Councilor’s Report233rd National MeetingAmerican Chemical Society: Councilor’s Report 233rd National Meeting American Chemical Society March 23-29, 2007 Bob Howell


Attendance: Attendance Regular attendees* 7,512 Students* 5,059 Exhibitors 1,283 Exposition only 573 Guests 453 * includes a large contingent from CMU


Candidates for 2008 President-Elect: Candidates for 2008 President-Elect THOMAS H. LANE Howard M. Peters


Candidates for District II Director, 2008-2010: Candidates for District II Director, 2008-2010 Diane Grob Schmidt Joseph R. Peterson


Employment Clearing House (ChemJobs Career Center): Employment Clearing House (ChemJobs Career Center) Job Seekers 1,439 Employers 73 Positions 683


Membership: Membership Members 160,491 (December 2006-highest since 2002) Retention 92% Membership categories Proposed Member Student member Society affiliate


Requirements for Membership: Requirements for Membership An earned bachelor’s or higher degree in a chemical science or related field of: Natural science Engineering Technology Science education from an appropriately accredited educational institution, or one acceptable to the Admissions Committee


Requirements for Membership cont’d.: Requirements for Membership cont’d. 2) An associate degree or equivalent in a chemical science or related field of technology from a program acceptable to the Admissions Committee 3) Full certification, licensure, or other qualification as a pre-college teacher of chemical science, provided such certifications, licensure, or other qualification is deemed satisfactory by the Admissions Committee


Requirements for Membership cont’d.: Requirements for Membership cont’d. 4) Less formal training than indicated previously and significant documented work experience from Chemical Science, Chemical Technology, Chemical Education that is satisfactory to the Admissions Committee as representing achievement equivalent to that in the previous provisions. It shall be the intent that one year of full-time relevant work experience be broadly equivalent to one year of full-time education and training.


Requirements for Membership cont’d.: Requirements for Membership cont’d. The Admissions Committee may approve for MEMBER a person who meets any of the following requirements for formal training: experience, or employment in a chemical science or in a related field of natural science (those sciences that deal with matter energy, and their interrelationships and transformations engineering technology science education


Council: Council Approved a change in the timing of run-off elections by replacing a fixed date (November 15) with a requirement that the run-off ballots be distributed “no late than four weeks after the first election results have been certified and in no event later than December 15” Approved the use of a preferential ballot for situations in which only one Director-at-Large position is open


Council cont’d.: Council cont’d. Returned to committee (Nominations and Elections) a proposal for consistency in national election procedures and asked that it reconsider the signature requirements for qualification of petitions candidates and to consider procedures for utilizing electronic signatures, codifying the academic/industrial rotation for President-Elect and applying it to petition candidates, and making Council part of the petition candidate selection process


Council cont’d.: Council cont’d. Denied on a recorded vote, a proposal to establish a one-year waiting period following service on the Committee on Nominations and Elections before an individual can be nominated for District Director, President-Elect or Director-at-Large Approved the payment of dues (no discount) for periods of two or three years Approved the Chemical Professional’s Code of Conduct


Council cont’d.: Council cont’d. Approved the establishment of the Snake River Local Section with headquarters in Boise, ID. This brings the total number of local sections to 190 Approved dates and sites for 2017 national meetings as follows: April 2-6, San Francisco, California and September 10-14, St. Louis, Missouri Approved the continuance of the Committee on Science, the Women Chemists Committee, and the Younger Chemists Committee


Dues: Dues Dues for 2008 were set at the fully escalated rate of $136 (2007 was the last year for the special assessment for divisions and local sections


New Award: New Award New Award: ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry (an endowment to support the award has been provided by Rohm and Haas)


Society Finances: Society Finances The Society ended 2006 with a net contribution from operations of $12.2 million, on revenues of $424.0 million and expenses of $411.9 million, which was $7.8 million favorable to the approved budget The favorable variance was primarily attributable to higher-than-budgeted electronic services revenue and investment income, as well as expense savings from lower-than-budgeted health care costs and reduced IT spending. The Society ended 2006 in full compliance with the Board-established financial guidelines


2006 Year-End Results: 2006 Year-End Results Net from Operations: $12.2 million Budget variance: $7.8 million Favorable Full compliance with Board’s financial guidelines


2006 Actual Net from Operations: 2006 Actual Net from Operations


Net Contribution (or Loss) from Operations ( in Millions): Net Contribution (or Loss) from Operations ( in Millions)


Web Page Improvement: Web Page Improvement The revised web page with an emphasis on “find-ability” will be functional by 3rd quarter, 2007


Chemical Abstracts Service: Chemical Abstracts Service 100th Anniversary (1907-2007) National Historic Chemical Landmark


Notable Anniversaries: Notable Anniversaries Women Chemists Committee – 80th National Chemistry Week – 20th


Notable Technical Sessions: Notable Technical Sessions Undergraduate Research in Polymer Science (Steve June – CMU) Biopolymers, controlled polymerization, self-assembly, nanostructured functional polymers, Alan G. MacDiarmid memorial (POLY/PMSE) Stable radicals (HIST) Glyphosate: A once-in-a-century herbicide (AGRO)


Notable Technical Sessions cont’d.: Notable Technical Sessions cont’d. ACS Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry – Robert J. Angelici (INOR) Catalysis (petrochemical processing, water splitting, green chemistry) (INOR)


NIH Public Access Policy: NIH Public Access Policy What is valid science? Nothing is valid until it is peer-reviewed. Can the general public understand technical publications listed on NIH website? The cost to run the web site is about $200M. Should this money be taken from the support of research (about 650 new research programs)?


USPTO User Fees: USPTO User Fees It has been common practice for Congress to divert PTO fees to deficit reduction Current budget proposal allows fees to stay with PTO More examiners Shorter delays in issuance Better review (detection) of prior art


CPT proposed guidelines: CPT proposed guidelines The Committee on Professional Training has proposed new guidelines for undergraduate programs in chemistry, which omits polymeric materials Much help is needed to correct this


Interdisciplinary Programming: Interdisciplinary Programming Interdisciplinary programming at national meetings is being strongly encouraged Beginning with the 2008 Philadelphia meeting, rewards for such programming will be provided


Committee Composition: Committee Composition Non-councilor members 362/740 49%


Councilor Divisor: Councilor Divisor The new membership divisor for the determination of the number of councilors will be available in May


Successful Collegiate Basketball Teams: Successful Collegiate Basketball Teams Of the 65 institutions with basketball teams competing in the current NCAA tournament, 59 have SciFinder Scholar. Teams representing the six who do not lost in the first round of the tournament.