Job Opportunity

We are a small company located in Lakeville, Minnesota and have a full-time job opportunity for an entry level chemist.  I have included a job description.
Sincerely,
John

John Hofstad
Operations Manager
INTERNATIONAL CHEMTEX CORPORATION
jhofstad@chemtexcorp.com
(952) 469-4965


https://mail.google.com/a/stolaf.edu/?ui=2&ik=150f02ad0d&view=att&th=1240755e91ab728b&attid=0.1&disp=vah&realattid=0.1&zw

Welcome Erik Epp!

The St. Olaf Chemistry Department welcomes Erik Epp. Erik graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with an honors B.S. in chemistry. He then proceeded to the University of Chicago, where he earned a M.S. in physical chemistry for computational chemistry modeling of interstellar gas clouds. Most recently, he hails from Purdue University where he is finishing a doctorate in chemical education research, dealing with how students learn physical chemistry through the use of hypermedia technology. He greatly enjoys teaching and has been energized by interactions with students in his Chem 121 and 125 classes at St. Olaf College. Stop by his office (RNS 328) to meet him and play with some puzzles. Clicking on the title of this post will take you to a longer blurb about Erik and other members of the St. Olaf Chemistry Department.

Welcome Dr. Listenberger!

The St. Olaf Chemistry Department would like to welcome Dr. Laura Listenberger. Laura graduated from Hope College in Holland, Mi with a B.S. in Chemistry. She then attended Washington University in St. Louis, Mo where she got her PhD in Molecular Cell Biology and became a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. She spent a year at Kalamazoo College as a Visiting Assistant Professor before pursuing research postdocs at Stony Brook University (in NY) and Torrey Pines Institute of Molecular Studies (in CA). Her research utilizes techniques in biochemistry and cell biology to understand how cells store excess fat. Laura moves to Northfield with her husband and two young daughters. She looks forward to working with students in Chem 373, Chem 379, and CH/BI 126 and 127 this year. Students can find Dr. Listenberger on the third floor of Regent's Hall, in office 380. Clicking on the title of this post will take you to a longer blurb about Dr. Listenberger and other members of the St. Olaf Chemistry Department.

Midstates Consortium for Mathematics and Science

Reminder September 25th is the last day to apply for the MIDSTATES CONSORTIUM FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
The University of Chicago
November 6-8, 2009
Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics,& Computer Science
http://mathsciconsortium.org/

Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Biological Sciences & Psychology

Reminder that tomorrow, September 25 is the deadline to apply if you wish to attend
MIDSTATES CONSORTIUM FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
Washington University in St. Louis
October 30-November 1, 2009
http://mathsciconsortium.org/

Medicinal Chemistry in Jamaica

There are still spaces available to join the trip to Jamaica this January for our cultural immersion into medicinal chemistry.

You must complete both semesters of organic to be eligible.

Application materials are waiting for you in the International and Off Campus Studies Office.

Please contact Prof. Muth if you have any questions.

Special Opportunity in Forensics!

If you've always wanted to be the victim of a brutal crime (and who hasn't?), apply to be a dead person for the Forensic Science course this spring. Dr. Abdella is looking for someone to play the part of a murder victim in a staged crime scene. Expect to be sketched, photographed, and gaped at. It would be fantastic if you were interested in lab assisting for Forensics and/or in planning the types of evidence that should be found at the crime scene. But, remember, we can't really have a pool of blood on the floor of Regent's Hall! If you have good ideas on how to mimic such evidence, see Dr. Abdella! Priority will be given to students with the following interests/experiences:

has completed Analytical Chemistry (Chem 255 and 256)
interested in being a lab assistant for Forensic Science lab this spring
available Monday afternoons 2:00-5:00 for Forensic Science lab
available Tuesday afternoon, February 16 approximately 1:20-2:45 to be dead
interest in forensic science as a career

Email Dr. Abdella (abdella@stolaf.edu) to apply for this position...and yes, we realize that some of you may not be able to commit to particular time slots in the spring term until AFTER registration! But, we can do some planning now and hope that it works out!

Graduate Fellowships

If you are thinking about graduate school consider applying for a graduate fellowship. There are several deadlines coming up in the next month or so:

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201

Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships: http://www.hertzfoundation.org/

UNCF/Merck Science Initiative Research Scholarships and Fellowships: http://www.uncf.org/portal/Default.aspx?tabid=93#Graduate (NOTE: this program also offers undergraduate fellowships)

If you think you might want to apply to one of these programs talk to a chemistry faculty member.

--Mary Walczak

PCR Song

If you know what "PCR" is (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and you enjoy music and you have a sense of humor, you'll enjoy this YouTube video. Just click on "PCR Song" in the title of this blog post.

Undergrads Can Join the American Chemical Society!

The American Chemical Society has changed from offering a "Student Affiliate" membership (which had small annual dues, but also fewer benefits than a full membership), to offering full membership to undergraduate students at a very low price. There is a new website especially for undergraduate members. There are lots of perks to membership, if you are interested. Because of the current "Member-get-a-Member" promotion, have a current member sponsor you if you want to join...the current member can get a nice gift! See http://undergrad.acs.org/mgm.vp.html

The 2009 Undergraduate Student dues are only $23 (without a subscription to C&EN), or $44 (with the subscription). You can see C&EN magazines in the offices of most chemistry faculty (and some excerpts on Beth Abdella's bulletin board).

From the ACS website:

"Members receive discounts on a number of ACS professional products and services including meetings registration, courses, and books.

Members can also take advantage of a broad array of ACS group benefits through Affinity Programs that include renters' insurance, travel programs, financial services and discounts from FedEx Kinko's."

If you are planning on graduate school in chemistry, you continue to get discounted dues for the duration of your graduate program.

Chemistry Seminar Thursday, September 24th

Please welcome:

John W. Moore
W.T.Lippincott Professor of Chemistry
University of Wisconsin-Madison

"The Chemical Education Digital Library: Online Resources for All!"


Seminar will be held in RNS 150 at 3:15, with refreshments served prior to start.

Chemistry Seminar Tomorrow September 17th

The Chemistry  Department will be hosting their first seminar tomorrow, at 3:15 p.m. in RNS 310 with refreshments to be served prior to the start of the seminar.

Dr. Gavin Brown
Lancaster University
"Getting Clearer - Molecular Organisation of the Cornea"

Seminars and YOU (by Bob Hanson and Beth Abdella)

The St. Olaf Catalog lists as one requirement for the chemistry major, the "attendance during junior and senior years at 12 departmental seminars." This means 12 seminars over 2 years, not 12 seminars each of 2 years.  Our goal is to explain the reasoning behind this requirement and to share with you some tips that will help make this experience a good one for you, your professors, and your invited seminar speaker alike. First the why, then the how.

First, seminars are educational. Speaking for the faculty in the chemistry department, we strongly believe that all of us—students and faculty—benefit from taking the time each week to listen to the story of science being told by someone from beyond our local environs. It’s simply impossible for a group of about a dozen faculty members in a department to cover all of the various perspectives of chemistry. By bringing in speakers from other academic departments, various companies and chemistry-related governmental agencies, we try to gain insight into what chemistry is like "in the real world." We want to learn about areas with which we aren’t very familiar. By setting aside this time and encouraging you as a student to join us, we are saying to you, "Learning chemistry is a life-long endeavor. Keep it up!" In addition, just as anyone learning to write should read, those hoping to better their own speaking skills should listen to others speak.  Listening to seminar speakers do their thing (some of whom will be great) gives us useful tips for making effective presentations ourselves. If nothing else, it gives us an appreciation for how hard it is to get up in front of a group of strangers and say anything meaningful.

Second, quite frankly, the reason we have the requirement of seminar attendance is that it’s necessary. We all have the same tendency to do only what we need to do to get the job done. In the case of earning a chemistry major, that means taking the courses and getting the grades, right? Seminars are a bit like brushing your teeth. Their benefit may not be immediately obvious, but, done regularly, listening to seminars will really produce results. Seminars are such a different sort of experience—one few high school students ever have—that it takes some time to understand how much can be gained from them. By requiring twelve seminars attended over the course of two years, we figure that you will either (a) realize how important (and difficult!) speaking and communicating science is, or at the very least (b) learn a little about the world that you never would have learned listening to the bunch of us rattle on in class about how cool chemistry is.

Now for the How: Virtually all of our seminars will occur in rooms that have doors at the front of the room (RNS 310, 390, 150). This is problematic for speakers and listeners alike.  Here are a few tips for handling a late entry to or early exit from a room where the doors are at the front.  First, it’s OK to come late or leave early.  We all have busy schedules.  But, what should you do in order to remain as unobtrusive as possible?  For a late arrival:  take a peek in the window of one door and see where the action is--usually projection will be happening in the center of the room, but check to be sure before sneaking in.  Also, while peeking in the window, be looking for which door gives easier access to a seat.  Turn off your cell phone while still in the hall.  Dig through your backpack for paper and pen before coming into the room.  Quietly enter the room from the door that interferes least with the presentation and find a seat with as little commotion as possible.  The doors close rather noisily when left to their own devices...try to minimize the noise by staying just inside the door and helping it close gently.  Do not stop to sign the seminar book or get a treat to nibble...you’re late...just find a seat!  You can take care of signing the seminar book when the seminar has been completed.  Especially if your entry brings more upheaval than you planned, it would be appropriate to apologize to the speaker for your late entry, after the seminar is over.  It can be unsettling to a speaker to be processing major upheaval in the audience and trying to maintain their train of thought.

What about leaving early?  This is often a bigger problem.  Our seminar speakers are asked to keep their presentations to 45 minutes plus the ever-present question and answer session.  This does not mean that they all manage to wrap things up in a timely fashion.  Common courtesy requires that the audience stay present and attentive until a speaker is finished AND while others are asking questions.  If you know in advance that you will need to leave early it is most polite to introduce yourself to the speaker before the seminar and simply say, "Hi, I'm Bonnie Hills.  I just thought I'd let you know that I may have to leave early in order to catch my ski team bus for practice this afternoon, but I didn't want to miss your talk."   EVERY speaker appreciates this.  Now, follow this up by sitting at a place from which a quick and easy escape can be made.  There's simply nothing more unsettling for a speaker than to have people sneaking out of a seminar half-way through.  What did I say?  Is my presentation that boring?  Not pleasant thoughts when you are up in front of a crowd of strangers.  Faculty members often forewarn seminar speakers about our schedules, needing to keep tabs on lab students, running to a meeting in another building, etc.  You can join us in trying to make every speaker’s visit to our department as pleasant as possible.

What about asking questions of the speaker?  Please do!  It's a good idea to always plan to ask at least one question.  Always plan to stay for the question/answer period and make it more fun and educational by asking your question.  The question/answer period won’t be shorter if you don’t ask your question, because faculty members will step in with questions of their own.  It’s actually polite to ask a few questions...the speaker will feel better connected to the audience.  Questions can be about the science, how the science fits in to other topics, or about the person's career or institution, etc.  One easy question to ask is how the speaker became interested in the topic, whatever it is.  Speakers love students who ask questions.  You'll be surprised to find how pleased you'll be with your efforts.  Some speakers invite questions during their presentation.  If this is the case, raise your hand, wait to be acknowledged, and ask a question pertinent to the current topic of the presentation.  If the speaker doesn’t notice you and moves on...lower your hand and save your question for after the presentation.  If your question will be asked after the presentation, it is a good idea to jot it down (come prepared with paper and pen) and make a note about the current slide, if appropriate to the question.  Be thinking about questions during the whole seminar. 

If the question/answer period has already gone on for some time and you have a really important question to ask, consider keeping it to yourself to allow the seminar room to be dismissed, and then approaching the speaker with your question (introduce yourself first) after the room has emptied.  You will have the benefit of the speaker's full attention and your colleagues will be free to pursue their other commitments.

Did we mention lunch?  Very often our seminar speakers are here for lunch and are most interested in being accompanied by students.  You can explore their area of science or their area of the country.  You can get their take on what courses are most important for your interests.  You can find out what they like most about their jobs or what jobs their graduate students seem to prefer.  There's a lot to learn about the world out there and this is a great opportunity to perform a bit of research for your future.  If you are interested in an occasional lunch-time chat with a seminar speaker, just let Karen Renneke know!  It’s fun to eat at the King's Room instead of Stav Hall from time to time.  Some of our seminars are on Thursdays, others on Fridays...so if you are free at lunch time on either day (or both), volunteer to take speakers to lunch.

See you soon, enjoy the donuts!  

Another post

Greetings again,

It is a warm and sunny day here in Regents Hall. I recommend the coffee in Norway Valley Cafe.

Greg

Welcome to the Chemistry Department Blog, a new way for us to communicate news and events in and around the Chemistry Department at St. Olaf College. I invite you to read, contribute and enjoy.

Greg