Canadian Chemical News articles from February 2008

Canadian Chemical News archives from February 2008

Resumes--surviving the ten-second scan.(GUEST COLUMN/CHRONIQUEUR INVITE)(Column)
February 1, 2008... How will your resume be received? Your beautifully prepared resume may be brutally criticized in a ten-second scan and sorted into the "No Thanks" pile. How can your resume survive this highly critical initial sort? And if it survives the...

Ring in the new year.(LETTERS/LETTRES)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... DEAR EDITOR, I just noticed in ACCN (Nov/Dec 2007) that the Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta has come out with a Chemist's Ring as a symbol of professional standing. I think this is a great idea, a great design, and the...

Closed--office of the National Science Advisor.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... The Office of the National Science Advisor (ONSA) is being shut down by the government of Stephen Harper. National Science Advisor to the Prime Minister (NSA) Arthur Carty, HFCIC, has decided to retire. The move cornes less than four years...

NRU reactor--full steam ahead.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) confirms that the National Research Universal Reactor (NRU) was safely returned to service December 16, 2007. "NRU provides medical isotopes for about 25 million diagnoses and treatments a year," says...

CCPA--strong exports offset manufacturing decline.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)(Canadian Chemical Producers' Associafion)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Strong export sales are offsetting a diminishing domestic demand for basic chemicals and resins, according to the Canadian Chemical Producers' Associafion's (CCPA) 2007 year-end business survey of its members. A dramatic 50 percent decline in...

Canada's first stem cell library.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... The establishment of Canada's first Human Stem Cell Library holds the promise of future treatments and cures for numerous diseases. Leading researchers from around the world will be able to access its resources to advance their work.The library...

Landmark decision--conserving Canadian lands.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)(Forest Products Association of Canada)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) expressed its strong support for the Government of Canada's announcement to protect over ten million hectares of land in the boreal forest. This is one of the largest land conservation initiatives in...

Enhancing engineering worldwide.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)(Institution of Chemical Engineers' partnership with Indian Institute of Chemical Engineering )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new agreement between the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineering (IIChE) will offer chemical engineers in India greater support toward attaining Chartered...

Ontario BioAuto Council goes Green Inside[TM].(NEWS/NOUVELLES)(investment in GreenCore Composites Inc. )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... GreenCore Composites Inc. is a natural fibre composite company spun off from research at the University of Toronto (U of T). It has received an investment of $755,000 from the Ontario BioAuto Council Commercialization Fund. The Ontario BioAuto...

IDW2007 in review.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 40th Inorganic Discussion Weekend conference (IDW2007) held at the chemistry department of the University of Toronto last November was a big success. There were 40 lectures and 94 poster presentations by graduate...

CCA's flu report.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... Council of Canadian Academies has published a new report entitled, "Influenza Transmission and the Role of Personal Protective Respiratory Equipment--an assessment of the evidence." This report comes in response to a proposal submitted by...

Dawn of the CIC Energy Division.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)(Chemical Institute of Canada)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The CIC launched its Energy Division at the 57th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Edmonton, AB, with an Energy Round Table. CIC chair, Christian Detellier, FCIC, introduced the event, and CSChE vice-president, Milena Sejnoha, MCIC,...

Recognizing Canada's top employers.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dalhousie University tops the list of The Scientist's "Best Places to Work in Academia." Results of an international survey were published in the prestigious magazine's November 2007 issue. The annual list divides...

Boosting bio-hybrids.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Ontario government is investing $10 million in the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre in Sarnia, ON, to stimulate the development of a bio-hybrid chemical industry in the region. The funding will be used to retrofit 6,000 square metres of...

Xerox the patent powerhouse--101 inventors with 50+ patents.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... One hundred and one Xerox inventors have received 50 patents or more, showcasing a world-class culture of innovation. Xerox inventors have produced a wealth of innovations that distinguish the company's products and services and bave helped...

Breakfasts of champions.(NEWS/NOUVELLES)
February 1, 2008... Experts and advocates champion their causes while knowledge-hungry audiences feast at two popular breakfast lecture series in the nation's capital. Reversing Effects of Climate Change [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] January 2008 marked the...

Proposed amendments for environmental emergency.(REGULATORY NEWS)
February 1, 2008... The Environmental Emergency (E2) Regulations came into force under the authorities of section 200 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999 on November 18, 2003. These regulations require the development and implementation of...

NOVA Chemicals Corporation.(INDUSTRIAL Briefs)
February 1, 2008... NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced that Chris Pappas, formerly senior vice-president, was appointed president and COO effective January 1, 2008. Jeffrey M. Lipton will continue as CEO.

NOVA announced plans for a series of polyethylene plant modernization and expansion projects in the Sarnia, ON region.(INDUSTRIAL Briefs)
February 1, 2008... NOVA announced plans for a series of polyethylene plant modernization and expansion projects in the Sarnia, ON region. The projects will add a total of up to 250 million pounds per year of new polyethylene capacity in stages over the next two...

SEEA Polymers.(INDUSTRIAL Briefs)
February 1, 2008... NOVA and SEEA Polymers announced they have signed a letter of intent to forma joint venture to build and operate a new expandable polystyrene (EPS) plant in Romania. The proposed facility will have production capacity of 100 kilotonnes per year...

First thing about phosphates.(CHEM FUSION)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mention "phosphates" and most people think of dishwashing detergents and algae in lakes. But there's so much more to these chemicals. They play a role in the production of commercial products ranging from toothpaste...

Jobs are out there: the president of Maxxam Analytics shares his successful job application formula.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over the past 34 years working in the "lab" industry, I have interviewed and hired many job applicants. I thought I might share some of my thoughts and experiences on the hiring process and how to get the job you...

Advocating change: examining the choices made by today's women in science and engineering.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What makes a woman enter a male-dominated career? Perhaps a better question is what keeps women from entering lucrative, cutting-edge chemical fields? Although more and more women have been entering professions like...

Recruitment and retention: what can be done to attract women to the field of chemical engineering? And keep them there?
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since the Montreal Massacre in 1989, there has been a concerted effort by the engineering profession to recruit more women. These efforts have yielded significant fruit. From 1991 to 2001, the enrolment of women in...

Update on professional status.(CHEMISTS IN CANADA)
February 1, 2008... It's the perfect time to revisit the status of the recognition of the profession of chemistry in Canada. Dave Schwass, MCIC, introduced you to some of the basic issues in the March 2006 issue of ACCN, and provided an update in the December 2006...

ACPBC enters the scene.(CHEMISTS IN CANADA)(Association of the Chemical Profession of British Columbia)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Association of the Chemical Profession of British Columbia (ACPBC) was incorporated as a society under the Societies Act of British Columbia on May 8, 2007. This is the first provincial body created to represent the profession in BC....

Engineering chemistry: one hundred years of chemical dependence.
February 1, 2008... One Hundred Years of Chemical Dependence--Eng Chem." That slogan was printed on our t-shirts back in 1998, as we celebrated the 100th birthday of the engineering chemistry (Eng Chem) program. Engineering chemistry? That's right. Not to be...

Turning a corner: a chemist's journey from books to the boardrooms.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nobel laureate Richard Feynman once said, "Imagination reaches out repeatedly trying to achieve some higher level of understanding, until suddenly I find myself momentarily alone before one new corner of nature's...

The world is wide open: today's chemical fields are teeming with opportunity.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Broaden your horizons when you launch into your job search in today's chemical industries. Your chemical degree has prepared you for a large variety of career opportunities. With your knowledge and motivation, you...

Andre Arsenault won first prize in the NSERC Innovation Challenge Awards.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)(Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Andre Arsenault won first prize in the NSERC Innovation Challenge Awards. The competition is designed to get graduate students thinking about products or services that could be developed from their thesis research. Arsenault is a chemist at the...

Royal Society of Canada.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eugenia Kumacheva was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She heads the polymers, interfaces, and materials science group at University of Toronto's department of chemistry.

Chemical Heritage Foundation.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)(appointment of Thomas R. Tritton as president)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Thomas R. Tritton became president of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) on January 1, 2008. He is the second president in CHF history, succeeding Arnold Thackray, who founded CHF in Philadelphia, PA 25 years ago. He was selected following...

The University of Western Ontario chemistry professors Yang Song and James Wisner, MCIC, have each been awarded an Ontario Early Researcher Award..(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)
February 1, 2008... The University of Western Ontario chemistry professors Yang Song and James Wisner, MCIC, have each been awarded an Ontario Early Researcher Award. These awards help promising, young Ontario researchers build their research teams of graduate...

Order of Canada.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)(appointment of Richard J. Puddephatt)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the recommendation of the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada, Richard J. Puddephatt, FCIC, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. Puddephatt is recognized for his contributions to the...

University of Toronto's Gregory Scholes.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)
February 1, 2008... The University of Toronto's Gregory Scholes was named winner of the Rutherford Memorial Medal in Chemistry for outstanding research in physics and chemistry.

Simon Fraser University.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The former vice-president of medicinal chemistry at Merck Frosst Canada, Robert N. Young, FCIC, O.C., has joined Simon Fraser University (SFU) as professor and B.C. Discovery Chair in Pharmaceutical Genomics,...

In memoriam.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)
February 1, 2008... The CIC extends its condolences to the families of: LTCC desire offrir ses condoleances aux families de : Robert H. Betts, FCIC W. C. Cooper, FCIC Patrick Dunn, MCIC M. George Grant, FCIC S. Liang, MCIC Brian G. Sayer, FCIC Hari D....

Results of the 2007 CSCHE student competitions.(RECOGNITION/RECONNAISSANCE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Crowds gathered for the undergraduate oral student competitions at the 57th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Edmonton, AB, on October 28, 2007. The awards were presented to the students at the Awards...

Canada.(EVENTS/EVENEMENTS)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... Conferences February 27-29, 2008. Canadian Nuclear Energy Seminar "Going the Distance--Nuclear Energy in the Nuclear Age," Ottawa, ON, www.cns-snc.ca. May 24-28, 2008. 91st Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Edmonton, AB,...

U.S. and overseas.(EVENTS/EVENEMENTS)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... March 10-12, 2008. Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC), Orlando, FL, www.sperecycling.org. April 14-17, 2008. Hazards XX: Harnessing Knowledge--Challenging Complacency, Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), Manchester, UK,...