10th Anniversary of the NESACS-YCC/GDCh-JCF
Exchange: Celebrating a Decade of Friendships and
Science
By Raeanne L. Napoleon
The Northeastern Section of
the ACS (NESACS), the Northeastern Section Younger Chemists
Committee (NSYCC), and the NESACS Education Committee
are delighted to host a group of 13 graduate-student
representatives from the Young Chemists Forum (Jungchemikerforum,
JCF) of the German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher
Chemiker, GDCh); a representative from the European Young
Chemists Network (EYCN), Sergej Toews; a German high-school
teacher, Dr. JörgSaborowski; and the Deputy Executive
Director and Director of Education and Professional Affairs,
Dr. Kurt Begitt, in Boston August 21-28 during the ACS
National Meeting.
This visit marks the 10th exchange between the NESACS-NSYCC
and GDCh-JCF and will highlight ACS international efforts,
as well as demonstrate the close ties between NESACS
and the GDCh. The visit to Boston will allow the German
graduate students to attend the national meeting and
present their work, visit local industrial sites, and
to have fun with representatives of NSYCC and experience
Boston and its surrounding areas.
Where it All Began
In March of 2000, Dr. Michael Strem (Strem Chemicals,
Inc), a member of the ACS Board of Directors from District
I (1997-2000) and a member of the NESACS Board of Directors,
traveled to Germany for the Chemiedozen- tentagung meeting
to exhibit his company’s products by invitation from
Dr. Kurt Begitt, with whom he had been in contact because
of a growing connection between NESACS and the GDCh.
The JCF had an exhibit at this conference, and Strem
realized that this group and its young members had similar
interests and organization to a group he was very familiar
with, the NSYCC.
During the meeting, Strem and Begitt discussed the possibility
of each of the groups hosting the other on an annual
basis. Having the young chemists interact socially and
present their work at conferences, in addition to visits
to academic and industrial sites in the geographic areas
that the groups were visiting, would be the focus of
the weeklong stays. Strem returned to Boston with the
ideas that he and Begitt developed and presented them
to the NESACS Education Committee, NSYCC, and the Board
of Directors. He also informed the group that a delegation
of German graduate students would be visiting Boston
in 2001 for the Northeast Student Chemistry Research
Conference (NSCRC), an annual conference organized by
the NSYCC that provides an opportunity for undergraduate
and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows to present
their research work. NESACS took immediate action and
organized a committee to plan the events for their future
guests. The committee included Michael Strem, Chair;
Ruth Tanner (UMass, Lowell), NESACS Education Committee
Chair; Morton Hoffman (Boston University), NESACS Chair-
Elect; Amy Tapper (Boston University), NSYCC Chair; Tim
Frigo (Advanced Magnetics, Inc.), NESACS Chair; and Doris
Lewis (Suffolk University), NESACS Immediate Past- Chair.
The NESACS Board provided funds to allow for comfortable
lodging, local transportation, meals, and entertainment
for the JCF visitors.
History
and Details of Each Exchange Since this initial meeting in 2001, the GDCh-JCF
and NESACS- NSYCC have been fortunate enough to have
9 additional meetings, with 2010 marking the 10th Exchange.
A brief history of the exchange trips follows.
2001 Exchange (April 27-May 4)
Nine graduate students from across Germany, along with
Begitt and three faculty members from different universities,
visited Boston and attended the Third Annual NSCRC. In
2001 Dr. Robert Langer (M.I.T.) provided the keynote
address. There were more than 60 posters, six oral presentations,
and more than 100 attendees. Two of the oral presentations
were delivered by visiting German students.
In addition to the NSCRC, the group attended a concert
by the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall; visited
laboratories at Harvard University, M.I.T., and Waters
Associates; attended the Kistiakowski
Lecture at Harvard University given by Ahmed Zewail;
attended a Red Sox game at Fenway Park; and enjoyed a
farewell dinner banquet.
2002 Exchange (March 9-16)
Eleven graduate students and one undergraduate student
from the North- eastern Section traveled to Germany accompanied
by Strem, Tanner, Hoff- man, and Tapper. They visited
Cologne, Universität Köln, attended a GDCh-NESACS symposium,
toured the facilities of Bayer and Jülich Research Centers,
and then moved on to Aachen, where the students presented
their work at the two-day GDCh-JCF spring symposium (Euregionale).
Monica Rixman (M.I.T.), a graduate student with the NESACS
group, won an award for giving an out- standing oral
presentation.
2003 Exchange (Feb 22-Mar 1)
After the 2002 exchange, the GDCh and NESACS agreed that
future exchanges would take place on the basis of two
NESACS visits for each GDCh visit. Thus, in 2003, representatives
from within the NESACS region returned to Germany. Ten
graduate students and two undergraduates, accompanied
by Patrick Gordon (NESACS Alternate Councilor), Tap-
per, Tanner, Hoffman, and Strem, returned to Germany
for a visit to Munich and Dresden. In Munich, the group
toured the city and visited Ludwig-Maximilians University,
Technical University Munich (TUM), Deutsches Museum,
and Hofbräuhaus, in addition to participating in a symposium
on international careers.Additionally, the group visited
Burghausen, where they toured the research and production
facilities of Wacker Chemie. The group then went to Dresden
and visited the Technical University Dresden (TUD), where
the Euregionale was held. There were representatives
from many countries in attendance and NESACS students
earned nominations in three of the four award categories
for oral and poster presentations.
2004 Exchange (April 18-25)
Fifteen graduate students representing different universities
in Germany, together with Begitt, visited Boston and
attended the Sixth Annual NSCRC and YCC Career Fair.
The Career Fair, which preceded the conference, pro-
vided attendees with resumé-writing sessions, interviewing
skills work- shops, and the chance to talk with recruiters.
The NSCRC featured welcoming remarks by Charles Casey
(ACS President) and a keynote address by Dr. Stephen
Lippard (M.I.T.). One of the visiting German students
won a cash prize for delivering an outstanding oral presentation.
In addition to the conference, the German delegation
enjoyed the 360o view from the top of the Prudential
Building, feasted on a traditional New England dinner
at Durgin Park, watched the Red Sox play at Fenway Park
on Patriot’s Day, and subsequently became spectators
of the runners of the Boston Marathon in Kenmore Square,
toured research facilities at Harvard University, M.I.T.,
and Pfizer in Groton, CT, and enjoyed a dinner in Newport,
RI. They spent an evening attending a performance by
the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Hall and concluded
the week with a farewell dinner.
2005 Exchange (April 3-10)
A new NESACS delegation traveled to Germany, along with
Lauren Wolf, (YCC Immediate Past-Chair), Strem, Tanner,
and Hoffman. Two undergraduate and 10 graduate students
representing different NESACS-area universities attended
the Frühjahrssymposium, which was held at Humboldt University
in Berlin. Sarah Chobot, a graduating senior from Boston
University, delivered an oral presentation at the conference
and won the top award, a € 250 cash prize and a flight
ticket to attend another science conference anywhere
in the world the following year. Additionally, at the
farewell dinner Dr. Michael Strem was awarded the GDCh
Golden Pin, which recognizes outstanding service to chemistry
and the chemistry society, for his contributions to the
NESACS- YCC and GDCH-JCF exchange.
2006 Exchange (March 12-19)
The Frühjahrssymposium was held at the University of
Konstanz, and a group of eight graduate students and
four undergraduates representing NESACS traveled to Germany
for the conference, along with Ivan Koren-dovych (YCC
Chair), Strem, Hoffman, and Tanner. Three students from
the NESACS delegation won awards at the conference: Dan
Killelea (Tufts University) won the third-place cash
award for his oral presentation, and Vikki Tsefrikas
(Boston College) and Leland Johnson (Boston University)
were both recognized for their research posters. In addition
to the conference, the group visited the Max Planck
Institute for Materials Research, took a tour of the
old medieval section of Konstanz, toured the industrial
site of Altana Pharma, and enjoyed a boat ride on Lake
Constance.
2007 Exchange (August 18-25)
A delegation of 14 graduate students from Germany visited
the Boston area during the national meeting, together
with a German high-school teacher, Dr. Marianne Sgoff,
and Begitt. Each of the graduate students presented posters
in their respective ACS Divisions and at the Sci-Mix,
which took place on Monday night during the conference;
Sgoff gave an oral presentation in the CHED High-School
program about teaching chemistry in Germany. Three of
the graduate students, as well as Begitt, gave oral presentations
in a CHED symposium on research and chemical education
in German, which was organized by Hoffman and cosponsored
by the GDCh, ACS Inter- national Activities Committee,
the CHED International Activities Committee, NESACS,
the Graduate Stu- dent Symposium Planning Committee,
and other groups. The group also enjoyed tours of university
laboratories, a reception in their honor at the Seaport
Hotel, a day at the Cape, where they had a clam bake
and played wiffle ball, and a farewell dinner.
2008 Exchange (March 26-April 2)
Twelve graduate students and two undergraduates from
NESACS along with Strem, Hoffman, Tanner and Robert Lichter
(Merrimack Consult- ants, LLC) attended the 10th Frühjahrssymposium,
which was held in Rostock, Germany. In addition, the
group visited many local sites in Ham- burg, attended
a performance of “Don Giovanni” at the State Opera House,
and had a tour of Dow Chemical and Beiersdorf. Two NESACS
students participating in the trip won awards for their
presentations; Patrick Cappillino (Boston University)
won an award for the oral report on his Ph.D. work and
graduating senior Shuyu Wang (Harvard University) won
an award for her poster presentation.
2009 Exchange (March 8-15)
Together with Strem, Hoffman, and Tanner, a group of
10 graduate students and three undergraduates from NESACS
attended the 11th Frühjahrssymposium, in Essen, Germany.
The group also enjoyed city tours of Essen and Cologne,
tours of the industrial sites of Bayer and Evonik and
the research labs at Max Planck Institute for Coal Research
and the Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry,
and spent a very exciting afternoon inside a working
coal mine. Two NESACS graduate students participating
in the trip won awards for their poster presentations:
Erin Iski (Tufts University) and Brian Steinberg (Boston
College).
Details
of the Current, 2010 Exchange (August 21-28): Following is a list of the German
graduate students, their institutions, the titles of
their research posters and talks in the CHED symposium,
and the ACS Division for their presentations. Check the
ACS website <www.acs.org> or
in C&EN for the times and locations of these sessions.
Raeanne L. Napoleon (Boston University), YCC Chair, trav-
eled to Germany in March 2010 to attend the Frühjahrssymposium
in Göttingen, where she met many of the German delegation.
German Delegation:
• Matthias
Beyer
Fraunhofer-Institute for
Silicate Research, Würzburg ORGN: “Biodegradable hybrid
polymers for regenerative medicine.”
• Judith Delius
Technical University of
Munich. ENVR: “Chemistry in the earth’s atmosphere: Investigating
ester formation in secondary organic aerosols by mass
spectrometry.”
• Prisca Eckert
Technical University Dortmund
INOR: “Stereogenic nitrogen centers with specific configuration:
Coordination of chiral diamines to transition metals.”
• Markus Jegelka
University of Stuttgart
ORGN: “Regioselective, iron-catalyzed allylic sulfonation
of allylic carbonates.”
• Christiane Knappke
University of Cologne ORGN:
“New N-heterocyclic carbene-derived alkylidene imidazolines.”
• Andreas Lill
Johann Wolfgang Goethe
University, Frankfurt am Main MEDI: “Fluorescence-Labeled
Celecoxib Derivatives as Novel Pharmacological Tools.”
• Tim Peppel
University of Rostock INOR:
“Syntheses, Structures, and Properties of Co(II)-Based
Ionic Liquids.”
• Nina Schützenmeister
Georg-August-University,
Göttin- gen ORGN: “Total synthesis of spinosyn analogues,”
CHED: “Ecologically benign and economically useful transformations:
Research and education at the Georg-August-University
Göttingen/Germany.”
• Kevin Stella
University of Duisburg-Essen
PHYS: “Surface chemistry with photo-sensitive stepped
metal– insulator–semiconductor heterosystems,” CHED: “Chemical
experiments with pulsed atomic and molecular beams on
the catalytic active surfaces of semiconductor heterosystems.”
• Shanshan Wang
Max Planck Institute for
Coal Research, Mülheim an der Ruhr CATL: “Copper colloid
based catalysts in methanol synthesis,” CHED: “Catalysis
as a key technology for a sustainable development.”
• Johannes W. Wehner
Christiana Albertina University
of Kiel CARB: “Evaluation of different thioesters for
glycocluster synthesis applying native chemical ligation.”
• Evelyn Wuttke
University of Konstanz
CATL: “Allenylidene Complexes of Group 10 transition metals:
Synthesis and Catalytic Properties.”
• Christian H. Küchenthal
Justus-Liebig-University
Gießen, MEDI: “Synthesis of novel carboxypeptidase ligands
for tumor imaging,” CHED: “Developing the Promise of Young
Chemists: Projects of the German Younger Chemists’ Forum.”
• Sergej Toews
University of Paderborn
COLL: “Smart functionalized polymer dispersions for selective
adsorption to metal oxide surfaces: New concepts for corrosion
protection, ”CHED: “EYCN: The European Young Chemists
Network.”
• Dr. Jörg Saborowski
University of Cologne,
Institute for the Teaching of Chemistry CHED: “How we
teach chemistry in high schools in Germany.”
Symposium (Sunday, August 22, 1:15-5 pm)
“Connections
to Germany and Europe: Education and Research Opportunities.”
The symposium, with the sponsoring
technical division, the Division of Chemical Education,
has been organized by Morton Z. Hoffman (Boston University)
and is designated a Presidential Event. It is cosponsored
by NESACS, GDCh, the Society Committee on Education (SOCED),
the ACS International Activities Committee (IAC), the
CHED International Activities Committee (CHED-IAC), the
Younger Chemists Committee (YCC), the Women Chemists
Commit- tee (WCC), and the Senior Chemists Task Force
(SCTF). The schedule is as follows:
1:15 p.m. Morton
Hoffman (Presiding) – Introductory remarks
1:20 p.m. John
McKew (NESACS Chair) – Welcome
1:25 p.m. Michael
Dröscher (GDCh President) – Welcome
1:30 p.m. Jörg
Saborowski (Gesamtschule Rodenkirchen Cologne)
1:45 p.m. Nina
Schützenmeister (Georg-August-University Göttingen)
2:00 p.m. Kevin
Stella (University of Duisburg-Essen)
2:15 p.m. Shanshan
Wang (Max- Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung)
2:30 p.m. Intermission
2:40 p.m. Joseph
Francisco (ACS President) – Welcome
2:45 p.m. Miriam
Hippchen (German Academic Exchange Service)
3:00 p.m. Lourdes
Echegoyen (American Chemical Society)
3:15 p.m. Markus
Behnke/Georg Bechtold (German Research Foundation)
3:30 p.m. Deirdre
Kelly (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
3:45 p.m. Intermission
3:55 p.m. Christian
Küchenthal (Justus-Liebig-University Giessen)
4:10 p.m. Raeanne
Napoleon (Boston University)
4:25 p.m. Jens
Breffke (Pennsylvania State University)
4:40 p.m. Sergej
Toews (University of Paderborn)
Looking Ahead
Both the NESACS and GDCh are
preparing for the 11th exchange, when an American delegation
will travel to Germany for the Frühjahrssymposium
in the Spring of 2011. NESACS hopes that the exchange
will continue for another decade and looks forward
to all of the visits, career opportunities, and friendships
to be made.
