Chicago Section, ACS
joint with the Chicago Chemists Club
and Iota Sigma Pi
Holiday Party/Meeting

Friday, December 12, 2008
    


A History of Lead and Humanity

Speaker:

Alanah Fitch
Department of Chemistry
Loyola University
Chicago, IL


Location:

Fountain Blue Banquets
2300 Mannheim Rd.
Des Plaines, IL 60018-2955

     Alanah Fitch

This is the Chicago Section ACS/Chicago Chemists Club/Iota Sigma Pi Annual Holiday party/meeting.   At this event, everyone is a chemist (either practicing or honorary)!   Come join in the celebration with all your fellow chemists.   So, in addition to our technical program, Santa will be bringing gifts!   ENJOY!

We are asking you to also bring a gift!!!   Please bring some canned food or other non-perishable food item (in non-glass containers) that we, as the ACS, can donate to a charity for needy people in the Chicagoland area.   We are also collecting cloths and toys for those less fortuate than us.  Let's share our good fortune in the spirit of the season. THANKS!!

Meeting Details (click)

Abstract:  Why Lead? How did we get where we are today? Was this a case of chemical predestination? Or is this a case of evil and "mad scientists" and a disconnect between science and society?  Lead has been used by humanity for 5000 years, and as such has a long allegorical, social, chemical, and environmental history.  The history of lead and its use by humanity will be examined in some detail.

Speaker Information:  Dr. Fitch grew up in hiking the mountains around Tucson, Ariz. and spent her summers combing the beach in California for seashells, experiences which contributed to her world outlook. She left the west for the first time to go to college received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology/Latin American Studies in 1975 from Antioch College, Ohio. During the course of her undergraduate studies she lived for a total of two years in both Colombia and Mexico.

Her original post-college goal was to work in international development which moved her from Anthropology into Soil Fertility (1977, M.S. University of Arizona) to Soil Chemistry (Ph.D. University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, 1981, Frank Stevenson). Her chemistry experiences inspired her into a career in chemistry (postdoctorals in Electrochemistry, 1981-1984 U.W. Madison (Dennis Evans) and 1984 Northwestern University (Don Smith and Rick Van Duyne).

In 1985 she joined the faculty at Loyola, becoming full professor in 1995. Her research focus (60 publications to date, EPA and NSF funded) uses clay-modified electrodes to study transport phenomena in thin clay films. This work has applications in natural phenomena, remediation of polluted environments, support matrices for sensors, and microelectronics. Dr. Fitch was named Loyola University Faculty scholar in 2000. In 2004 Dr.Fitch was awarded an NSF Discovery Corps fellowship to bring Loyola's GC-MS online for use in joint teaching and research with institutions in East Africa. Fall 2006 she was awarded the Gibbs Award for Promotion of Excellence in the Teaching of Analytical Chemistry by the Analytical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society.


Date:  Friday, December 12, 2008
Job Club:  5:30 - 6:30 PM
Social Hour: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Cash Bar, with hors d'oeurves
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Meeting: 8:00 PM
    Location:  
Fountain Blue
2300 Mannheim Rd.
Des Plaines, IL 60018-2955



Cost:  $35.00 for members of ACS or their guests and $37.00 for non-members.   The cost to students and unemployed members is $18.

Reservations:   (847) 647-8405

or,   REGISTER ON LINE !

Parking:   Free


Dinner:

Choice of:

Fresh Fruit Cocktail;
Garden Salad with a variety of dressings;
Included with the chicken and fish entrees are Athenian Oven Roasted Potatoes and a Peas, Mushrooms & Carrots Medley;
Chocolate Sundae;





    Updated 2/9/09