Volume 34 (1)
September 1996
| Editor | Edward Burton |
| Assistant Editor | Dianne Sod |
| Advertising | Jackie Hoofring |
ClNTACS is published nine times a year (September through May) by the Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society in cooperation with the Oesper Collection in the History of Chemistry of the University of Cincinnati. All changes of address should be sent to Emel Yakali at Raymond Walters College, 9555 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236; 745-5686 or 745-5767 (FAX).
The deadline for the next Newsletter (October 1996) is September 3, 1996. All materials should be sent to:
Dr. Edward Burton
Procter & Gamble,
P. O. Box 538707
Cincinnati, OH 45253.
(513) 627-1494 Telephone
(513) 627-1233 FAX
E-mail: burtonde@pg.com
OR Dianne Sod at e-mail: kd2wp@aol.com
The bleomycins (BLMS) are antitumor antibiotics whose cytotoxicity is related to their ability to bind to and degrade double-stranded DNA. They are presently used clinically in the treatment of head and neck and testicular cancer. Recent efforts have focused on understanding the mechanism of how a single BLM molecule, in the presence of its cofactors Fe2+ and O2, carry out cleavage on both strands of DNA without dissociation. Insight into this mechanism, the basis of BLM binding and the basis of specificity of cleavage at pyrimidines 3 to guanines has been obtained by elucidation of the structure of Co3+-hydroperoxide BLM bound sit specifically to an oligonucleotide with a single binding site. The Co-hydroperoxide is an analog of "activated" BLM (Fe3+-OOH), that is stable in the absence of light and amenable for analysis using 2D NMR methods. The role of the sugars, bithlazole tail, and axial ligands will be discussed in terms of the recent structures of deglyco BLM, phleomycin and Co-H2O BLM bound to several oligonucleotides obtained by 2D NMR methods in conjunction with molecular dynamics simulation.
JoAnne Stubbe was born in 1946. She received her Chemistry B. A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 and her Ph. D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1971. She did postdoctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles, and in 1972 joined the faculty at Williams College. During a leave of absence she was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Brandeis University, and in 1977 she joined the Pharmacology Department at the Yale University. She moved to the Biochemistry Department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1980 and was promoted to Professor and Romnes Fellow in 1985. She was appointed the Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Chemistry at M.I.T. in 1987, Professor of Biology in 1990, was named the John C. Sheehan Professor of Chemistry in 1992 and was named the Ciba-Geigy Professor of Chemistry in 1996.
I would like to begin by thanking the membership for electing me chair of the Section. I hope that I can continue in the tradition of my predecessors and maintain the high level of excellence for which our Section has become recognized.
The CINTACS Newsletter will continue to be a monthly publication and with this issue, Dianne Sod has assumed the role of Assistant Editor. She will be working with Ed Burton, who will continue to serve as CINTACS Senior Editor. I am very pleased that Dianne has agreed to work with the Section. Be sure to welcome her. You can provide either Ed or Diane with articles about the chemists and chemistry of the Cincinnati area Both Ed's and Dianne's addresses are listed on the CINTACS masthead as well as on the Section's Web site. Note that the editors have set strict deadlines for publications in the newsletter.
There are several committee changes and additions which have taken place and these changes have been made in order to better reflect the programs from the National office. Under the umbrella of "Public Outreach" will be National Chemistry Week, Media Relations (formerly Public Relations), and a new program for the Section, Kids and Chemistry, which is led by Kathy Gibboney, Cindy Brittain, Diana McGill and Roger Parker. The Kids and Chemistry program joins three other new programs for the section: Career Services, (formerly Professional Relations), chaired by Janna Strobel, Government Relations, chaired by Philip Motz, and a Local Young Chemists Committee, cochaired by Isabel Caputa and Susan Ross. These four new programs will be part of a strategic focus for the Section upcoming year. Each of these new committees will be highlighted in future issues of CINTACS.
Our Section's Website (http://www.che.uc.edu/acs/cinacs.html) continues to evolve and was recently highlighted at a website workshop held during the National ACS meeting in Orlando this August. I encourage you to check it out and let Jeff Nauss (our Webmeister) know what a wonderful job he is doing in maintaining our site.
The September meeting will feature Dr. JoAnne Stubbe from MIT who will talk about her work with bleomycins. Note that this is a Thursday meeting date.
Also, be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming meetings. The October meeting is scheduled for the 16th and will be held at Embassy Suites, Blue Ash. The November meeting, scheduled for November 6, will feature the annual Oesper Award Dinner and will be held at the University of Cincinnati. Looking forward to seeing you at the meetings.
Karlyn A. Schnapp
Chairperson
Cincinnati Section, ACS
schnapp@nku.edu
Mr. Richard J. Sunberg of The Procter & Gamble Company has been awarded the American Chemical Society Helen Free Outreach Award for 1996. The award, consisting of $1000 and an engraved crystal globe, will be formally awarded at the Phoenix Awards Ceremony at the National ACS meeting in Orlando on August 25, 1996. Mr. Sunberg is an Associate Scientist in the Oral Care Technology Division at the Miami Valley Laboratories, where he has been employed for the past 30 years.
This Outreach Award was established last year to recognize outstanding efforts to tell the public, teachers, and students the story of chemistry and how it has contributed to our standard of living. Helen Free, past ACS President, was the inaugural recipient in 1995, and the award now incorporates her name to honor her many contributions and destination as the first awardee.
Mr. Sunberg was nominated and received this award to recognize his many unique contributions and dedication to public education and community service. His efforts center around his passion to take the fun and excitement of chemistry to students and the public through chemistry "magic" shows, demonstrations, science fairs, laboratory tours, and science contests. For the past seven years he has organized a science contest for elementary school children through the local ACS section. This has involved and engaged thousands of students and, in 1990, he managed to get President George Bush to greet the contest winners and their teachers at a memorable event at the Cincinnati airport.
At last count, his chemistry "magic" shows, with the help of many other volunteers, had been presented to thousands of K-16 students since 1983. He has donated his evenings, weekends and vacations to this activity to help students who might otherwise never experience chemistry. He has given chemistry presentations at schools, colleges, universities, libraries, churches, hotel lobbies, museums, science centers, family gatherings, ACS workshops, and senior citizen centers.
Mr. Sunberg was recognized as the inaugural recipient of the National American Chemical Society Technician of the Year Award in 1989. He played a significant role in the establishment of the National Division of Chemical Technicians of the ACS and is a charter member of that Division. Richard was active in the NCCTA and CTA since 1978. The Division of Chemical Technicians was a result of these two committees on technician activities that were established in 1969.
Mr. Sunberg will continue to demonstrate his dedication to science education for grade school students by donating his cash award to science education programs through Miami University's Partners for Terrific Science Program.
The Cincinnati Section is proud to claim Mr. Sunberg as its honored member and congratulates him on the receipt of this prestigious award.
Dr. Ted J. Logan retired from The Procter & Gamble Company on June 28, 1996, after more than 38 years of service. During most of the past 18 years, he was Manager of Technical Recruiting, which included Doctoral Recruiting. More than 1000 doctoral personnel were hired into P&G's US R&D operations under his leadership during this period. Additionally, Ph.D.'s were placed in Asia, Latin America, and Europe through Dr. Logan's department
Logan has been active in the Cincinnati Section of the ACS, dating back to 1960. He was Chairman in 1963 and has held all elected offices and chaired many committees and activities over this 36-year period. He was elected Councilor of the Section in 1983, and has been re-elected to this position at each election since, most recently for the term ending in 1999. He will remain in Cincinnati and devote more time to both local and National ACS programs in his retirement and looks forward to working with all members to make the Cincinnati Section the best each year.
Ted Logan received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Indiana University in 1953, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue in synthetic organic chemistry in 1956 and 1958. He joined The Procter & Gamble Company in 1958 as staff scientist, was appointed Section Head in 1963 and Associate Director in 1991. After 10 years of basic research at Miami Valley Laboratories, he then moved to applied research and product development in the industrial chemicals area. In 1978 he was appointed Manager of Ph.D. Recruiting, a position he held until 1993 when he was also given responsibility for Research Associate and B.S./M.S. recruiting for all of Procter & Gamble's R&D efforts in the US, with recruiting coordination activities in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Since 1993, he has been Manager of Technical Recruiting for Procter & Gamble.
He has served the Cincinnati Section as Secretary (1963), Chairman (1964), Trustee (1965), Board of Directors member, By-Laws Committee, Nomination Committee, and Councilor (1982-present). At the National level, he presently is a member of the Committee on Science, the ACS Board Special Committee on Corporation Associates, and Chairman of Awards Sub-Committee.
He has numerous publications on careers in chemistry and has lectured at dozens of undergraduate and graduate schools on this subject, and been active in Partners for Terrific Science and programs that bring grade school and high school children into industrial firms to show them the fun and excitement of chemistry.
Have you ever wanted to give a chemistry talk to a community organization but didn't have the time or resources to put a talk together? Well, now you ca?n. ACS will provide a series of three 20 min. talks suitable for a non-chemical audience. The talks are include "Chemistry and Society," "Chemistry and the Environment," and "Chemistry and the Future." The talks are provided in a "Speak Out Toolbox." The toolbox includes all the background material, slides, a training video and manual, prepared scripts for all three talks and even a diskette of the script in case you want to customize your talk. This toolbox is free to the Section IF we can guaranty that at least six talks will be given over the next year. These talks must be to lay groups (the garden club, rotary club, church groups etc.) and may be given by anywhere from one to six different speakers anytime over the next year. The toolbox program is jointly sponsored by ACS, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Chemical Manufacturers Association and the Council for Chemical Research. We will order the toolbox if we get responses from six or more members. Here' s your chance to do something about the negative image of chemistry in our country with only a minimum of time. If you are interested, please contact Jeanne Buccigross or Karlyn Schnapp.
The first event of the Section's new Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) was held at Orsanco last May. People interested in the Committee met for an informal mixer and a tour of the Orsanco facility. Outgoing Section chair, Deanna Ashing, incoming Section chair, Karlyn Schnapp and Membership Chair Emel Yakali also attended the mixer to show the Section's support for the activities of the YCC.
Deanna and Karlyn hope that the YCC will provide a forum for young chemists in Cincinnati to meet each other. One goal of the Committee is to facilitate professional networking among the younger chemists. Isabel Caputa, cochair of the Committee says that younger chemists don't always realize how valuable personal contacts can be in a professional career, and that it is never too early to start making those contacts.
The YCC won't be all work though. Several possible social events for the 96-97 year were discussed at the mixer. Many younger chemists are new to the Cincinnati area and only know the people they work with every day. The YCC can be a place to meet new friends with mutual interests or to just have a good time with people you already know.
Anyone interested in information about future YCC events should contact co-chairs Isabel Caputa at Orsanco 231-7719 or Susan Ross at U.C. 556-9201.
Joe Spurlock from Turpin High School and Sandra van Natta from White Oaks Middle School were named Teachers of the Year by the Cincinnati Section. The teachers were presented with their plaques at the Section Awards Banquet held at Northern Kentucky University on April 25, 1996.
Spurlock was named High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year by the Section. He has been teaching chemistry at Turpin High School for 18 years. He also teaches part time at Miami University's Hamilton campus. According to Section chairperson Deanna Ashing, Joe is also very involved in ChemCom, an ACS curriculum for high school students which shows them the every day applications of chemistry.
VanNatta was honored as Middle School Science Teacher of the Year. She has been teaching middle school science for 22 years. Ashing says of VanNatta "Sandy is very involved in the Partners for Terrific Science and Teaching Science with Toys programs." Both programs, run by the Center for Chemical Education at Miami University Middletown, are enrichment programs for teachers to learn new ways to teach science using every day materials.
Sandra van Natta (left), Middle School Teacher of the Year, and 1995-1996
ACS Chair Deanna Ashing.
1995-1996 ACS Chair Deanna Ashing and Joe Spurlock (right), High School
Chemistry Teacher of the Year.
Two fifty year ACS members were honored at the April awards banquet. Chair Deanna Ashing presented plaques to members Alex McDonell and Donald Meyer commemorating their years as ACS members. We hope to continue the tradition of honoring our loyal members at future Awards banquets. Also recognized last year were Mr. William Foster Boyd, Dr. Robert M. Delcamp, Mr. Louis Levy, Dr. Lloyd Maurike Watson and Mr. W. Phalti Lawrence.
{Editor's note: In the May 1996 CINTACS, Mr. Alex McDonell was incorrectly identified as Mr. Alex McDowell.
ACS Fifty-Year Member Donald Meyer (left) and 1995-1996 ACS Chair Deanna
Ashing.
ACS
Fifty-Year Member Alex McDonell.
The American Chemical Society expects its members to adhere to the highest ethical standards. Indeed, the federal Charter of the Society (1937) explicitly lists among its objectives "the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemists through high standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments... ".
Chemists have professional obligations to the public, to colleagues, and to science. One expression of these obligations is embodied in "The Chemist's Creed," approved by the ACS Council in 1965. The principles of conduct enumerated below are intended to replace "The Chemist's Creed." They were prepared by the Council Committee on Professional Relations, approved by the Council (March 16, 1994), and adopted by the Board of Directors (June 3, 1994)for the guidance of Society members in various professional dealings, especially those involving conflicts of interest.
THE PUBLIC
Chemists have a professional responsibility to serve the public interest
and welfare and to further knowledge of science. Chemists should actively
be concerned with the health and welfare of co-workers, consumers, and the
community. Public comments on scientific matters should be made with care
and precision, without unsubstantiated, exaggerated, or premature statements.
THE SCIENCE OF CHEMISTRY
Chemists should seek to advance chemical science, understand the limitations
of their knowledge, and respect the truth. Chemists should ensure that their
scientific contributions, and those of their collaborators, are thorough,
accurate, and unbiased in design, implementation, and presentation.
THE PROFESSION
Chemists should remain current with developments in their field, share
ideas and information, keep accurate and complete laboratory records, maintain
integrity in all conduct and publications, and give due credit to the contributions
of others. Conflicts of interest and scientific misconduct, such as fabrication,
falsification, and plagiarism, are incompatible with this Code.
THE EMPLOYER
Chemists should promote and protect the legitimate interests of their employers,
perform work honestly and competently, fulfill obligations, and safeguard
proprietary information.
EMPLOYEES
Chemists, as employers, should treat subordinates with respect for their
professionalism and concern for their well-being, and provide them with
a safe, congenial working environment, fair compensation, and proper acknowledgment
of their scientific contributions.
STUDENTS
Chemists should regard the tutelage of students as a trust conferred by
society for the promotion of the student's learning and professional development.
Each student should be treated respectfully and without exploitation.
ASSOCIATES
Chemists should treat associates with respect. regardless of the level
of their formal education, encourage them, learn with them, share ideas
honestly, and give credit for their contributions.
CLIENTS
Chemists should serve clients faithfully and incorruptibly, respect confidentiality,
advise honestly, and charge fairly.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Chemists should understand and anticipate the environmental consequences
of their work. Chemists have responsibility to avoid pollution and to protect
the environment.
Copyright 1994
American Chemical Society
1155 Sixteenth Street, N W.
Washington, DC 20036
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HTML version prepared on September 4, 1996 by Jeffrey.Nauss@UC.Edu.