237rd ACS National Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, March, 2009

The ACS Student Affiliates at Millersville University accepted a "Commendable" award for 2007-08 activities and also presented a poster: Millersville University ACS Student Affiliates. They also received a SEPACS Student Travel Award ($500) and a National Meeting Travel Grant ($300) from the National ACS Undergraduate Programs Office.

Undergraduate Posters presented:

• Steven M. Bonser* and Rachel T. Dao: Progress Towards the Synthesis and Chemistry of Some 1,2-Diacyldiaziridines.
• Steven M. Bonser* and Laura A. Ruiz: Progress Towards the Synthesis and Chemistry of Novel 1-Aryl-1H-diazirino[1,2-b]phthalazine-3,8-diones.
• Steven M. Bonser* and Boon C. Lor: Progress Towards the Synthesis of 1,2-Benzenedisulfonyldiaziridines.
• Steven M. Bonser* and Hudson T. VanOrmer:  Progress Towards the Synthesis and Chemistry of Some Novel Diaziridines.

Faculty Presentations:

• Dr. Laura Anna: Introduction of Advanced NMR Methods in an Advanced Organic Laboratory Course.
• Dr. Aimee Miller: Enhancing an Analytical Biochemistry Experiment with 2-Dimensional NMR.

The MU student affiliate chapter is an active group of students interested in chemistry. The chapter is recognized annually by the ACS for its activities and services. The chapter activities include sponsoring seminar speakers, arranging field trips to local industries and laboratories, sponsoring trips to attend scientific meetings, acting as peer advisors to incoming freshmen, and sponsoring student-faculty social activities. The organization has 3 faculty sponsors (Drs. Rickard, Hill, Anna) but the faculty involvement in coordinating and planning the activities sponsored by the organization is minimal.

For further information please visit ACS student affiliate.

• Sponsoring seminar speakers.
• Sponsoring films on chemical topics.
• Arranging trips to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, PA, and Baltimore, MD.
• Arranging trips to area industries and laboratories: Armstrong World Industries, Air Products Corporation, Lancaster Laboratories, etc.
• Arranging trips to local, regional, and national meetings of the American Chemical Society.
• Assembling molecular model kits for sale to students enrolled in chemistry courses.
• Guiding prospective students through the department, including groups of high school students.
• Acting as Peer Advisors to incoming freshmen chemistry majors.
• Sponsoring student-faculty parties, notably one at Halloween.

Although the University requires the chapter to have a faculty advisor, faculty involvement in the planning and coordination of these activities is minimal. Interested students are invited to attend a meeting of the chapter. They can attend, but not vote, without becoming members. Some of the benefits of becoming a member are the receipt of a sampling of professional journals from the American Chemical Society, reduced attendance fees at ACS meetings, and access to the benefits of the ACS (including job placement). Membership costs are minimal, as the Student Affiliate Chapters as a group receive financial support from the ACS.

Read the Chiral Center, MU's ACS newsletter.