Section News & Happenings

Environmental Group Lecture

Mar 6, 2023

Environmental Group Lecture

Process Development for Nutrients Removal and Recycle from Rural and Agricultural Wastes

 

Bo Hu, PhD
Professor, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
University of Minnesota

 

April 5, 2023 7 – 8 pm (EST)

 

Click here​ to download the event flyer

 

How to join:

Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 424 735 174 880 Passcode: 2h4Bjb

or contact [email protected] to receive a link.

Call for Nominations

Mar 3, 2023

The Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society

 

Pittsburgh Award 2023 and Distinguished Service Award 2023

 

 

Pittsburgh Award

 

Purpose: To recognize outstanding leadership in chemical affairs in the local and larger professional community.

Eligibility: Members of the Pittsburgh Section, or in exceptional cases, nonmembers, who have done work worthy of recognition toward increasing chemical knowledge, promoting the chemical industry, benefiting humanity, or advancing the Pittsburgh Section, are eligible for consideration.

 

Distinguished Service Award

 

Purpose: To recognize outstanding volunteer service to the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society.

Eligibility: Members of the Pittsburgh Section, past or present, who have provided outstanding service in advancing the Pittsburgh Section, are eligible for consideration.

 

Call for Nominations

 

Submitting a nomination: Submit each of the following: (1) respective nomination form, (2) up to two support forms, and (3) biographical sketch (or curriculum vitae) by August 15. All nomination materials should be emailed to the Pittsburgh Section Chair-Elect, Alysia Mandato, [email protected].

For more information and the previous recipients please visit the Pittsburgh Award and the Distinguished Service Award or email Alysia Mandato at [email protected].

Pittsburgh Section Employment

Feb 26, 2023

Faculty Instructor Laboratory – Full-Time
Chemistry – Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh – (23001094)

LABORATORY INSTRUCTOR & AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY – STUDENT AFFILIATE FACULTY ADVISOR (9-month term; renewable)

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh (Oakland Campus) invites applications for a Laboratory Instructor position, with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2023. This position is on a 9-month contract, is outside of the tenure stream, and is contingent on administrative and budgetary approval. Review of applications will begin March 15, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled. 

Please find more information here.

Get to Know a Member – Alysia Mandato

Feb 9, 2023

Get to Know a Member – Alysia Mandato

 

1. What is your work and ACS (if applicable) title?

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. I am advised by Professor Sunil Saxena, and I study the biophysical chemistry of proteins and DNA using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. I served as the Secretary of the Pittsburgh Section in 2021 and 2022. I have been The Crucible newsletter editor since 2020, but I’m excited to be passing it on to serve in my new role as 2023 Chair- Elect!

 

2. How many years have you been in the ACS?

4 years

3. What is the biggest benefit of ACS Membership?

The biggest benefits are the variety of people I get to meet with interests in science and chemistry – chemists, students, and the general public!

4. What did you want to be when you were a child?

A Disney princess!

5. What made you fall in love with Chemistry?

My research experiences in college with a wonderful mentor. He taught me that chemistry gives us the ability to solve large problems at the atomic levels!

6. How did you get into your current position?

I thought I was going to be a medical doctor throughout high school and most of college until I became involved in research with my undergraduate professor. I fell in love with the process of research and loved being in the lab, but I didn’t know that graduate school was an option until near the end of my junior year of college! I ended up applying to many PhD programs, and I chose Pitt because I loved being in Pittsburgh. I’m very grateful for the people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had by being a part of Pittsburgh.

7. Which chemist, part or present, would you like to meet and why?

Marie Curie! It would be incredible to hear about her resilience and passion for chemistry. I would be so nervous though!

Get to Know A Member – Edward P. Zovinka, Ph.D.

Jan 25, 2023

Get to Know A Member – Edward P. Zovinka, Ph.D.

 

 

1. What is your work and ACS (if applicable) title?

Professor, Inorganic Chemistry, Served as Councilor, Chair-Elect and 2023 Chair

2. How many years have you been in the ACS?

35 years!

3. What is the biggest benefit of ACS Membership?

Meeting so many great people!

4. What did you want to be when you were a child?

A baseball player and a veterinarian

5. What made you fall in love with Chemistry?

Great Teaching by my General Chemistry professor, Dr. Ben Huddle!

6. What is your favorite part of your career?

Learning new science with amazing students and colleagues

7. Which chemist, part or present, would you like to meet and why?

Svante Arrhenius! He discovered ions, acids, global warming, had to fight for his PhD, and the list goes on! Plus, what a great name! Although if you look at pictures, he appears a bit of a stern sort of person…

 

Fun fact about Ed: He is a published author! Real Chemistry Experiments: 40 Exciting STEAM Activities for Kids (Real Science)

Two Pittsburgh Local Section Members Win National ACS Awards

Jan 25, 2023

Published in the January 2 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, 2023 ACS National Award winners—Part I

Neil M. Donahue

2016 Pittsburgh Award Winner and Lord University Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University Neil M. Donahue won the 2023 National ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology. This award is sponsored by the Aerodyne Research and the ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry and will be presented for the inception and development of the volatility basis set to represent organic particulate matter in the atmosphere.

From C and E News:
Donahue on his scientific hero: “My father, Thomas Donahue, was a real rocket scientist who started the use of sounding rockets with leftover ordinance. He ultimately discovered that ‘Venus was all wet,’ and this was the title he wanted for the article describing findings of the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe.” What Donahue’s colleagues say: “Neil has been a principal player in virtually every important intellectual development in the field of atmospheric chemistry and aerosol formation over the past 2 decades. His work has consistently shifted the paradigms of atmospheric chemistry.”—John Seinfeld, California Institute of Technology

Peter Wipf

2012 Pittsburgh Award Winner and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Peter Wipf won the 2023 National ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. The award is sponsored by MilliporeSigma and will be presented for the discovery of innovative methods in heterocyclic and strain-release chemistry and the development of novel strategies to synthesize complex natural and unnatural molecules.

From C and E News:
Wipf on his most memorable project: “Two of my students discovered serendipitously an early-transition-metal-mediated cascade reaction that introduced nine new C–C bonds. When we thought about possible mechanisms, we speculated that a bicyclo[1.1.0]butane might serve as a key intermediate. Amazingly, this actually turned out to be the case, and it started a still ongoing, most stimulating research effort on the chemistry of bicyclobutanes in my lab.”
What Wipf’s colleagues say: “Peter’s work has contributed significantly to virtually every aspect of modern organic synthesis. He is one of the scientific leaders in this field, and dozens of his novel small molecules are used as probe molecules for biological pathways and as therapeutic lead structures.”—Dennis Curran, University of Pittsburgh

Congratulations to the 2022 Distinguished Service Award Recipient – Dr. Matthew Price

Jan 25, 2023

Matthew is a Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair of the Chemistry Department at PennWest University (California campus). Matthew has served in multiple elected officer positions during the last decade. In 2015, Matt served as the Secretary of the local section. After serving in this role, Matt continued to stay involved in the section and was chosen as Chair-elect during 2019. Matthew’s term as Chair was during 2020. This was an extremely challenging year to serve as Chair as there were many routine programs and events that no longer took place or were completely reimagined. During this time Matt exhibited the ability to stay very positive and keep the local section active during this extremely difficult time.
He pivoted to virtual meetings and did everything he possibly could to keep the local section vibrant. Based on Matt’s completion of the Local Section annual report for 2020, Pittsburgh was nominated for and received the ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Performance in the Medium-Large Sized Section category in the following year (2021). After Matt completed his three-year term in the Chair succession roles, he ran and was elected to his current role as Treasurer. He started his term strong in the beginning of 2022, with updating and publishing the Warrant for processing business transactions. He also updated the codes for tracking expenses and has worked with our accountant Mark Juzwa to stay compliant with local section business practices.
He is a selfless colleague who devotes hours of time volunteering because he enjoys it, and he likes to use his skill set to help solve problems. He doesn’t do this work to be in the spotlight or to gain accolades or recognition.

This biography was provided by Kimberly Woznack of PennWest.