SVACS

Kid Makers: Pop Up Chemistry
2023-03-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | In-person (Redwood City Public Library-Downtown Library), 1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA, 94063, United States
Sponsored by Redwood City Public Library and ACS Silicon Valley Section
2-3pm, Redwood City Public Library, Free, Learn more

Middle school scientists explore different aspects of chemistry! Once a month, join members of the ACS and take part in hands on experiments. This program will take place in the Makerspace.
Location:

Downtown Library, 1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, California 94063

More Information:
Contact: Pam Evans
Email: pevans@redwoodcity.org
Phone: (650)780-7028

Nature’s Lipid Nanoparticles: Exosomes in Drug Delivery and Therapeutics
2023-03-09 09:30 - 11:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and CAS
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Exosomes have emerged as one of the most recent promising platforms for drug delivery and therapeutics for a wide range of diseases. Their distinctive properties such as innate stability, low immunogenicity, biocompatibility, and excellent tissue or cell penetration capabilities allow them to function as superior natural nanoparticles.
Don’t miss the opportunity to join a panel of industry experts, including Information Scientist Janet Sasso of CAS, Faculty Member Atta Behfar of the Mayo Clinic, Chief Technology Officer and Owner Tim Moseley of Direct Biologics, and Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Steven Stice of Aruna Bio to discover the progress in scientific research in the field. Register now to get up-to-date information on the current advancement of clinical applications in cardiovascular, neurological, and lung diseases, as well as the obstacles that need to be addressed.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Program Manager Qiongqiong Angela Zhou at CAS and co-produced with CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society.

What You Will Learn

The current state of exosome scientific research, therapeutic potential, and key players
Advantages and challenges of exosomes in drug delivery and therapeutics
Noteworthy examples of exosome application in drug delivery and therapeutics by industry experts

Webinar Details

Thursday, March 9, 2023 @ 2-3:15 pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

CAS

Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference
2023-03-08 07:00 - 15:30 | Hybrid
Sponsored by Stanford’s Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford Data Science
8:30am-6:00pm, Stanford Alumni Center and Online, $200-400, Registration required | Learn more
WiDS central conference sessions will also be available, free-of-charge, via livestream. Sign up for the livestream here.

Join us in-person on March 8, 2023, at Stanford University for the Women in Data Science (WiDS) central conference, a technical conference featuring outstanding women discussing their exceptional work in data science and related fields, in a wide variety of domains. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
You’ll want to be in the room to experience the energy of this unique conference, connecting with attendees from industry, academia, non-profits, and government and learning from the sessions. Come to be inspired by and learn from outstanding speakers and panelists on topics ranging from, amongst others, algorithm design to data ethics, algorithmic bias to visualization, sustainability to healthcare, and outer space.
Registration for the in-person event will include participation in an in-person networking reception, including representatives from our sponsor organizations, and the opportunity to be included in a conference resume book. In-person tickets are limited by the venue capacity and proof of purchase will be required for entry. WiDS central conference sessions will also be available, free-of-charge, via livestream. Sign up for the livestream here.

Perspectives on AI/ML in Chemistry from Academia and Industry
2023-03-08 05:00 - 07:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by Science of Synthesis/Thieme Publishers
6:00-8:00am, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

The growing importance of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) extends to chemical research. The need for computational access to and reuse of research data for the prediction of chemical products and retrosynthetic routes is increasing rapidly. In this Thieme WebCheminar, chaired by Dr. Guido Koch (Amphilix, Switzerland), our speakers will talk about challenges for researchers in accessing data, tangible benefits for practicing chemists in predicting synthetic routes and the mind shift required for the application of new digital technologies for the discovery of new active ingredients in the industry.
Our speakers:

“Boosting the Adoption of AI Models for Chemical Reactivity” – Dr. Alain Vaucher (IBM Research Europe, Switzerland)
“Computational Access and Reuse of Curated Data in Chemistry“ – Dr. Ye Li (MIT Libraries, USA)
“Design-Synthesis-Test-Analysis process in the Digital Era” – Dr. Marco Stenta (Syngenta, Switzerland)

This Thieme WebCheminar is of particular interest to chemists in industry and academia with a focus on text- and data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Sign up now to save your spot!
Related press releases:

Thieme Chemistry deposits nearly 700,000 distinct chemical structures into PubChem (January 7, 2019)
New partnership between IBM Research Europe and Thieme Chemistry (July 29, 2021)
IBM RXN for Chemistry/IBM Research Europe, Science of Synthesis and Synfacts/Thieme Chemistry (November 22, 2021)

International Women's Day
2023-03-07 - 2023-03-08 | Virtual
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity.
Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to drive gender parity. IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. Inclusion means all IWD action is valid.

Our SciFi Future
2023-03-06 17:30 - 18:15 | Virtual
Sponsored by the Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Leadership for Society Program
6:30-7:15pm, Online via YouTube, Free, Registration required

With each passing moment, artificial intelligence and machine learning proliferate, furthering the abilities of technology in fields from writing, to finance, to manufacturing. What will these developments mean for creativity, imagination, and the prospects of humanity? What will our future look like in the face of technology that thinks more and more for itself?
Speaker:
Timnit Gebru, Founder & Executive Director of Distributed AI Research Institute
About this series:
This winter, join the Graduate School of Business’ Leadership for Society Program to explore People and Planet in the Information Era. Listen to conversations hosted by Prof. Brian Lowery with leaders from a variety of sectors on the immense opportunity and critical challenges for society presented by the rapid explosion of information in our world. Register for the full series here!

Empowering Academic Researchers to Strengthen Safety Culture Workshop
2023-03-05 10:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Division of Chemical Health & Safety
11:00am-2:30pm, Online via Zoom, $25 (no refunds), Registration required

This 3.5-hour workshop is primarily directed at frontline researchers in academic institutions: graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and undergraduate students.
This workshop discusses the challenges of students making the transition to being independent researchers in academia. Topics discussed include: risk assessment of research projects, understanding the often confusing safety hierarchies of academic institutions, and graduate student led Laboratory Safety Teams.
Workshop goals are to:

Educate participants about the value of risk assessment
Guide participants towards gaining awareness of safety culture messages from the leadership at their institutions
Empower participants to expand their safety networks and develop laboratory safety teams.

Faculty and safety staff are encouraged to attend in order to expand their understanding of these challenges and seek ways to become better Champions for these researchers.
This workshop is designed to be highly interactive, both to encourage networking among our participants and to support participants in developing functional plans to take back to their institutions. We utilize the Zoom platform to support both large group and small group activities. Those who have reported the workshop as useful are also those who heavily engaged. The participants add value to this workshop as much, if not more than, the organizers!
While we certainly understand that the unevenness of Internet connectivity and the challenges of work-from-home can serve as barriers, we strongly advise you to come to this workshop prepared to engage with mics and cameras on! If this is not possible, we ask that you engage via the chat function.
While this workshop has been designed from a US perspective, we have had participants from multiple countries report that they found it useful as well! This international audience is just one more reason why the interactivity among participants is so vital to the success of the workshop for all participants!
This workshop is brought to you by the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety as one of two workshops in the ACS CHAS Peer Led Workshop Series. To learn more about the Division and the ACS CHAS Peer Led Workshop Series, please visit our main website at dchas.org.

Silicon Valley Executive Committee Meeting
2023-03-02 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-02-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual
7:30-9:00pm, Online via Zoom, Free. To attend as a guest, please contact the Chair.

Left, Right or Straight Ahead? Making Smarter Decisions
2023-03-01 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Women Chemists Committee
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

The decisions that we make today will determine what we will become, achieve, and experience in life.
Elevate your decision-making skills to new heights by joining a distinguished panel of experts including ACS 2022 President Angela Wilson of Michigan State University, Patent Agent Sofia Santos of Cooley LLP, and Assistant Scientist Sanja Tepavcevic of Argonne National Laboratory as they share their personal anecdotes and insightful strategies for making better decisions when the stakes are high. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover the key habits and tips that will make you more resilient. Register now to take the first step towards your brighter future.
This is ACS Webinar is moderated by Research Scientist, Danniebelle Haase of Dow, Inc., organized by Anna Sromek, Lorena Tribe, and Stephanie Davis, and co-produced with the ACS Women Chemists Committee.

What You Will Learn

What is self-awareness and how is it key to making smarter decisions
What is the relationship between decision quality and decision fatigue
What are effective methods to avoid common decision making pitfalls

Webinar Details

Wednesday, March 1, 2023 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

ACS Women Chemists Committee

Nonlinear Career Path: A New Normal and a Fun One
2023-02-25 09:30 - 11:00 | Virtual
Atefeh Taheri, Chevron and 2023 Chair for Cal ACS
Sponsored by California ACS Section Women Chemists Committee
10:30am-noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Abstract
People ask children what they want to be when they grow up. It took Atefeh some years to realize that she had a broad interest in many topics and wanted to try various roles and responsibilities. Atefeh has embraced what Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, has said, “Careers are not ladders, those days are long gone, but jungle gyms. Jungle gyms offer more creative exploration”. In this talk, Atefeh will share her story and career journey and discuss how nonlinear career paths can be challenging but very rewarding at the same time.
About the Speaker
Atefeh Taheri received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry from the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University with Prof. Jerry Meyer and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis with Prof. Louise Berben. She started her first industry position as a product developer and formulator for the Clorox company. She then joined Chevron corporation, initially as a fundamental scientist. She has held various roles in Chevron. Currently, Atefeh is the Reliability and Maintenance Team Lead for the Western US plants and terminals of the America Fuels and Lubricants business unit of Chevron. In addition, Atefeh is the 2023 Chair for Cal ACS, on the leadership team of the Association of Women in Science East Bay chapter, and one of the leaders of Chevron PRIDE in Richmond (an Employee Resource Group for LGBTQA+ employees and allies).

Mosher Award Reception and Lecture for Professor Richard Zare
2023-02-24 16:30 - 19:00 | In-Person in Mountain View at Cuesta Park Group BBQ Areas #1-2, 615 Cuesta Drive, Mountain View, CA, United States
Please join us for this event to help celebrate Dick Zare!

Date: February 24
Time: 5:30-7:00pm Wine tasting, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine, and networking reception; 7:00-8:00pm Mosher lecture and award presentation
Location: Stanford University, Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning, 376 Lomita Dr, Stanford, CA 94305 (free parking after 4pm). View on Stanford map (shows visitor parking). View on Google Maps
Cost: $20 regular/$10 students (cash-only, pay at the door). Show photo ID if you want to drink wine.
Registration required. (Registration deadline: February 18 at Midnight)
Please see accompanying article
Download flyer

Title: Recalling Adventures in the Stanford Chemistry Department
Abstract:
I have been a member of the Stanford Chemistry Department for over 40 years, serving six years as its chair (2006 -2011). During this time, I have witnessed some amazing changes, and I want to take this opportunity to tell you some stories about what it has been like, stories about teaching, stories about research, and stories of what it was like to be chair. I am reminded of the opening sentence of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” Hopefully, my presentation will not emulate this sentence in length or in extremes, but I do hope to provide some insight to what it was like to be here at Stanford during this period that saw the Stanford Chemistry Department grow so much in strength.
Bio:
“A pioneer in the use of lasers to study chemical reactions at the molecular level, Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor Richard N. Zare pursues diverse theoretical and experimental interests in physical chemistry and nanoscale chemical analysis. The Zarelab has made a broad impact in analytic chemistry with development of laser-induced fluorescence to study reaction dynamics, and seminal contributions to understanding of molecular collision processes. The group continues to invent tools and measurement techniques to study phenomena from reaction in microdroplets to drug delivery.
Born in 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, Professor Zare trained in physical and analytical chemistry at Harvard University (B.A. 1961, Ph.D. 1964). His doctoral study under Professor Dudley Herschbach explored photodissociation dynamics. After faculty positions spanning chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, chemistry, physics and astrophysics at the University of Colorado, and chemistry at Columbia University, he joined the Stanford chemistry faculty in 1977. He has taught an introductory chemistry class every year since. As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor since 2006, Professor Zare has also developed a course introducing undergraduates to hands-on interdisciplinary research, combining physics, and biology to explore how living systems use molecular interactions with light for vision, photosynthesis and more. Professor Zare served as chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2005 to 2011, and has helped to guide scientific policy as chairman of several national and international science boards. His dedication to research and teaching has been recognized in many awards, including the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. Among other honors, Professor Zare is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He has also received 11 honorary doctorates.
Current research in the Zarelab explores wide-ranging questions in physical and analytical chemistry, from the study of elementary chemical reactions to chemical analysis of extraterrestrial materials. The major focus of these efforts is chemical analysis on the nanoscale. The team has devised tools and techniques to examine molecules in extremely tiny volumes – the volumes characteristic of what is found in heterogeneous structures in mineral samples or in the contents of cells and subcellular compartments. Group members have also made contributions to the chemical analysis of liquid samples separated using a capillary format by electrophoresis or electrochromatography. Some “firsts” include the use of cavity ring-down spectroscopy to analyze trace species in solution, development of detectors for capillary electrophoresis based on the techniques of laser-induced fluorescence, and CCD imaging, and the use of mass spectrometric imaging of tissue samples by means of desorption electrospray ionization.”
Please visit the Zarelab website to learn more: https://web.stanford.edu/group/Zarelab/
Source for biographical information: The text above was copied from Professor Zare’s entry in Stanford Profiles.

What is a Chemical? Innovation in Chemical Descriptions
2023-02-17 07:00 - 08:30 | Virtual
Sponsored by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
8:00am-9:30am, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required (Learn more)

The IUPAC WorldFAIR Chemistry project is pleased to invite you to attend the fourth webinar of our series titled “What is a Chemical? : Innovation in Chemical descriptions. We are focusing on innovations and creative approaches to chemical description, particularly those that address chemicals in complex systems: such as reactions, multiple-component systems/mixtures, complexes, composites, formulations, and using these in different computational settings, representation services, tools, and mechanisms.
The webinar series highlights the current status of working with descriptions of chemical substances, development of digital tools to transform chemical data notation into digital entities, and ways to implement FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles across the chemical enterprise.
This webinar will last for 90 min, and we have invited 5 guest speakers to present their perspectives on the use of chemical substance notation” in their field within a 5 min flash presentation for each speaker. This will be followed by a panel discussion.

Persistent Micelle Templates for Single-Variable Series of Porous Nanomaterials
2023-02-16 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
Prof. Morgan Stefic, Chemistry and Biochemistry Dept., Univ. of South Carolina
Sponsored by the Golden Gate Polymer Forum (GGPF)
6:30 PM Online via Zoom, Registration required (Registration deadline: Feb. 15 at 1pm)

Abstract
Block polymer structure‐directing agents (SDA) enable the production of porous nanoscale materials by controlling the arrangement of material precursors. The subsequent removal of the polymer thus yields porous nanomaterials that are useful for a wide range of applications including energy storage and catalysis. The iteration of most such strategies however leads to complex sequences of nanomaterials that change multiple spatial variables at a time, including morphology, pore size, and wall thickness. In contrast, persistent micelle templates (PMT) are based upon the kinetic entrapment of polymer chains to enable sample adjustments with constant morphology (isomorphic) and constant pore size (ref.1). Such series of nanomaterials with a single spatial variable are well poised to clarify cause-and-effect for nanoscale phenomena. The PMT approach has enabled wide spanning feature sizes over two orders of magnitude with 2 Å precision adjustments between samples. The PMT method is simple to validate with diffraction models and is feasible in any laboratory with minimal equipment. Finally, recent energy device research enabled by PMT is noted where tailored nanomaterials provided a unique perspective to unravel complex battery behaviors (ref. 2).
References
1) Stefik, M., Single-Variable Porous Nanomaterial Series from Polymer Structure Directing Agents. Journal of Materials Research 2022, 37, 25-42. Open Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1557/s43578-021-00421-0
2) van den Bergh, W.; Stefik, M., Understanding Rapid Intercalation Materials One Parameter at a Time. Advanced Functional Materials 2022, 32, 2204126. Open Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202204126
Speaker Background & Research Interests:

Morgan Stefik is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina and is the founding director of the South Carolina SAXS Collaborative. He obtained a BE degree in Materials Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in 2005 and a PhD degree in Materials Science from Cornell University in 2010. He then completed postdoctoral research at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. His accolades include a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2018, recognition as an Emerging Investigator by the Journal of Materials Chemistry A in 2017, a Breakthrough Star Award from the University of South Carolina in 2018, election to the council of the International Mesostructured Materials Association in 2018, selection as an ACS PMSE division Young Investigator in 2020, recognition as an Early Career Scholar by the Journal of Materials Research in 2022, a Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation from the University of South Carolina in 2022, and a Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Fellowship in 2022.

Bacteriophages in Human Health and Disease
2023-02-16 16:00 - 17:30 | Virtual
Paul Bollyky, MD, PhD
Sponsored by Café Scientifique Silicon Valley
5:00-6:30pm, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Description of the talk
Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are a frontier in human health. Phages are some of the best studied organisms on earth with critical roles in biotechnology. They are also highly abundant in our bodies, outnumbering both our own cells and the bacteria that produce them. However, we are just beginning to understand the roles that phages play in our own biology. Here, we will explore the fascinating biology of bacteriophages and their interactions with both their human and bacterial hosts. We will highlight recent data from our lab and others implicating bacteriophages in human disease. We will also discuss efforts to use bacteriophages to promote human health.
About the speaker
Paul Bollyky is an Associate Professor and infectious disease physician at Stanford University. He received his D.Phil at the University of Oxford, and his MD at Harvard Medical School. He then completed his residency training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital followed by his fellowship training in Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the University of Washington in Seattle. His lab studies trans-kingdom interactions between bacteriophages, bacteria, and their human hosts, and is interested in understanding how these interactions contribute to health and disease and in using bacteriophages to treat chronic infections.

Crossroads of Chemistry: Decisions, Opportunities and Finding your Path
2023-02-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Committee on Science
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Whether you are a student seeking a career in a chemistry-related science or someone already employed seeking new directions, opportunities are plentiful if you know where to look and if you make the right connections. ACS National Meetings offer the chance to learn about the latest research and meet practitioners from every field of the discipline.

Join Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist & Chief Science Advocate at 3M and Christina Bodurow, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of AViDD at Stanford University School of Medicine as they discuss the small and large decisions that can shape a career in chemical sciences as well as the fertile environment for networking found at ACS National Meetings and how to discover employment opportunities once you are there.
This ACS Webinar is co-produced with the ACS Committee on Science.

What You Will Learn

How to increase your technical competency as a early, mid, and long-term career chemist
How to gain business experience in innovation and product development and how to build a scientific network to gain knowledge in your specific field
The important role that ACS Meetings (especially National Meetings) play, and the value they can add to your career development

Webinar Details

Thursday, February 16, 2022 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

ACS Committee on Science

CAS SciFinder-n Live: What's New and Upcoming
2023-02-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Join us as CAS SciFindern experts walk you through recent solution enhancements. We will go in-depth, so you will understand why the changes were made and the positive impact on your research efforts. Stick around until the end for a preview of some additional enhancements you can expect in the coming months.
What you will learn:

Stay current on the latest enhancements in CAS SciFindern.
See how these enhancements improve existing workflows and ask questions specific to your own research.
Get a sneak peek at some of the upcoming enhancements in CAS SciFindern.

Presenter(s): John Kratunis, Jan Baur

No More Hidden Figures: Being Seen, Heard, and Influencing Chemistry as Black Women
2023-02-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Join us for a free interactive broadcast during Black History Month, featuring Chief Operating Officer Teri Quinn Gray of Provivi, Inc., Associate Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences Malika Jeffries-EL of Boston University, and Director of PMTA Submissions Kimberly Agnew-Heard of Altria Client Services.
These accomplished leaders will share their personal experiences breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Register now to gain inspiration to pursue your STEM dreams and discover the professional opportunities available today.
This ACS Webinar is co-produced with the ACS Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect and moderated by President Manny Guzman of CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society.

What You Will Learn

Personal stories about blazing trails, opening doors, and inspiring future generations of black women to pursue careers in STEM
How consistency, persistency, and community are keys for success
The importance of representation in influencing your personal and professional trajectory

Webinar Details

Wednesday, February 15, 2022 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

ACS Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect

Breaking Barriers in Science - IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast (#GWB2023)
2023-02-14 07:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
Learn more

Join us on February 14, 2023 for the IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast (#GWB2023). Held in conjunction with the U.N. Day of Women and Girls in Science, The goal of the GWB series is to establish an active network of people of all genders to overcome the barriers to gender equality in science.
The theme of #GWB2023 is “Breaking Barriers in Science”. Groups from all types of science organizations from high schools, to science societies, universities, companies, governments and non-governmental organizations are invited to host events. GWB is also a flagship event of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development bringing together people from all science disciplines.
Become and Event Organizer, login to your account, and register your event today. Check out our new Organizers Guide. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your professional network across disciplines and across the world.
Subscribe now to the GWB2023 newsletter to be kept updated on the latest events and news!

Designing Polyelectrolyte Coatings: Coacervates, Assemblies, and Complex Materials
2023-01-26 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual
Prof. & Chair, Jaime C. Grunlan, Mechanical Engineering Dept., Texas A&M University, and Assoc. Prof. Sarah L. Perry, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Polymer Chemistry Division
11:00am-12:30pm, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Understanding the fundamentals of designing polyelectrolyte coatings, which can be seen as a bio-inspired approach due to chemical sequences that are analogous to proteins at a molecular level, enables scientists to engineer materials and coatings useful in a wide range of industries and applications. From thickeners in foods to super plasticizers in concrete to water-soluble variants investigated by the medical industry for coatings on implants and controlling drug release in the body…polyelectrolytes have enormous potential to support innovative new technologies for those able to tune these complex chemical sequences to their needs.

Register now for free to learn from two scientists working in the field and their approaches for designing diverse materials and complex coacervates using polyelectrolytes, including applications in pharmaceuticals, protective coatings, and textiles. Sarah L. Perry, Associate Professor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will discuss the molecular engineering of polyelectrolyte complex materials to create tailored bio-inspired materials that can be used in applications ranging from temperature-stable vaccines to coatings and fibers. Jaime C. Grunlan, Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair of the Texas A&M University will describe how environmentally-benign coatings prepared using water-soluble polyelectrolytes can be used to stop fires, protect food from spoilage, and prevent shorts in high voltage electronics.
This ACS Webinar is moderated by Rong Yang, Assistant Professor of Cornell University and co-produced with the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry.

What You Will Learn

How polyelectrolyte complexation is a bio-inspired approach to designing a range of diverse materials
Why patterning of charges provides a direct handle to modulate the phase behavior of complex coacervates
How coacervate materials can be used to improve the shelf life of vaccines
How water-based polyelectrolyte coatings can impart super gas barrier to commodity polymer film (e.g. PET) that rivals metal and metal oxide coatings
Why environmentally-benign, intumescent coatings created from water-based polyelectrolyte coacervates render cotton, polyester, and nylon blended textiles self-extinguishing (with relatively low added weight)
How functional polyelectrolyte treatments can be deposited on various substrates at high speed using roll-to-roll coating technology

Webinar Details

Thursday, January 26, 2022 @ 2-3:30pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

ACS Polymer Chemistry Division

Electrochemical Wastewater Refining: Converting Pollutants into Products
2023-01-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Asst. Prof. William Tarpeh, Chemical Engineering Dept., Stanford University
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Industry Member Programs
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

Traditionally, wastewater has been viewed as a source of pollution that can damage ecosystems. However, wastewater collection can be a win-win for the environment and businesses, because it contains several valuable elements like nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus that can be converted and purified into high-purity products like fertilizers, disinfectants, acids, and bases. Can we shift our perspective to valorize those pollutants as a source of feedstock chemicals to incentivize collection, enable electrification of manufacturing, and help achieve circular economies?
Join William Tarpeh, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, as he discusses recent efforts and future opportunities to design catalysts, separations methods, and integrated electrochemical reactive separation systems that can achieve the vision of wastewater refining. Register now to learn how catalysis and separations can be integrated to produce high-purity chemicals from diverse, variable, and widespread wastewaters.

What You Will Learn

Why conventional chemical extraction, manufacturing, and disposal have exceeded planetary boundaries
How electrochemical wastewater refining, or the tunable recovery of valuable resources from wastewaters, can be achieved through electrocatalyst design, solute-selective separations, and stoichiometric electrochemical conversions
How to characterize both the aqueous and solid sides of electrochemical interfaces to uncover mechanistic insights that inform process design for wastewater refining

Webinar Details

Thursday, January 19, 2022 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

ACS Industry Member Programs

Methods for the Detection and Monitoring of Microplastics in the Environment
2023-01-18 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual
Steven M Barnett, Soar Optics
Sponsored by the Golden Gate Polymer Forum (GGPF)
6:30 PM Online via Zoom, Registration required. Learn more and register
Registration deadline: Tuesday, January 17, 1:00 PM.

Abstract:
Microplastics have recently been recognized as a significant environmental contaminant with implications for human health and carbon capture. It is widely recognized that we need to control and decrease the level of microplastics in our society. The California State Water Control Resources Board mandates that agencies that deliver water to the majority of California residents need to monitor for microplastics. However, the reduction of microplastic levels is challenging since detection and monitoring of these contaminants is difficult.
This presentation will provide a review of microplastics and the range of methods being used for monitoring, including the FTIR and Raman methods recommended by the California State Water Resources Control Board.
Finally, a discussion on Soar Optics’ advanced methods to improve the speed and efficiency of microplastics detection and monitoring will be discussed. Our methods incorporate Raman scattering using dedicated sensors for the major microplastics found in the environment, allowing for rapid scanning and comprehensive analysis of most typical samples.
Speaker Background & Research Interests:

Dr. Barnett is the CEO of Soar Optics, a company founded in 2022 to develop advanced optical sensors for materials characterization.
Technical Background
Dr. Barnett has 25 years of experience in the methods being developed by Soar Optics. He is the author of the patent-pending technology that Soar Optics is developing, and is a co-author on 22 published papers in refereed journals.
Dr. Barnett received his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from McGill University and subsequently worked as a Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Since 1997, Dr. Barnett has worked with many industries in the application of optical methods for materials characterization. His roles have included sales, applications development, support, and management. He has also been active in a range of scientific societies including the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) as a member of the Executive Committee and the Governing Board, in addition to serving as President of the Northern California local section for many years. He is a member of the American Society for Trace Evidence Examiners (ASTEE), SPIE, and the Materials Research Society.
Business Background
Dr. Barnett holds an MBA degree from the Graduate School of Management of the University of California, Davis, with an emphasis on technology management, organizational behavior, and entrepreneurship.
In addition to his work at Soar, Dr. Barnett is the Principal of Barnett Technical Services, a company that sells instrumentation for chemical and materials analysis since 2010. He is also a Founder of InnoGrove, a coworking space in Elk Grove, CA that supports the Elk Grove entrepreneurial community.

Meet Chemistry Superstars: Creating Tomorrow’s Technologies - Rescheduled
2023-01-18 15:15 - 17:30 | In-Person in Mountain View at Cuesta Park Group BBQ Areas #1-2, 615 Cuesta Drive, Mountain View, CA, United States
Sponsored by Chinese American Chemical Society, Northern California Chapter
4:15pm Check-in, 4:30-5:30 Program, 5:30pm Reception. All are welcome, seating is limited. Free. Registration required
Location and parking: Stanford University, Paul G. Allen Building (Allen 101X Auditorium, 330 Jane Stanford Way), Parking: Via Ortega Garage, 498 Via Ortega or Parking Structure 5, 295 Campus Drive (free campus parking after 4pm)
View/Download flyer

Prof. Zhenan Bao, Stanford University: Skin-inspired Organic Electronics
Prof. Peidong Yang, UC Berkeley: Artificial Photosynthesis
Please register and join us for the inaugural program of the new Northern California Chapter of the Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS)

CACS overview and awards
Talks from awardees Profs. Zhenan Bao and Peidong Yang
Great networking & light refreshments

Shining a Nanofocused Light on the Hidden Secrets of Stradivari’s Violins
2023-01-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Dr. Chiaramaria Stani, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, and Dr. Giacomo Fiocco, University of Pavia
Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Analytical Chemistry Division
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

No one can deny the extraordinary aesthetic and acoustic features of Stradivari’s violins. While their worldwide reputation for quality goes unquestioned, a consensus is unclear on the mysterious materials used in the protein-based ground coating directly spread on the wood surface, which has preserved these masterpieces over the ages.
Join Dr. Chiaramaria Stani, CERIC-ERIC scientist at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, and Dr. Giacomo Fiocco of the Arvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics at the University of Pavia as they discuss the life of Antonio Stradivari with a focus on the unique construction process of his bowed string instruments, specifically for the San Lorenzo 1718 and Toscano 1690 violins. Register now to discover more about the novel scientific advances achieved regarding the mystery behind the treatment of the violin’s wood coating as well as a short review of the literature and introduction of the IR s-SNOM nano-vibrational approach that has maximized a new level of attainable chemical details and revealed minute protein residues never before seen.

This ACS Webinar is moderated by Jonathan Sweedler, Editor-in-Chief of Analytical Chemistry and James R. Eiszner Family Endowed Chair and Professor in Chemistry of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is co-produced with the ACS Journal of Analytical Chemistry.

What You Will Learn

The life of Antonio Stradivari and the diverse construction of his San Lorenzo 1718 and Toscano 1690 violins
What is infrared scattering-type scanning near field optical microscopy (IR s-SNOM) and what it tells us about Stradivari violins
Cultural Heritage analytics at the nanoscale

Additional Resources
“A Nanofocused Light on Stradivari Violins: Infrared s-SNOM Reveals New Clues Behind Craftsmanship Mastery” Analytical Chemistry

Webinar Details

Wednesday, January 18, 2022 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event

Co-Producer

Analytical Chemistry

The Berkeley Science Bowl Invitational 2023 (for high school student teams)
2023-01-14 08:00 - 17:00 | In-Person in Mountain View at Cuesta Park Group BBQ Areas #1-2, 615 Cuesta Drive, Mountain View, CA, United States
Sponsored by the UC Berkeley ACS Student Chapter
9:00am-6:00pm, UC Berkeley campus (in person event), Cost varies, Learn more
Registration deadline: January 14

Event Logistics
Time: 9AM-6PM, Saturday January 21st, 2023
Location: UC Berkeley (in-person)
Format: 5 Round-Robin rounds followed by 16-team Double-Elimination
Price: Estimated $80-100 per initial team, with discounted subsequent teams
Note: This event is for high-school students only!

About

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl® (NSB) is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Teams of four students face-off in a fast-paced question-and-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, energy, and math.
Berkeley’s NSB invitational will be held exclusively on the UC Berkeley campus, run by Berkeley students, and will include a unique energy division that tests knowledge on current research done at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories and on-campus UC Berkeley research labs!

A New Measure: The Revolutionary, Quantum Reform of the Modern Metric System
2023-01-12 16:00 - 17:30 | Virtual
William D. Phillips, NIST and University of Maryland
Sponsored by Cafe Scientifique
5pm-6:30pm, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

The International System of Units (the SI), the modern metric system, has recently undergone its most revolutionary change since its origins during the French Revolution. The nature of this revolution is that all of the base units of the SI are now defined by fixing values of natural constants. Our measurement system is now, both philosophically and practically, strongly quantum. This talk will describe why this reform was needed and how it is done.
About the speaker:
William D. Phillips received a B.S. in physics from Juniata College in 1970, and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976; after two years as a Chaim Weizmann postdoctoral fellow at MIT, he joined NIST (then the National Bureau of Standards) to work on precision electrical measurements and fundamental constants. There, he initiated a new research program to cool atomic gases with laser light. He founded NIST’s Laser Cooling and Trapping Group, and later was a founding member of the Joint Quantum Institute, a cooperative research organization of NIST and the University of Maryland that is devoted to the study of quantum coherent phenomena. His research group has been responsible for developing some of the main techniques now used for laser-cooling and cold-atom experiments in laboratories around the world.
Dr. Phillips is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a Fellow and Honorary Member of the Optical Society, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a corresponding member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences. In 1997, Dr. Phillips shared the Nobel Prize in Physics “for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.”
About Café Scientifique:
Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. The Café provides a forum for debating science issues outside a traditional academic context. We are committed to promoting public engagement with science and to making science accountable – all spoken in plain English. There is no admission charge to attend our events. Building on its great success outside the United States, Café Scientifique Silicon Valley [Palo Alto] is the first such Café on the West Coast. We meet monthly to discuss a variety of science topics.

Silicon Valley Executive Committee Meeting
2023-01-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual
7:30-9:00pm, Online via Zoom, Free, To attend as a guest, please contact the Chair

From Picking Stones in Sand to Inventing Skin-like Electronics that will Change the Future of Electronics: A Conversation with Professor Zhenan Bao
2022-12-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
Sponsored by Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions
5-6pm, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

What’s the secret to innovation? How do scientific findings transfer to the real world? Professor Zhenan Bao, K.K. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University and former department chair of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, sits down with Scott Rozelle, the Helen F. Farnsworth Senior Fellow and the co-director of Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, to answer these questions and more. Born in China, Professor Bao moved to the U.S. during college and rose to become a leading scientist and professor of chemical engineering whose work pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in fundamental science. During the conversation, she will share how she became who she is today, her thoughts on Stanford’s culture of innovation, and her passion for mentoring the next generation of innovators.
About the speakers:
Zhenan Bao is K.K. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering, and by courtesy, a Professor of Chemistry and a Professor of Material Science and Engineering at Stanford University. Bao founded the Stanford Wearable Electronics Initiate (eWEAR) in 2016 and serves as the faculty director.
Prior to joining Stanford in 2004, she was a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies from 1995-2004. She received her Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1995. She has over 700 refereed publications and over 100 US patents with a Google Scholar H-Index 190.
Bao has received notable recognition for her work in chemical engineering. Most recently, she was the inaugural recipient of the VinFuture Prize Female Innovator 2021, the ACS Chemistry of Materials Award 2022, MRS Mid-Career Award in 2021, AICHE Alpha Chi Sigma Award 2021, ACS Central Science Disruptor and Innovator Prize in 2020, and the Gibbs Medal by the Chicago session of ACS in 2020.
Bao is a co-founder and on the Board of Directors for C3 Nano and PyrAmes, both are silicon-valley venture funded start-ups. She serves as an advising Partner for Fusion Venture Capital.
Scott Rozelle is the Helen F. Farnsworth Senior Fellow and the co-director of Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research at Stanford University. For the past 30 years, he has worked on the economics of poverty reduction. Currently, his work on poverty has its full focus on human capital, including issues of rural health, nutrition and education. For the past 20 year, Rozelle has been the chair of the International Advisory Board of the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Most recently, Rozelle’s research focuses on the economics of poverty and inequality, with an emphasis on rural education, health and nutrition in China. In recognition of this work, Dr. Rozelle has received numerous honors and awards. Among them, he became a Yangtse Scholar (Changjiang Xuezhe) in Renmin University of China in 2008. In 2008 he also was awarded the Friendship Award by Premiere Wen Jiabao, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a foreigner.

Executive Committee Meeting for Silicon Valley Section - December 2022
2022-12-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual
Please contact Chair to attend as a guest.

Chemistry and the Economy: Break In Case of Emergency!
2022-12-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Paul Hodges, New Normal Consulting, and Bill Carroll, Carroll Applied Science
Co-sponsored by ACS Webinars, ACS Business Development & Management Division, and ACS Industry Member Programs
11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

War, plague, famine, and inflation. The four horsemen of the apocalypse continue to ride across the globe and the signs of a looming recession are growing as companies and governments decide how to weather the approaching storm.

Join us as Paul Hodges of New Normal Consulting and Bill Carroll of Carroll Applied Science share data and their observations on what is affecting the economy, what are the difficulties that lie ahead, and how things will look a lot different when we come out the other side.
This ACS Webinar is co-produced with ACS Industry Member Programs and ACS Division of Business Development and Management.

What You Will Learn

How long will the recession last and what type of planning will be key to the success given today’s levels of volatility
How China is changing and what will be the global impact of a potential real estate bubble bursting
How will social unrest, food shortages, and the rise in essential goods contribute to market instability

Webinar Details

Thursday, December 15, 2022 @ 2-3pm ET
Free to Register with ACS ID
The slides will available for download on the day of the event
