Name: Milt Levenberg Address: 31057 Prairie Ridge Road; Libertyville, IL 60048 Phone: 847-680-1223 E-mail: milspec@iname.com
Registrations for meetings are routinely submitted via an online form, and each monthly announcement includes an abstract, speaker biography, dinner menu, map, and directions to the meeting. Since meetings are held at various locations throughout Chicagoland, members are often dependent upon the map and directions on our website as an aid for driving to the meeting. This year, we also instituted an archive of old meeting announcements and other resources, so that in the future members will be able to retrieve historic information.
A treasury of twenty-plus year old photos was discovered and posted on our photo gallery.
A PERL script has been written which provides the ability to monitor web page "hits" to assess interest in specific pages. This information is valuable in determining which aspects of the Chicago section site are showing the most interest to our members.
Finally to further improve the communication between the section members and the officers, a "contact the chair" button was added that provides a direct email link to the present section chair. The Chicago section website has become a valuable "first-line resource" for section members, and it continues to expand to provide new member services.
Name: Allison A. Aldridge Address: 4704 W. Euclid Ave., Apt 2C, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Phone: 847-776-7917 E-mail: Allison457@AOL.com
The events for high school students included the 2001 F.U.T.U.R.E. (Faction United To Unveil Resources Through Education) College Fair, April 28, 2001in Harvey, IL. The students were provided with information on the many different careers they could pursuer after getting a degree in chemistry. They also were given information on the many services provided by the ACS career service department. Some of the pamphlets included were: “I Know You're A Chemist But What Do You Do,” the booklet that contains information on several careers in chemistry, and the career services catalog. Approximately thirty students, along with their parents stopped at the table for information and they had plenty of questions.
A workshop entitled “Managing an Effective Job Search” given by Rich Bretz was held at Columbia College March 17, 2001 in Chicago, IL for the annual College Career Conference. Students had the opportunity to have their resumes reviewed by Rich and to ask questions. Only four students attended, but they found the information very useful and enjoyed the workshop. Those that brought resumes had Rich review them.
These activities merit consideration because the Chicago section is reaching out to future chemists. They will have an idea of how career services can help them find employment. We have also provided information to soon-to-be chemistry graduates that will help them in their job search.
Name: Ami LeFevre Address: 122 Imperial Court, Palatine, IL 60067 Phone: 847-568-3655 Fax: 847-705-9068 E-mail: amilef@niles-hs.k12.il.us
Teachers were taught how to use and set up the Vernier computer-lab program, probes (temperature & pressure), and interfaces to collect and analyze data. The presenters provided tips and trouble shooting examples of how to teach this technology to their chemistry students. The labs used in the workshop include:
Another emphasis of the program was setting up calculators with temperature and pressure probes. This is an alternative method for those schools that cannot afford to purchase computers.
A list of useful chemistry related Internet sites were discussed. These are resources for the teachers to obtain additional information relating to the use of technology in the laboratory.
In addition to the hands-on laboratory work the teachers were given information about the ACS and its role in chemical education. The importance of teacher involvement in the ACS was emphasized, and ways in which the teachers could participate. The teachers were asked to participate in the US National Olympiad Exam, the Chicago Local Section Scholarship Exam program, and the Chicago Section High School Education Committee. The CD ROM series of The Journal of Chemical Education was introduced.
At the conclusion of the workshop prizes were raffled off, and a gift from the ACS was given to each teacher. Cecilia Hernandez from the USNCO office donated the gifts.
Name: Barbara Moriarty Address: ONDEO Nalco Company One ONDEO Nalco Center Naperville, IL 60563 Phone: (630) 305-2224 Fax: (630) 305-2982 E-mail: bmoriarty@ONDEO-nalco.comThe Chicago Section provided a number of programs to its members in order to increase member involvement in government affairs and advance public policy to benefit science and society.
The first activity to increase member involvement in governmental affairs was our participation in the first Illinois State Capital Day in Springfield, IL on March 7, 2001. Eleven members of the Chicago Section joined twenty ACS members from other local sections around the state and three ACS staff members from the Office of Legal and Government Affairs (OLGA) to discuss increasing science education in schools throughout the state with our legislators. Presentations made by Gwen Pollock, the Science Coordinator from the Illinois State Board of Education and Paul Kimmelman, the Special Advisor from the North Central Regional Education Laboratory focused on the need to push for increased emphasis on science and mathematics education and discussed teacher certification and professional development of teachers. Finally, Representative Mary Lou Cowlishaw, from Naperville, who is the House Education Committee Minority Leader, spoke on her continuing efforts to promote an alternative teacher certification process. Representative Cowlishaw spoke at our Public Affairs Meeting a few years ago on this same issue. In the afternoon, each attendee made calls on their representatives to make a case for increased science education.
A second way that the Chicago section used in 2001 to increase the knowledge of our members on governmental affairs was through our yearly Public Affairs meeting. At the meeting on March 16, 2001, the Chicago Section presented the 2001 Public Affairs Award to the Hon. Harris W. Fawell (IL, 13th Dist.). This is the first time since the section began giving the award in 1982, that a member or past member of Congress has been honored. The Public Affairs Award was established to recognize individuals who were involved in science and public policy issues. Congressman Fawell served 7 terms in Congress, and retired in 1998. While in Congress he served on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Subcommittee on Employer –Employee Relations (Chair), and Subcommittee on Workforce Protection Oversight; Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Energy. The title of his award address was "The Challenges of Leadership in a Global Marketplace". Approximately 120 people attended the Public Affairs Award presentation.
A third activity that the Chicago section pursued to increase awareness of its members in public policy issues was the co-sponsorship of the nomination of Hull House (and Dr. Alice Hamilton) as a National Historic Chemical Landmark with the Women Chemists Committee and the Division of Chemical Health and Safety. The work of Dr. Hamilton is credited with the establishment of the field of industrial toxicology while she was affiliated with Hull House. The ACS Board has since approved the designation of Hull House as a Landmark; the Landmark Designation is scheduled to take place in September 2002. This again focuses on a public policy issue and recognizes chemists for their role in public policy issues.
Finally, the committee helped in arranging the address of Congressman Danny Davis (IL 7th District) to the Minority Affairs Committee's semiannual luncheon during the Fall national meeting held in Chicago on August 27, 2001. Plans are in progress to continue discussions between Cong. Davis and members of the Chicago Section.
2/11/02