pigliucci, David B. Price Jr., Douglas J. Raber, David R. Rea, Eisa Reichmanis, Mark C. Rohr, Richard R. Schrock, Ian Shott, Richard E. Smalley, Gabor A Somorjai, Mary C. Waltham Published by AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY John Kistler Crum, Executive Director Robert D. Bovenschulte, Director, Publications Division EDITORIAL BOARD Joan E. Shields (Chair); ACS Board of Directors Chair: Henry F. Whalen; ACS President Daryle H. Busch; Peter C. Jurs, Attila Ε. Pavlath, Barbara J. Peterson, Lura J. Powell. © Copyright 2000, American Chemical Society Canadian GST Reg. No. R127571347
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The Fact Is, R&D Is Everywhere
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n the spirit of the Scholastic Achieve its chemistry faculty members work on a ment Test (SAT), which anxious U.S. wide array of subjects, many related to the high school seniors are taking this marine environment, since the university month, I offer the following multiple- is conveniently located near wetlands and choice question: What do these organi the Atlantic Ocean. zations have in common: Yale Universi Wayne State University was the site ty; the University of North Carolina, of the ACS Detroit Local Section meeting Wilmington; Wayne State University, where I spoke a few weeks ago. The De Detroit; BASF, Wyandotte, Mich.; Ener troit Section attracts R&D chemists from gy Conversion Devices Inc., Troy, Mich.; all walks of the chemical enterprise— the Environmental Protection Agency; including General Motors, which employs Lek Pharmaceuticals, Ljubljana, Slove more chemists than many chemical com nia; and Honeywell, Buffalo? A. They are panies; BASF; pharmaceuticalfirms;and all located near a body of water. B. They of course Wayne State. Prior to speaking have nifty Internet sites. C. They have at the local section, I toured the extensive excellent chemists conducting R&D in a 235-acre BASF facilities in Wyandotte, wide variety of fields. where applied research on polymers is Okay, this was a trick question—in the focus. Meanwhile, in nearby Souththe spirit of the SAT—because the an field, BASF chemists develop innovative swer is D, all of the above. Within the approaches in the area of automotive and past month, Fve had real or virtual tours industrial coatings. of each of these organizations, and to In Troy, Mich., I visited Energy Con gether they exemplify various facets of version Devices (ECD). Headed by Stan the R&D scene. ford and Iris Ovshinsky, ECD has been C&EN's annual snapshot of this in the vanguard of alternative energy scene is found in our cover story, "Facts & systems for many years. Two of their Figures for Chemical R&D." Compiled by best known developments are nickel Assistant Managing Editor for Science/ metal-hydride batteries and flexible, Technology/Education Pamela Zurer, As thin-film photovoltaics. Dozens of ECD's sociate Editor Sophie Wilkinson, and 350 employees are chemists, materials News Editor Janice Long and edited by scientists, physicists, and chemical engi Senior Editor Stephen Ritter, this 27-page neers carrying out both fundamental and special report provides the most extensive applied research. information available on chemical R&D in My virtual tours took place in the pages industry, academia, and government—all of this week's C&EN. Senior Editor Cheryl from a global perspective. There are many Hogue examines the challenges of EPAs trends to be gleanedfromthis report with research arm at its Washington, D.C., head its 46 tables and 12 graphs, and I leave it quarters and 13 far-flung facilities. Senior to readers to draw their own conclusions Editor Patricia Short, in her fascinating sto about the current health of R&D in the ry on the chemical industry in Slovenia, U.S. and abroad. highlights the R&D work at Lek Pharma But if my recent interactions with the ceuticals. Senior Editor Michael McCoy de subjects of my quiz are any indication, the scribes research at Honeywell and else global R&D enterprise is diverse and ded where to create substitutes for ozoneicated—and in many cases quite vibrant depleting foam blowing agents being In September, I visited the chemistry phased out by the government Excellent and important R&D is ev faculties at Yale and at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Yale, of erywhere you look. If you can't get out course, has a chemistry department wor on your own fall tour, my advice is to thy of one of the nation's top research uni read each week's issue of C&EN. We versities. Its faculty, students, and post- promise to keep you abreast of what's docs carry out the kind of cutting-edge re happening on the R&D scene—and search that C&EN reports on each week. there will be no trick questions at the And the university has ambitious plans for end of the day. building new facilities and renovating its older ones. I was also impressed with chemistry research at the University of North Carolina. This state university has nearly doubled in size in recent years, and Editor-in-chief Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those ofACS OCTOBER 30,2000 C&EN
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