UW Madison - Department of Chemistry

Margaret McLean Bender died Monday, April 28. She was the wife of Paul Bender, a long-time Professor of Chemistry. Here is the Obituary from the Wisconsin State Journal: Bender, Margaret McLean, MADISON. Margaret McLean Bender, age 91, died peacefully at Capitol Lakes Terraces on Monday, April 28, 2008. She was preceded in death in 2004 by her husband, Emeritus Professor Paul J. Bender of the UW Chemistry Department, after 63 years of marriage. Dr. Margaret Bender was an Emeritus Senior Scientist in the Institute for Environmental Studies. She retired from the Institute at the UW Center for Climate Research in 1981. She was the Director of the UW Radiocarbon Laboratory from 1963 until her retirement. Dr. Bender was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was a pioneer in the field of radiocarbon dating and is widely recognized for her recognition of two distinct photosynthetic pathways through which carbon is utilized in tropical and prairie grasses. Her seminal paper describing these two pathways as C-3 for starch-accumulating gasses and as C-4 for fructosan-accumulating gasses has been widely quoted by all researchers in all the scientific fields, such as anthropology, that require accurate dating of carbon-containing materials. Her publications while at the UW-Madison totaled 31 and were primarily related to the radiocarbon dating work. Dr. Bender graduated from Mount Holyoke College magna cum laude in 1937, where she also received her master's degree and had four publications from her work with Professor Dorothy Hahn. Her Ph.D. was from Yale University in 1941 in organic chemistry with Werner Bergmann with whom she had three publications. She held an instructor appointment from 1941-1942 at Connecticut College for Women and a post-doctoral appointment at Yale University from 1942-1943. From 1943-1945, she held a post-doctoral appointment at the University of Wisconsin- Madison and a lecturer appointment from 1951-1970 with the UW Extension. Her primary teaching responsibilities were with students from the nursing program. She served as Director of the UW Radiocarbon Laboratory from 1963-1981. Margaret and Paul were integral to the development of the UW Chemistry Department and hosted many assistant professors and their families as they found their places in the Madison community. Margaret was particularly knowledgeable about plants and gardens, and many neighbors and colleagues were the recipients of garden plants, flowers, and vegetables for which Margaret could provide their botanical names. She was also a particular role model for women in science and was interviewed concerning her experiences in what was primarily male environment in the early 1940s. Her thoughts and impressions were taped as part of a UW series "Women in Science and Engineering," that was developed by the UW-Madison Oral History Project as part of the archives section at Steenbock Memorial Library. Margaret is survived by four grand nieces, Vicki Smith of La Quinta, Calif., Wilma Kahn of Kingwood, Texas, Wini Mercer of Overland Park, Kan., and Pam Conckle of Los Angeles, Calif. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Cress Funeral and Cremation Service 3610 Speedway Road (608) 238-3434 http://www.cressfuneralservice.com.

The Chemistry Newsletter will be going to a Summer Bi-weekly publication after next week’s newsletter. Please continue to drop/send material for the newsletter to me. We will publish the newsletter on the off week for special announcements. Thank You.

We are pleased to announce that Professor Laura Kiessling has been awarded a Guggenheim Award, by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Guggenheim Awards provide fellowships to faculty and other advanced professionals in all fields of physical and social sciences, humanities, and the creative arts. Please join us in congratulating Laura!

We are delighted to tell you that in recent weeks we have learned that Ieva Reich is being recognized with *THREE* different awards in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the teaching mission of the college, the campus, and the UW-System, as well as her service and leadership activities.
FIRST: Ieva is being awarded the Chancellor's Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching.
SECOND: Ieva is being awarded the Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. The Underkofler awards are given by the UW-System for academic staff in order to "recognize teaching of outstanding quality that leads to substantial intellectual growth in students". Note that competition for this award is among all the colleges in the entire UW System, so this is truly an outstanding indication of the esteem to which Ieva's contributions are held.
THIRD: Ieva has been awarded an L&S Mid-Career Award by the College of Letters and Science. This award "recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding performance in their position, leadership and service beyond their position, and substantial professional competency and promise of continuing contributions", and consists of a plaque and a cash prize.
Please join us in congratulating Ieva three times in recognition of all of these outstanding honors!

It is a distinct pleasure to announce that Tom Ladell, the Lab Prep Technician working on the first floor with the General Chemistry program, has won a 2008 Classified Employee Recognition Award from the University. Only 5 awards were presented from some 45 nominations this year, so this is a singular honor for Tom. Please join me in congratulating Tom for his work above and beyond. Congratulations Tom!

The May 2008 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online. In this issue you will find articles about biochemistry, stereochemistry, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: What Price Quality?
Especially for High School Teachers: Connect the Dots
Classroom Activity Extension: Using “Blueprint Photography by the Cyanotype Process”
Classroom Activity Connections: Chemistry and Children’s Literature: Sun Up, Sun Down
JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Models of Reactants and/ Products from an Asymmetric Synthesis of a Chiral Carboxylic Acid.

Please join us in congratulating Assistant Professor Tehshik Yoon for winning an Arnold and Mabel Beckman Award! The Beckman Young Investigators (BYI) Program is intended to provide research support to the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of academic careers in the chemical and life sciences. Tehshik's award provides three years of funding for his proposal on "Stereoselective Functionalization of Hydrocarbons using Oxaziridines". Congratulations, Tehshik!

We�re pleased to announce that Professor Sam Gellman will be receiving the 2008 Phi Beta Kappa of Wisconsin Teaching Award! The award will be presented as part of the PBK initiation ceremony on Saturday, April 5th. Please join me in congratulating Sam on this recognition of his outstanding teaching! Congratulations, Sam !

The April 2008 Journal of Chemical Education issue is now available online. In this issue you will find information about new ACS guidelines, articles about dramatic demonstrations and analyzing multiple-choice exams, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Academic Extensions of Gresham�s Law. Especially for High School Teachers: Can I Get Help? Where? JCE Classroom Activity: A Candle in the Wind. Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of Products and Reactants from Suzuki and Heck Syntheses. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin�Madison in this issue: Jim Maynard presents �Using Hydrogen Balloons To Display Metal Ion Spectra �, and Gordon Bain and John Berry offer �Diamagnetic Corrections and Pascal's Constants�.

We are thrilled to report that Ieva Reich has been selected to receive the Chancellor's Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching! This is a true tribute to the outstanding teaching and mentoring that Ieva does. There is an award symposium associated with this, which is tentatively scheduled for April 24th. Please join us in extending congratulations on Ieva on this singular honor!

We are happy to report that Kyle Roux will start as the new Building Manager Monday, March 10. Kyle was the candidate in our final four interviews preferred by almost everyone who sat through the final interviews and sent me an opinion, and I'm very excited to have him come to work for us. Tom Foseid will continue part time and overlap one week with Kyle.

It's time to mark those calendars! Saturday, September 13th - 12p.m. - 5 p.m., Rennebohm Park. So get out those softball bats and mitts, the warm weather will be here soon! And don't you worry, we might just be able to convince Tom Foseid to join us and share his cooking talents once again! Vicki Wilde & The GSFLC.

Assistant Director of the Organic Chemistry Teaching Labs Nick Hill was hired to replace Allen Clauss as Director of the labs in November 2007. Allen resigned in August to spend more time with his kids. Please join in congratulating Nick on this promotion. Matt Bowman (PhD '06, Blackwell) starts Monday, February 25, 2008, as the Assistant Director, replacing Nick. Please also congratulate and welcome Matt as he starts his new role in the Department. Congratulations to Nick and Matt on their hiring!! We are pleased to see such capable chemists joining our instructional staff.

We are please to announce that Professor John Moore is being awarded the 2008 Braude Award, given by the Maryland Section of the American Chemical Society. The Braude Award Honors excellence in chemistry teaching and is being awarded to John in recognition of his work with Journal of Chemical Education. The award, which was endowed by and named for George L. Braude, a chemist with W. R. Grace and the Food and Drug Administration, will be presented at a meeting of the Maryland Section on October 22 this year. Please join us in congratulating John!

We are excited to announce that the winner of the 2008-09 Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry is Mark Ratner, from Northwestern. This Prize (the largest in the world in theoretical chemistry) was initiated in 1991, and recipients have been top drawer. Ratner is no exception. He has pioneered seminal research in molecular electronics, nanophotonics, reaction mechanisms, biophysics, etc. He is super broad, and will be wonderfully interactive. He will be visiting Oct 13-15, 2008, and will deliver three lectures. Mark your calendars!

We are pleased to announce that Professor Lloyd Smith has been selected as a Vilas Associate. The Vilas Trustees make this award to recognize outstanding faculty in the physical sciences. This highly competitive award consists of summer salary plus some flexible research support. Please join me in congratulating Lloyd!

We are pleased to announce that Professor Laura Kiessling has also been selected as a Vilas Associate. The Vilas Trustees make this award to recognize outstanding faculty in the physical sciences. This highly competitive award consists of summer salary plus some flexible research support. Please join me in congratulating Laura!

We�re pleased to announce that Bruce R. McCord, (PhD, �86, Taylor, Analytical Chemistry) is the recipient of the Paul L. Kirk Award! The Paul L. Kirk Award is the highest form of recognition one can receive from the Criminalistics Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The March 2008 Journal of Chemical Education issue is now available online. In this issue you will find articles about food science and consumer chemistry, with tips for starting a faculty career, with information about the upcoming ACS National Meeting, April 6-10, 2008 in New Orleans, on coordination chemistry and symmetry, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Vote for Science: Science, Education, and the Political Process; Especially for High School Teachers: Now You See It-Now You Don�t; Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of Antioxidants and Radicals. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this issue: Lynn Diener presents an extension to a JCE Classroom Activity in Classroom Activity Connections: �No Apple Fool: Biochemistry and Taste�, and John Harriman offers �Hund's Rule in Two-Electron Atomic Systems

John Schrag, Emeritus Professor of Analytical Chemistry, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at his Madison home in the loving care of his family. He was 70. John joined the Department in 1970, and retired in January 2003. His research interests focused on the experimental determination of the influence of specific chemical structure together with polymer-solvent and polymer-polymer interactions, on the conformational dynamics of macromolecules in solution. In addition, John loved to teach, and he was the recipient of both the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Department of Chemistry Teaching Award. A more complete obituary can be found in the February 10, 2008, edition of The Wisconsin State Journal. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the John L. Schrag Analytical Research and Teaching Fund at the UW Foundation, Bethany United Methodist Church, or Hospice Care, Inc.

The Excellence in Teaching Award Symposium will be held Friday, February 15, at 3:30 in Seminar Hall. Professor Helen Blackwell is the recipient of the 2007 James W. Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by the UW Foundation. In addition, we will honor the recipients of the 2006-07 Outstanding Chemistry Teaching Assistant Awards: Nikki Burrmann, Matt Dodge, Jamie Ellis, Lani MacArtney, Shane Mangold, Kathy Rees Marvin, Jeannine Szczech and Lena Yurs. Please join us in the Shain Building Atrium for refreshments at 3:15, and then for the award presentations at 3:30. Congratulations to all our fine teachers!!

A recent change in the titles available to Faculty Assistants has made it possible for us to promote two long-time members of the Department. Angel Abru�a-Rodr�guez has been a Faculty Assistant since 1994, and Jos� Laboy has been with us since 2000. Both are involved in helping to coordinate discussion and lab courses in General Chemistry, with responsibilities well beyond those of the standard Faculty Assistant, and in recognition of this they have both been promoted to Senior Faculty Assistant. Congratulations Angel and Jos�!!

Professor Shannon Stahl has been chosen to be a "Hamel Faculty Fellow" in the College of Letters and Sciences. The Hamel Faculty Fellow program is an extremely competitive program, providing $10,000/year for 5 years in unrestricted gift funds to top faculty in L&S. The funds were donated by George and Pamela Hamel. Please join us in congratulating Shannon!

Professor Bob West has been informed that he will be made an honorary member of Nippon Kagaku Kai, the Japan Chemical Society, at a ceremony in Tokyo in March. There are just 13 foreign honorary members of N. K. K., of whom more than half are Nobel laureates. Please join us in congratulating Bob West on this tremendous accomplishment!

The February 2008 Journal of Chemical Education issue is now available online. "Chemists Celebrate Earth Day" is the theme for this issue in which you will find articles about water chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, green chemistry, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Streaming Chemistry. Especially for High School Teachers: Streaming Chemistry, Times Two. JCE Classroom Activity: Hold the Heat: Global Warming and Calorimetry. JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Models of Lycopene and Other Carotenoids. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this issue: Janice Hall Tomasik presents a collection of water-related online resources in Reports from Other Journals: "News from Online: Water, Streaming Chemistry"

We�re delighted to inform you that the Graduate School Research Committee has voted to award a Kellett Mid-Career Faculty Researcher Award to Professor Mark Ediger! Kellett Awards are extremely competitive awards that recognize faculty who are between 5 and 20 years past tenure who have demonstrated exceptional talent for scientific research. Please join us in congratulating Mark on this terrific and well-deserved honor! Congratulations Mark!

We�re pleased to announce that Assistant Professor Mahesh Mahanthappa is the recipient of an NSF CAREER award! CAREER awards are NSF's most prestigious awards, providing 5 years of support for the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. Please join us in congratulating Mahesh!

It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that we call your attention to the article and multimedia coverage in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featuring our colleague Laura Kiessling and her students: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=701726.

Chuck Curtiss, longtime Professor in the Theoretical Chemistry Institute, died on Christmas Eve. The following obituary appeared in the Capital Times December 27, 2007. �Charles F. Curtiss, age 86, passed away on Monday, Dec. 24, 2007. He was a professor of theoretical chemistry at the University of Wisconsin for 41 years. Charles is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lois; three sons, Larry (Jane), Glenn (Cindy) and Ned (Gay); and three grandsons, Andy, Greg and Ryan.�

Former Analytical Lab Director Bob Lavine died on Monday morning. His son Karl, the principal cello player with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, called with this information to be shared with our Department that a memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, December 21 at Luther Memorial Church (1021 University Avenue.) Newspaper Obituary: Robert R. Lavine, age 80, died Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, of natural causes at the Middleton Village Nursing Home. Bob was born in Minneapolis, Minn., and began his teaching career at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., and the University of Missouri, Kirksville, Mo. He was the director of Analytical Chemistry Laboratories, University of Wisconsin, Madison for more than 30 years and retired to the best position in the world, grandchild sitter. Dad, best buddy, camper, Swedish lefsa maker, Navajo weaver, creator of beautiful things, fixer of broken things he is survived by his family: wife, Connie; daughter, Birgitta Meylor (Jeff); sons, Karl (Karen), Lars (Darcy) and Leif (Mary Camille); and 10 wonderful grandchildren, Evan, Elizabeth, Kyle, Eric, Marissa, Jenna, Rachel, Mattias, Nathaniel and Taylor. Bob will be missed, loved and live in our hearts forever. Memorial services will be held at LUTHER MEMORIAL CHURCH, 2021 University Ave., Madison, at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, 2007. We are grateful to Abdou, Craig, Liz and all Middleton Village Staff for their wonderful care and support of our family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Luther Memorial Music Fund.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Laura Kiessling on her selection as the recipient of the 2008 Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal from Yale University. The Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal is an honor presented each year by the Graduate School Alumni Association to a small number of outstanding alumni. The medal recognizes distinguished achievements in scholarship, teaching, academic administration, and public service-all areas in which the legendary Dean Cross excelled. It is the highest honor bestowed by Yale upon its alumni. Congratulations, Laura!

We send our congratulations to Assistant Professor Tehshik Yoon for his receipt of a UW Research Service Award! Research Service Awards are granted to junior faculty who have major service commitments outside of their own department, as a way of recognizing the burden that these activites exact on untenured faculty. The award consists of two months summer salary, thereby freeing grant funds that can be used for other purposes. Congratulations, Tehshik!

Wisconsin Public Television will telecast the 2007 Christmas Lecture on: Friday, December 21st, at 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, December 23rd, at 8:00 a.m.; Monday, December 24th, at 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, December 25th, at noon; Friday, December 28th, at 1:00 p.m.; and on Monday, December 31st, at 9:00 a.m. Check local listings for dates and times of telecasts elsewhere around the country.

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS CHEERY IN THE LAB OF SHAKHASHIRI Saturday, December 1, at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm Sunday, December 2, at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm Room 1351 Chemistry Building, 1101 University Avenue, University of Wisconsin-Madison Members of the campus community may obtain free tickets to any of the presentations by sending a self-addressed campus-mail envelope along with a request indicating the date and time of the desired presentation and the number of tickets needed to Patti Puccio at the WISL mailbox (lower left area of mailboxes.) If you require more than ten tickets, please include a list of the names and addresses of the persons for whom you are requesting tickets. Tickets will be distributed starting November 5. Send to: Christmas Lecture Tickets UW Chemistry Department 1101 University Ave Madison, WI 53706-1396 For a convenient ticket order form, see the Science is Fun Web site: http://www.scifun.org

Congratulations to Katie Patridge on her receipt of the 2008 Abbott Graduate Fellowship in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. This provides a one-year full graduate fellowship. Katie is a student in Tehshik Yoon's group. Congratulations to Katie!

Congratulations to Matt Bierman as the recipient of the 2007-2008 Air Products Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship provides a 9-month scholarship for a graduate student doing research in areas of interest to Air Products Corp. Congratulations Matt!

We are delighted to announce that Helen Blackwell is the recipient of this year's James W. Taylor Award for Teaching Excellence. Helen will be recognized and give her award address on Friday, Feb. 15th as part of our colloquium series. So, mark your calendars! Congratulations to Helen on her outstanding contributions to our educational mission!

Congratulations to Josh Coon for receiving the Eli Lilly Analytical Chemistry Young Investigator Award! This award provides $50,000/yr in unrestricted funding, renewable for a second year. It is an extremely competitive and prestigious award that Lilly makes to rising stars in the field of analytical chemistry. Congratulations to Josh!

In the November issue of the Journal of Chemical Education you will find articles about the chemistry of dyes and colors, forensics laboratories, web-based coursework, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Opportunities for Collaborations among Scholars; Especially for High School Teachers: Resident Experts; Classroom Activity Connections: Window Cleaner - New and Improved?; JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Models of Dyes. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in this issue: Jim Maynard is the verfier of a new contribution to JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations, "Dancing Crystals: A Dramatic Illustration of Intermolecular Forces".

Some of you may have known Walter Blaedel, who was a faculty member of our department many years ago. Walt passed away last week, and his obituary was reported in yesterday's paper. Walter J. Blaedel died Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, in Middleton, at Harbor House Assisted Living. Walter was born in New York City, May 26, 1916, to recent German immigrants. He received his B.A. and M.A. in chemistry from UCLA in 1938 and 1939, respectively, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford in 1942. During 1941-42, he was an instructor in chemistry at Northwestern University and also a research associate in the Office of Scientific Research and Development. He married Barbara Jeanne Bennett in Hollywood, Calif., in 1942. He left Northwestern to join the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago as a research associate during 1944 until 1946. He then spent a year at the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California-Berkeley and a summer at Oak Ridge, Tenn., as an instructor in Nuclear Energy for the Propulsion of Aircraft. Walter joined the Analytical Division as an instructor in the chemistry department at UW-Madison in 1947. Over the next twenty years, the Analytical Division grew to be among the most highly regarded in the nation. However, during the 1970's and as a full professor, Walter had increasing disagreement with his colleagues over teaching, research and administrative procedures. After his retirement from UW-Madison in 1982, he decided to investigate the legal process by the scientific method. His direct engagement in court actions over a period of 20 years produced almost 3000 documents that report his perception of falsification and/or unethical behavior by public officials, particularly in technical and scientific matters that affected the public welfare. Although he lived in Harbor House Assisted Living in declining health for the past eighteen months, he continued to actively fight what he perceived as injustices up until the time of his death. It was his wish that his document collection be accessible to the public at: http://www.drwjb.org. He was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Barbara, after 62 years of marriage. He is survived by his three sons, Mark (Deborah) of Ames, Iowa, Ken (Jan) of Dublin, Calif. and Bob (Kathy) of Portland, Ore.; as well as his two loving granddaughters, Anna and Emily; and many nieces and nephews. His family has chosen to honor Walter's request that no memorial service be held. He wishes, instead, that "family, friends, students, and coworkers remember me occasionally, for having shared work, ideals, love, joy and sadness, and success and failure." The family requests that any memorial donations be directed to Hospice Care at 5395 East Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53711.

This year's Wisconsin's Ironman had 2,200 competitors in its field. The event is one of the most grueling in the world - 2.4 miles of swimming, followed by 112 miles of cycling, then a 26.2 mile run. Professor Thomas Brunold finished in 10th place with a time of 9:14:34, approximately 9 minutes faster then he predicted. Thomas won first in his age group and was the #1 placed amateur. Thomas has also placed 5th, 6th & 8th place in previous years' Wisconsin Ironman competitions. Congratulations Thomas!!

This issue of the Journal of Chemical Education celebrates National Chemistry Week, October 21- 27, 2007, and its theme "The Many Faces of Chemistry." In this issue you will find articles about the people who practice chemistry and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: The Many Faces of (General) Chemistry; Especially for High School Teachers: The Many Faces of Chemistry; JCE Classroom Activity: Testing for Iodide in Table Salt; JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Models of Compounds in Maple Syrup. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this issue: An interview with Jim Maynard is among 13 profiles of careers in chemistry featured in this issue, and Sara C. Kerr, UW-Madison Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, along with Kenneth A. Walz, Department of Chemistry, Madison Area Technical College offer "Holes" in Student Understanding: Addressing Prevalent Misconceptions Regarding Atmospheric Environmental Chemistry.

The September 2007 issue of theJournal of Chemical Education is now available online. In this issue you will find articles on biochemistry, testing and assessment, analytical chemistry, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Learning from Others; Especially for High School Teachers: A New School Year Begins; JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Models of Rosmarinic Acid and DPPH.

Congratulations to Diane Nutbrown (Graduate student, Burstyn, Moore) for spearheading the effort that won the Wisconsin Section the ChemLuminary Award for Best Event Involving the Student Affiliates at the Boston ACS Meeting. The Award Ceremony was attended by Betty and John Moore, Ieva Reich (Councilor and Student Affiliates Advisor), Pun Wangkanont (Student Affiliates President) and Diane who presented the poster. An excellent job all around!

The 24th Annual Department Snout Out will be Saturday, September 8th (noon - 5pm) at Rennebohm Park. Everyone in the department, including guests, is welcome to join us for a day full of eating, softball and other outdoor games, socializing, and general mayhem! Registration forms are due in the GSFLC mailbox by noon on Friday August 31st. Hope to see you there!

The Chemistry Newsletter will be published weekly again starting with the next issue, September 10th. Please continue to submit any newsletter items to Bruce Goldade in room 1146 or by e-mail to: goldade@chem.wisc.edu. Thank You.

It is a great pleasure to report that Bob Hamers has been awarded a Wisconsin Distinguished Professorship through a UW-system-wide competition. This prestigious appointment, approved by the Board of Regents, is for a faculty member with impeccable academic credentials, who also makes a strong economic or industrial contribution to the state of Wisconsin. This is a signal honor---congratulations Bob!

Congratulations to Beth Landis for receiving the 2007-2008 Merck Research Laboratories Fellowship in Analytical/Physical Chemistry! The academic year fellowship is awarded by Merck to an outstanding UW chemistry student doing research in analytical/physical chemistry. Beth will a 3rd year student in the Hamers group. Congratulations, Beth!

We are pleased to announce that Helen Blackwell has been named by Popular Science Magazine as one of their �PopSci's Brilliant 10", a group of ten young scientists cited for doing work that's pushing their field to the next level. Helen will be interviewed and profiled in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Congratulations, Helen!

Samira Musah, a graduate student in Laura Kiessling�s group, has won a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. This nationally competitive award is made to outstanding graduate students who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. The award provides three years of funding. Congratulations Samira!!

The August 2007 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online. In this issue you will find information about the 234th ACS National Meeting in Boston, August 19-23 along with several articles about fluorescence, writing in chemistry, demonstrations, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Authenticity; Especially for High School Teachers: Take the First Step; JCE Classroom Activity: Fluorescent Fun: Using a Homemade Fluorometer; JCE Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of DAPI. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this issue: Cathy Middlecamp, Ingrid Montes, and Maria Oliver-Hoyo preview the program for the Division of Chemical Education at the ACS national meeting in Boston this August 19-23.

UW-Madison's Chemistry Department is ranked 7^th in the nation according to the 2008 U.S. News and World Report ranking of graduate schools Once again, we are the only Chemistry Department in the country that is ranked in the top 10 in all 6 specialty areas. We are rated 6^th nationally in analytical chem, 7^th in inorganic and biochemistry, and 8^th in organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry. Congratulations to everyone for maintaining such a uniformly high standard of excellence!

We are delighted to report that Song Jin has received a Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for his work on nanoscale magnetic semiconductor materials for spintronics. Only ten of these prestigious awards are given each year. Congratulations Song!

We are delighted to report that Ron Raines is the winner of the 2007 Makineni Lectureship Award, sponsored by the American Peptide Society. This award is given once every other year to recognize "an individual who has made a recent contribution of unusual merit to research in the field of peptide science". In Ron's case the award is for his outstanding and exciting work on synthetic collagen. Congratulations Ron!

We are delighted to announce that Frank Weinhold has won the 2007 Lise Meitner - Minerva Center Lectureship Award for Computational Quantum Chemistry, sponsored by Technion and Hebrew University, for the application and development of NBO-based techniques for the analysis of chemical structure, bonding, and reactivity. Frank is currently visiting Israel to deliver his award address. Congratulations to Frank on this terrific recognition of his outstanding achievements!

Bassam Shakhahsiri was presented with the National Science Foundations public service award for extraordinary contribution to promote science literacy and cultivate the intellectual and emotional links between science and the arts for the public on May 14th, 2007 at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. Congratulations Bassam! To view the image of Bassam receiving this award please go to: http://www.chem.wisc.edu/news/back_issues_newsletter/2007/news07022007.html

We are delighted to report that Matt Shoulders, a third-year grad student in Ron Raines� group, has won a 2007-08 ACS Medicinal Chemistry Fellowship. This is one of only eight such fellowships given nationwide this year. Congratulations Matt!

Andrew Greenberg, a chemistry staff member, was recently featured in Newsweek for his work developing tools to help vision-impaired students learn about science. This project, funded in part by the UW-Madison Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, involves using rapid prototyping methods to create three-dimensional tactile models of nanoscale structures and surfaces. The article is in the June 11, 2007 edition of Newsweek, on page 14. Congratulations Andrew!

The July 2007 issue is now available online. In this issue you will find several articles about nanotechnology and materials science, acid-base chemistry, consumer chemistry and food science, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Celebrate Communication! Especially for High School Teachers: Small Adjustments, Big Improvements. JCE Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of Resveratrol. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this issue: - Charles Casey et al. report on the National Research Council Report "The Future of U.S. Chemistry Research: Benchmarks and Challenges"; - Frank Weinhold (with Henry A. Bent) offers News from the Periodic Table: An Introduction to "Periodicity Symbols, Tables, and Models for Higher-Order Valency and Donor-Acceptor Kinships".

We are delighted to report that Professor Laura Kiessling has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology. This election demonstrates the outstanding impact and impressive reach of Laura's research. Congratulations Laura!

JCE Software, a publication of the Journal of Chemical Education, has won the Pirelli Internetional Award in Chemistry, the world's first Internet multimedia award aimed at the diffusion of scientific and technological culture worldwide. The award is given in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and life sciences. The JCE entry in the chemistry category of the 11th Edition of the awards was the Chemistry Comes Alive! series--video of chemical reactions on 8 CD-ROMs. The prize consists of 15,000 euros, a plaque, and a trip to Rome for Jon Holmes, JCE Software editor. The award ceremony was held on Friday, May 11, at the Temple of Hadrian in Rome. Information about the award is available at: http://www.pirelliaward.com/news0705b.html. The winning entry is at: http://www.jce.divched.org/JCESoft/CCA/pirelli/. Congratulations to John Moore and the JCE staff for this recognition of their outstanding outreach and education efforts! The view an image of the plaque please click here: http://www.chem.wisc.edu/news/back_issues_newsletter/2007/news05212007.html.

The June 2007 issue is now available online. In this issue you will find several articles about inquiry-based learning, chemistry in history, outreach, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Leadership in Chemistry Research and Education. Especially for High School Teachers: This Is Your Life. JCE Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of Plant Hormones. Go to: http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2007/Jun/TOC.html to view these topics and more.

We are delighted to report that Professor Laura Kiessling has been elected to Membership in the National Academy of Sciences! Only 72 new members, in all fields of science, are elected each year, so this is one of the highest honors that a scientist can aspire to. Election to this August body signals that Laura's achievements in chemical biology are truly outstanding, and that their impact has been truly exceptional. Congratulations to Laura on this extremely well-deserved and fantastic honor!

We are delighted to report that Professor Tom Record has been elected to Fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The American Academy, founded in 1780, is the country's oldest learned society, honoring the finest minds and most influential leaders in physical, biological and social sciences, the arts and humanities, public affairs and business. Previous fellows include George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, and this year's class of new fellows includes Albert Gore and Emanuel Ax. Congratulations to Tom, on this recognition of his exceptional accomplishments!

The ballots for the division chair elections have been counted, and the winners are: Ned Sibert (General); Sam Gellman (Organic); Judith Burstyn (Inorganic); Lloyd Smith (Analytical); Gil Nathanson (Physical). Congratulations to these dedicated faculty members, and many thanks in advance for the important service you will provide to the department!

Since I understand rumors are running around the building, I should tell you that two days ago, I received a letter from Tom Foseid, indicating that he would retire January 2, 2008. As you all know, Tom has been an institution here at Chemistry, and his departure will not be easy, but he has promised to help us find a superb replacement for him. I will tell you more as we firm up some plans for his replacement (and his retirement party). In the meantime, he is not leaving soon, and you have plenty of time to go tell him how much he has meant to you and the Department.

We are delighted to report that Helen Blackwell and Song Jin have each won a Dupont Young Professor Grant. These very highly selective grants (only 15 were given worldwide, 10 of which were to US researchers) were awarded to exceptional young chemists and engineers performing outstanding and influential research. To have two winners from our own department is truly wonderful. Congratulations to Helen and Song!

We are delighted to report that Helen Blackwell is the recipient of a 2007 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. These coveted awards (of which 15 were given nationally) recognize outstanding contributions and promise for research and education in the chemical sciences. Another feather in Helen's already heavily plumed cap---congratulations Helen!

We are delighted to report that Professor Hans Reich has won the Arfvedson Schlenk Award from the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (German Chemical Society) for his outstanding research in organolithium chemistry. The award is named after Gustav Arfvedson, the chemist who discovered the element lithium in 1817, and Wilhelm Schlenk, a pioneer in organolithium chemistry. Hans will receive his award in Ulm at the GDCh Science Forum in September. Congratulations Hans!

We are delighted to report that Bassam Shakhashiri has won the 2007 National Science Board Public Service Award. Bassam is being recognized "not only for his distinguished service in the Federal Government but also for his influential communication of science to mass audiences through his books, and television and radio programs."The National Science Board is charged with overseeing the National Science Foundation and with providing advice to the President and to Congress. This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor for Bassam. Congratulations Bassam! Please read the NEWS RELEASE article that follows this announcement.

National Science Foundation press release 07-039 link: Cheery is the Lab of Shakhashiri - Chemist, Educator, Communicator Receives 2007 National Science Board Public Service Award. Wins praise for communicating science, and as advocate for NSF education program. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, a chemistry professor who pioneered new ways to encourage public understanding of science through his enthusiastic communications and visually exciting chemical demonstrations, will receive the 2007 National Science Board Public Service Award. The University of Wisconsin scientist, as a National Science Foundation assistant director in the late 1980s, also had a strong role in rebuilding education programs at NSF after many were greatly reduced in the early years of the Reagan Administration. Shakhashiri will receive the award at a ceremony May 14 at the State Department in Washington, D.C. "Dr. Shakhashiri has set himself apart from many scientists by broadly communicating science in lectures, radio and television, in the classroom and in public events that have promoted science literacy on a scale wider than most of us have the energy to dream about," said Steven C. Beering, National Science Board chairman. Shakhashiri, whom the Encyclopedia Britannica describes as the "dean of lecture demonstrators in America," has made more than 1,100 lectures and presentations internationally. He has made numerous appearances on nationwide radio and television, to include his annual PBS program "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri." He also has made many public appearances to promote the connections between the arts and science, and his renowned multi-volume series of handbooks in chemical demonstrations for teachers is in wide use. In 1983 Shakhashiri was the founder of the Institute for Chemical Education at the University of Wisconsin. It is a national center for research and development, teaching and dissemination of information on chemistry at all educational levels. In the same year, he opened the first-of-its-kind interactive chemistry exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, which has remained permanently on display there. Another of Shakhashiri's major projects is his Initiative for Science Literacy. His work involves showing future musicians, artists, writers, performers and scientists the interrelationships between forms of inquiry, creativity and personal expression. His work has helped many students and adult learners cultivate the intellectual and emotional links between science and the arts, according to several who know of his efforts. From radio show hosts to physical scientists, all seem to agree that Shakhashiri has been blessed with a "fearlessness" in reaching audiences, large and small, with his messages of science literacy and the connections between art and science. In his six years as the National Science Foundation's Assistant Director for Science and Engineering Education in the 1980s, Shakhashiri proved, too, to be a fierce advocate for science education programs. NSF's annual budget for education programs dropped from $80 million in fiscal 1980 to $23 million in 1983. Shakhashiri arrived at NSF in 1984 and pressed successfully for rebuilding NSF's K-12 and informal science education programs. In addition, he aggressively advocated a resurgence of NSF's undergraduate education programs at the urging of the National Science Board and its Neal Report. By the time Shakhashiri left the agency in 1990, NSF's budget for education and human resources had grown to more than $230 million. Shakhashiri's individual Public Service Award recognizes his extraordinary contributions to increase public understanding of science. The Science Board will also recognize CBS's popular television dramatic series "Numb3rs" and its co-creators, Nick Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, with a 2007 group award for public service. Recipients of the Public Service Award are chosen for their contributions in areas such as: increasing the public's understanding of the scientific process and its communication; contributing to the development of broad science and engineering policy; promoting the engagement of scientists and engineers in public outreach; and fostering awareness of science and technology among broad segments of the population. The National Science Board initiated the Public Service Award in 1996. The first honorees were named in 1998. The board is an independent 24-member body of policy advisors to the President and Congress on matters of science and engineering research and education, and is the oversight body for the National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency that supports almost all areas of fundamental research nationwide. For more information on Dr. Shakhashiri, see: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu?BZSbio/biosketch.html. For more information on the 2007 Public Service Award group recipients, see: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/about.shtml. For more information on the Public Service Awards history and criteria, see: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/awards/public/public.htm#criteria.

We are delighted to report that Josh Coon has received a major award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for his research on "Gas-phase coordination chemistry for rapid, robust whole protein sequence analysis." To win this highly prestigious award one must compete successfully at both the university and national level. Congratulations to Josh for this impressive accomplishment!

The May 2007 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online. In this issue you will find several articles about x-ray techniques, analytical chemistry, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Energizing Students and Science. Especially for High School Teachers: Planning Now for Next Year. JCE Classroom Activity: How Does Your Laundry Glow? JCE Featured Molecule: Molecular Models of DNA.

We are delighted to report that Christine McInnis, a graduate student in Helen Blackwell's group, has won a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, in this particular case sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. This prestigious Fellowship fully supports three years of graduate research. Congratulations Christine!

Andrew Greenberg, a chemistry staff member and coordinator of education and outreach for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) and the Institute for Chemical Education, has created a series of models intended to teach nanoscience to the blind. Greenberg has using 3-dimensional rapid prototyping methods to create tactile models of nanoscale structures, including "NanoBucky", a Bucky Badger created by the Hamers group from carbon nanofibers. For more information, see the UW press release at: http://www.news.wisc.edu/13601.html

Shea Ramey, an academic staff member in the Chemistry Learning Center, is the recipient of the L&S Early Career Award. This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding performance in their position, show substantial promise of future contributions, and demonstrate a high degree of professionalism. Congratulations Shea!

The April 2007 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online. As is our tradition for the April issue, you will find an assortment of fun and entertaining articles about using puzzles, games, and humor to teach chemistry, electrochemistry, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: New Technologies, New Opportunities: For What? Especially for High School Teachers: A Sense of Community. JCE Classroom Activity: Colorful Lather Printing. JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Models Candy Components.

We are delighted to announce that the Hirschfelder Prize winner for 2007-08 is Professor Bob Silbey, a theoretical chemist at MIT. Bob is a pioneer in a number of different areas including energy transport in solids, electrical properties of conjugated polymers, and single-molecule spectroscopy in solids and in biophysics. He will visit us and give three lectures during October 15-17, 2007.

We are delighted to report that Josh Coon has won a Research Award from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, funded by Applied Biosystems/Sciex. The award will be presented to Josh at the ASMS meeting in June. Congratulations Josh!

Dear Journal Contributors: I have 2 pieces of related good news: The journal has won the 2006 Award for Innovation in Journal Publishing from the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers. The association is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry, including more than 300 major commercial publishers, small publishers, non-profits, university presses and scholarly societies. At the award ceremony, James Jordan, a member of the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division's Executive Council, announced that ACS Chemical Biology also was the runner-up for the R.R. Hawkins Award for the Outstanding Professional, Reference or Scholarly Work of 2006, the Division�s highest and most prestigious honor. I am particularly proud of both of these honors, not knowing what to expect in our first year of publishing -- but I know that this only has been possible with the hard work of many people, including every author and reviewer. I also appreciate every contributor and expert on our interactive Web site (http://pubs.acs.org/journals/acbcct/index.html .) Thank you! Each year the national publishing trade organization recognizes books, journals and electronic products that best exemplify a sound contribution to professional and scholarly publishing by maintaining both the highest editorial standards and the highest standards of design and production. The award was conferred Feb. 6 at the association's annual conference in Washington, D.C. This year�s panel of judges consisted of librarians, academics and working publishers. A related announcement is a new service also focused on the accessibility and interactivity of our content. The ACS will provide Web-Enhanced Objects for your papers for Chemical Biology (and other ACS publications) at your request. WEOs allow a closer look at the data because you can zoom in and rotate the macromolecular structures. There is no charge for this for Chemical Biology authors and reviewers! This is an example of the service that ACS Chemical Biology offers to enhance the value of the experience of reading the journal and of being an author or reviewer. I should note that the journal continues to welcome other interactive objects and animations that enhance the accessibility of our content for our readers. I look forward to your queries, and I welcome comments any time. Thank you. Laura.

The March 2007 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online. Please note these contributions from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in this issue: Cathy Middlecamp et al. preview the program for the Division of Chemical Education at the ACS National Meeting in Chicago, and Kevin Cunningham presents a seconday school assignment involving reaction rate. To access this issue directly go to: http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/Current/index.html.

We are delighted to report that Helen Blackwell is the recipient of a 3M Nontenured Faculty Award. The award, provided by the 3M Company, acknowledges the recipient's exceptional creativity and promise, and provides flexible research funds. Congratulations Helen!

There will be a reception for all UW-Chemistry Alumni, Friends of the Department, and current staff and students at the ACS Chicago Meeting. More information can be found here.

Hello everyone, While the Snout Out is over 6 months away, I wanted to send out a �save the date� to everyone in the department - mark your calendars! Snout Out 2007, Saturday September 8th, Rennebohm Park, Noon - 5. Best, GSFLC.

The GSFLC is having poster session on March 22 in Union South at 4:00pm. Mark your calendars and we'll see you there in March!

We are delighted to report that Shannon Stahl has received a Romnes award from the University of Wisconsin. These awards go only to the most accomplished young faculty in the University. We are very proud of Shannon and his achievements, and are lucky to have him as a colleague. Congratulations Shannon!

We are delighted to announce that Dennis Reece has joined our staff as "Assistant to the Chair", but more accurately he will be working closely with our Executive Director (Matt Sanders), our Department Administrator (Carolyn Williams), and the chasir, to make our Department run even more smoothly and efficiently. He will be working in the main office outside the chair's office - please welcome him!

Once upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri will air on Wisconsin Public Television: Friday, December 22nd, at 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, December 24th, at 8:00 a.m.; and Monday, December 25th, at 10:00 a.m. Check local PBS listings for date and telecast times elsewhere around the country.

Matt Allen, a postdoc in the Kiessling and Raines groups, has just won a prestigious "Pathways to Independence" Grant from the NIH. This new grant program funds scientists at the end of their postdoc years, through the first few years of a faculty position, thus facilitating this transition. Congratulations Matt!

We are delighted to report that Marty Zanni has won the 2006 Coblentz Award. This award is given by the Coblentz Society, whose mission is to foster the understanding and application of vibrational spectroscopy. Marty will receive the award and present the Award Lecture at the Ohio State University International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy. Congratulations Marty!

We are delighted to announce that Berta Ostrander, our Grants Specialist, has won an L&S Classified Staff Excellence Award for outstanding performance and service to the Department and the College. We are indeed indebted to Berta for her extraordinary efforts in keeping our grants operation running smoothly. Congratulations Berta!

We are happy to announce that 3rd-year graduate student Andy Schmitt in the Jin group won a Poster Award at the 2006 Materials Research Society Fall meeting in Boston during the past week. His poster was entitled: "General synthesis and properties of novel transition metal silicide nanowires." Only 10 Poster Awards were given, out of 1000+ posters across 40+ symposia. Congratulations Andy!

The Excellence in Teaching Award Symposium will be held Friday, December 1, at 3:30 in Seminar Hall. Dr. Mark Wendt will be the recipient of the 2006 James W. Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by Pharmacia Corporation. In addition, we will honor the recipients of the 2005-06 Outstanding Chemistry Teaching Awards: �ngel Abru�a-Rodr�guez, Kevin Chau, Tanya Cordes, Robert Holiday, Kristy Kounovsky, Yu-Shan Lin, Amit Nimunkar, and Rebecca Splain. Please join us in the Shain Building Atrium for refreshments at 3:15, and then for the award presentations at 3:30. Congratulations to all our fine teachers!!

We are delighted to report that Tehshik Yoon has won an NSF Career Award, for his outstanding and innovative research in organic synthesis. Congratulations to Tehshik on securing this significant source of external funding!

Dear Faculty, students, and staff: For your information I report that at the Departmental meeting on 11/14/2006, the faculty approved the following statement: The faculty of the Department of Chemistry would like to express our disappointment in the passage of the constitutional amendment banning recognition of civil unions and same-sex marriages in the state of Wisconsin. A significant number of students, faculty, and staff in our department are directly affected by the outcome of this vote, and we feel it is necessary to reaffirm our support for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members of our community. The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to the establishment of a climate that is supportive of all department members. We respect the diversity of our student body, and we recognize that discrimination in any form weakens our community as a whole. All of us deserve to work in an environment in which we are treated with dignity and respect, and despite the outcome of the referendum, the Department remains staunchly committed to this ultimate goal. The Diversity Committee will also bring forth a general statement regarding climate/discrimination/diversity to our next Department meeting. If approved, such a statement would become part of the Departmental Structure, Policies, and Procedures document (which is accessible at any time on our website). James L. Skinner

The December 2006 issue of the Jounal of Chemical Education is now available online. In this issue you will find several articles about undergraduates and research, pharmaceuticals, spectroscopy, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory including: Editorial: Beating a Path to the National Science Digital Library. Especially for High School Teachers: Formed Bonds. JCE Classroom Activity: A Kool Reaction from the Fine Print. JCE Featured Molecules: Molecular Model of Tubocurarine

We are delighted to report that Professor Ron Raines has been admitted as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Chemistry, the largest chemical society in Europe, with over 43,000 members. So from now on it is Prof. Ron Raines, FRSC. Congratulations Ron, for this, and for your exceptional contributions to Chemistry and to our Department!

Luke Lavis, a grad student in Ron Raines� group, has won an ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Graduate Fellowship. This Fellowship pays a research stipend, and also has a travel allowance to attend the 2007 National Organic Symposium. Congratulations Luke!

We are delighted to announce that John Berry is the first winner of the Ernst-Haage Prize in Bioinorganic Chemistry. The Ernst-Haage Prize of the Max-Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry in Muelheim an der Ruhr was created in 2006, and is given annually to a doctoral or postdoctoral research associate who has made a major contribution to the area of bioinorganic chemistry. Congratulations John!

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Mark Wendt will be the recipient of the Department's 2006 James W. Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award. The award ceremony, at which Dr. Wendt will give an address and TA awards will be presented, will be on December 1 at 3:30 PM. Please put that date in your calendars and plan to attend! Further details will be forthcoming. Congratulations Mark!

The 37th Annual Presentation ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS CHEERY IN THE LAB OF SHAKHASHIRI Saturday, December 2, at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm Sunday, December 3, at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm Room 1351 Chemistry Building, 1101 University Avenue, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Members of the campus community may obtain free tickets to any of the presentations by sending a self-addressed campus-mail envelope along with a request indicating the date and time of the desired presentation and the number of tickets needed to Sue Martin-Zernicke at the Analytical Chemistry mailbox. If you require more than ten tickets, please include a list of the names and addresses of the persons for whom you are requesting tickets. Tickets will be distributed starting November 1st. The program will be broadcast by Wisconsin Public Television on Friday, Dec 22, at 4:30 pm, Sunday, Dec 24, at 8:00 am, and Monday, Dec 25 at 10:00 am. In other locations, check local television listings for the date and time of the PBS broadcast of this special program. For information on the Holiday shows, please see the poster at the end of this newsletter.

Phill Bloedow's father, Carl Wilfred Bloedow died last Thursday morning. Carl Bloedow lived to be 100 years, 3 months and 11 days old. We send his family our condolences and deepest sympathy. His obituary appeared in the Sunday Wisconsin State Journal. The family will plan and announce a memorial service in the Chapel at Cedar Crest.

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of our friend and colleague Dick Terhall. He died in Madison on Sunday, October 8, of heart failure. Dick had been battling esophageal cancer. Dick worked in the Chemistry Mail Room for the past 6 years, and was a friend to everyone he came in contact with. His good humor and positive approach to life were a great influence on all of us, and I believe we have all been enriched by his presence in our lives. We send his family our condolences and deepest sympathy. Visitation for Dick will be at the Ryan Funeral Home at 2418 N. Sherman Ave. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 4:00 pm til 7:00 pm and again at St. Peter Catholic Church on N. Sherman Ave. at 10 AM Thursday, before the funeral at 11 AM.

The November 2006 issue of The Journal of Chemical Education is now available online. In this issue you will find articles about astrochemistry in the classroom, high school chemistry teaching, inorganic chemistry investigations, organic synthesis, and many other activities for the classroom and laboratory.

Professor Laura Kiessling has won the ACS Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal for "distinguished service to chemistry by women chemists". The award is sponsored by the Olin Corporation. Congratulations Laura!!

Professor Sam Gellman has won the ACS Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry for "outstanding achievements in the chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics of peptides". The award is sponsored by Merck Research Laboratories. Congratulations Sam!!