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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: The Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society (SCALACS) showcases seminars by two distinguished scientists as role models for our next generation (funded by the ACS LSAC-DEIR grant).
National Hispanic Heritage Month Virtual Symposium
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 • 2 – 4 PM
Via Zoom
Title: Quantitative Mass Spectrometry for Understanding Epigenetic Mechanisms
Presented by: Professor Benjamin A. Garcia, PhD, FRSC, Washington University School of Medicine
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Abstract: This seminar will focus on recent advancements in high-throughput quantitative mass spectrometry for analyzing histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) and chromatin structure. We will explore how these technologies are used to study epigenetic reprogramming in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), an aggressive sarcoma linked to disruptions in the polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2), a key histone-modifying complex involved in gene silencing.
Speaker bio:
Prof. Garcia joined the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 2021 to become the Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. He is presently also an Associate Editor of the Analytical Chemistry, and Mass Spectrometry Reviews journals; and serves on the editorial boards for the Molecular Omics, the Journal of Proteome Research and the Molecular and Cellular Proteomics journals. He also serves in the Executive Committee of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Analytical Chemistry Division. An ACS Fellow, Ben has been recognized with many honors and awards, notably the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Research Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER award, an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
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Event: SCALACS Virtual Climate Change Symposium
Friday, September 27, 2024 • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM PT
Title: “Stories from STEM – Know Your Power”
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM PT
Presented by: Professor Doris Lewis
Abstract:
STEM courses can be challenging for both students and teachers, but the rewards are well worth the effort. An understanding of climate change chemistry is easily accessible through basic chemical equations and can provide the basis for meaningful actions. You are not alone in this journey; the American Chemical Society can support you with resources and lifelong opportunities for career networking and influencing public policy. Stories from a career in STEM may inspire you to persevere and perhaps to tell your own story.
About the Speaker:
Doris Lewis hails from West Virginia. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Duke University and Ph.D. from Tufts University.
Dr. Lewis’s own story involved growing up in West Virginia, the experiences and influences that propelled her into pursuing a professional career in chemistry, and the challenges of being a woman in the field of chemistry. She began her career at Suffolk University in Boston where she served as department chair. Her many contributions to the department over 37 years, include the founding of the Forensic Science program, interdisciplinary collaborations with Suffolk’s MBA program, and creating a popular series of courses related to food and nutrition. Another notable contribution was her role in establishing an award-winning Suffolk University student chapter of the American Chemical Society which provided many professional development opportunities to her students.
Dr. Lewis is also the recipient of the E. Ann Nalley Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society and James Flack Norris Award for Service to the Northeastern Section (NESACS) and the Profession of Chemistry.
Dr. Lewis is Chair of the NESACS Government Relations Committee. Past NESACS activities include being NESACS Chair (2000) and ACS Councilor. She is Professor Emerita of Chemistry at Suffolk University and an ACS Fellow. She is currently associate member of the ACS Committee on Technician Affairs.
Title: “Towards Electrification of the Chemical Industry”
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM PT
Presented by: Professor Shelley Minteer
Abstract:
In the last 5+ years, there has been a focus on improving the sustainability and decarbonization of the chemical industry via electrosynthesis. However, electrochemical approaches have been challenged by poor reaction selectivity. This talk will discuss using biocatalysts as electrocatalysts to address this selectivity issue, including both mediated enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis and direct enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis. The talk will discuss electrode materials innovation for interfacing complex proteins with electrode surfaces as well as using them for electrosynthesis of ammonia as well as other value-added products (i.e. chiral amines, chiral imines, polymers, etc.). There will be a focus on sustainability in the chemical industry.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Shelley Minteer is a Professor of Chemistry and the Director of the Kummer Institute Center for Resource Sustainability at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She is also the Director of the NSF Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry.
She received her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Iowa in 2000 under the direction of Professor Johna Leddy. After receiving her Ph.D., she spent 11 years as a faculty in the Department of Chemistry at Saint Louis University before moving to the University of Utah in 2011 to lead the USTAR Alternative Energy Cluster. She was a Technical Editor for the Journal of the Electrochemical Society (2013-2016) and also an Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society (2016-2020) before becoming the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the ACS Au Journals. She has published more than 450 publications and made more than 550 presentations at national and international conferences and universities.
She has won several awards including the Luigi Galvani Prize of the Bioelectrochemical Society, International Society of Electrochemistry Tajima Prize and Bioelectrochemistry Prize, Grahame Award of the Electrochemical Society, Fellow of the Electrochemical Society and the International Society of Electrochemistry, American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Electrochemistry, and the Society of Electroanalytical Chemists’ Young Investigator Award and Reilley Award. Her research interests are focused on electrocatalysis and bioanalytical electrochemistry. She has expertise in biosensors, biofuel cells, electrosynthesis, and bioelectronics.
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ACS CCEW Virtual Seminar • April 25, 2024
Holey Batteries Batman, Can Chemists Really Help Solve Our Energy Problems?
Virtual Seminar presented by
Prof. Sarah Tolbert is a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA.
She is also the recipient of the SCALACS Tolman Award for the year 2023.
This virtual seminar is presented in conjunction with the American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemist Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) and is made possible with the Science Café Grant from Local Section Activities Committee of ACS.
Sarah H. Tolbert is a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA. Her research focuses on controlling nanometer-scale architecture in solution-processed nanomaterials to generate unique optical, electronic, magnetic, structural, and electrochemical properties. She has published over 200 scholarly research articles and has 20 patents focusing on electrochemical energy storage, organic electronics, nanomagnetics, nanoscale control of thermal conductivity, and new ultra-hard materials. She also serves as the faculty direct for a program aimed at bringing nano-concepts to schools, students, and the general public throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Professor Tolbert is the recipient of a number of awards including the American Chemical Society Henry H. Storch Award in Energy Chemistry, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, an NSF Special Creativity Award, the ACS R.A. Glen Award, and the UCLA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. She currently directs the Center for Strain Optimization for Renewable Energy (STORE) which is a part of the DOE Science Foundations for Energy Earthshots program.Research in the Tolbert group focuses on the intertwined goals of:
(1) using solution-phase methods to producing new nanostructured materials, and
(2) using materials structure and architecture to control physical properties in a broad range of systems.
Within this framework, Tolbert group research can be divided into five topical areas. The first is the development new materials for high rate and high capacity electrochemical energy storage. Here she specifically uses nanoporous architectures to reduce solids state diffusion distance in fast charging electrode materials, and to add mechanical flexibility to high capacity/large volume change electrode materials. Her second research area focuses on controlling the properties of conjugated organic molecules, specifically doped semiconducting polymers. The goal of this effort is to use structural control in polymer assemblies to prevent carrier trapping and increase electronic conductivity. Her work on creating and controlling nanostructured magnetoelectric composites focuses primarily on mulitiferroic materials, in which an electric potential can be used to modify the magnetic state of a system. Nanoporous magnets provide tunable mechanical flexibility, and magnetic nanocrystals provide soft magnetic building blocks.
In her work on synthesizing and interrogating new ultra-hard materials, she uses a combination of solid state and high temperature solution phase methods to create new super-hard transition metal borides in both bulk and nanostructured materials. This family of materials represent some of the hardest know materials that can be synthesized at ambient pressure, and high-pressureradial diffraction studies help her to understand the origins of their impressive mechanical properties. Finally, Prof. Tolbert is developing new routes to porous oxide materials that can be used to improve building efficiency. Specific projects focus on optically clear porous materials for window insulation, and on materials for passive daytime radiative cooling. All projects combine an intimate mix of materials synthesis, materials characterization, device physics, and fundamental physical understanding, allowing her to work to span many fields of Chemistry.
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ACS NCW Virtual Seminar • October 23, 2023
Professor Pingyun Feng
University of California, Riverside
Part of the 2022 SCALACS Research Symposium:
The Red Planet and The Blue Planet: Past, Present and Future
November 5, 2022
Beckman Institute Auditorium
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena
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Broadening STEM Participation through Intentional Exposure, Encouragement, and Engaged Support
presented by
Dr. Pamela Leggett-Robinson, PhD, CAPM
Founder & Executive Director, PLR Consulting
Many of the educational STEM settings (K-12 and higher education) serve as arenas where both academic and social inequities (and injustices) can be produced and reproduced by privileging some identities while marginalizing others. Thus, conspiring to create the STEM opportunity gap by way of lack of STEM exposure, encouragement, and engaged support. To effectively broaden participation and decrease the opportunity gap for these groups, current STEM environments must intentionally create and foster a culture of diversity, inclusion, and equity — one that is open, welcoming, and nurturing to everyone. This seminar aims to build capacity for ways in which individuals and local sections can work together to broaden participation in STEM for marginalized groups through intentional exposure, encouragement, and engaged support. Join us!
SPEAKER BIO:
Pamela Leggett-Robinson has more than 15 years of higher education experience which includes STEM academic and student success/support programming, institutional strategic planning, data analytics, educational programming (start-ups), and program evaluation. Her diverse skill set is a result of serving as an academic administrator, project manager, principal investigator/project director for STEM student and community initiatives, high school teacher, and lobbyist for K-20 science funding on Capitol Hill. She is a Certified Associate in Project Management and brings an exceptional level of enthusiasm, dedication, and nuanced perspective to each STEM program she serves.
Dr. Leggett-Robinson’s research and scientific presentations focus on natural product chemistry, surface chemistry, student support programs in STEM education, and support programming for women of color in STEM professions. She has received multiple awards for her STEM service to students and garnered funds from both NIH and NSF in program funding. Her distinguished record of STEM programmatic success is well documented in publications and presentations. Dr. Leggett-Robinson holds a B.S. in chemistry from Georgia State University, M.S. in Bio-Organic Chemistry from Tennessee Technological University, and a Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry from Georgia State University. Dr. Leggett-Robinson is a co-editor of the book Overcoming Barriers for Women of Color in STEM Fields and co-author of book chapter “Navigating the Landscape of the STEM Professoriate: Reflections and Insights” From Women of Color. Women’s Influence on Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity in STEM Fields.
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Imagination is your only Limitation: Join me on my STEM Journey!
presented by
Urvashi Saxena
Software Engineer at Collins Aerospace
SPEAKER BIO:
Urvashi Saxena has been recognized with the Women’s Advocate Award for consistently organizing and introducing young women to STEM. Urvashi is an eager STEM enthusiast who values problem-solving, consistency, and excellence. She believes in the power of coding to design innovative solutions with unmatchable customer service to deliver the end product.
At Collins Aerospace Urvashi gets to operate flight simulators and design the software within. She was first introduced to programming at the young age of 10 and was mesmerized by the instant results. One of the most formative coding courses she took during her Middle School was at The Bishop’s Co-Ed School, Pune, India, where she created her first HTML website. Having full autonomy over designing the layout, colors, and architecture through coding gave her a new meaning of life. Urvashi’s desire for front-end development made her pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL. She later pursued a Masters of Science in Data Analytics at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Her interests are Software Engineering, Customer Experience, Product Designing, and Data Analytics.
STEM has had a positive impact on her life and she aims to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for engineering to educate the younger generation. She will share about the different STEM disciplines and the impact they have on the world of future Scientists and Engineers.
Urvashi has been able to host Engineering events for Middle/High school girls for the past 6+ years. She introduces the multiple facets of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math to encourage young adults, to pursue a fulfilling career!
Watch the recording here:
Professor Jenny Y. Yang,
Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine
Abstract: Addressing the rising levels of anthropogenic CO2 in our atmosphere is a major scientific challenge. The Yang group has focused on capture, concentration and conversion of CO2 using electrochemical techniques. The seminar will discuss thermodynamic considerations for electrochemical CO2 capture using quinone redox carriers, and the conversion of concentrated CO2 to liquid fuels using transition metal electrocatalysts.
Speaker Bio: Jenny Y. Yang is a valley girl (born and raised in San Fernando Valley). She received her BS at UC Berkeley (research with Professor Jeffrey R. Long) and completed her doctoral studies at MIT under the guidance of Professor Daniel G. Nocera. After her postdoctoral position with Dr. Daniel L. Dubois at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, she was hired as a research scientist in the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis. After a subsequent position as a scientist at the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, she started her current position as a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine.
Watch the recording here:
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A Virtual event via Zoom Monday March 7, 2022 • 4 pm to 5 pm PT
Presented by: dr. Arieh Warshel
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, USC
Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Abstract can be found here: https://bit.ly/3uRN9Wy
Watch recording here:
Through the Senior Chemists Mini-Grant from the SCALACS Senior Chemists Committee, we are presenting a Virtual Event featuring 2 talk sessions presented by Dr. Roger Turner, Curator of the Science History Institute, Philadelphia.
Dec. 6, 2021 • 4 pm to 5 pm PT • Via Zoom
“Combatting Air Pollution in Southern California in the 1950s”
Smog was an obvious problem in Los Angeles by the early 1950s. What caused it? What should be done about it? Join us as we discuss the experiments conducted by chemists Arnold Beckman and Arie Haagen-Smit that revealed the invisible culprit – ozone. This discovery led to a coalition of scientists, industry leaders, bureaucrats, and activists to create laws that eventually reduced ugly brown smog, but did little to reduce other harms associated with air pollution.
Watch recording here:
Dec. 8, 2021 • 4 pm to 5 pm PT • Via Zoom
“Material Matters: The past and present of the rare earth elements essential to our future”
Today’s electronics and the green energy technologies we’ll need for the future depend upon rare earth metals. But producing these metals in the past often involved exploitation and harm. The surprisingly global story of rare earths shows how science and history can help us imagine better ways forward.
Watch recording here:
Prior meetings:
- 2021-03-08: International Women’s Day Event featuring a talk by Prof. Heather Maynard
- 2021-03-26 to 28: Picture A Scientist
- 2021-03-27: High School Chemistry Olympiad
- 2021-04-18: CCEW Household Chemistry Zoom Demos
- 2021-04-25: Deadline for 2021 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest
- 2021-05-12: Virtual Presentation Honoring 50/60/70 Year Members and Talk by Dr. Laurie Barge, JPL
- 2021-05-26: High School Olympiad Awards Presentation
- 2021-06-16: Tolman Award Presentation Honoring Prof. Pingyun Feng, UCR
- 2021-10-09: Senior Chemist Committee Meeting
- 2021-10-17-23: National Chemistry Week Celebration
- Archives