Canadian Chemical News articles from March 2005

Canadian Chemical News archives from March 2005

Fruits of chemistry.(GUEST COLUMN / CHRONIQUEUR INVITE)(Column)
March 1, 2005... Do you remember the ditto machine? I sure do. I don't know what I would have done without it back in 1973 when I first started teaching. It offered the only quick, cheap way to produce handouts for students. I vividly recall the first...

Another fallen hero.(LETTERS / LETTRES)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2005... Dear Editor, Martha Langford's article (ACCN, January 2005) on Shawinigan Chemicals reminds me of another fallen hero, Canadian Industries Ltd. (CIL). In the 1960s, CIL was Canada's largest producer of chemicals and related products, with...

Alberta Ingenuity.(Industry that supports science and engineering researchers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Peter Hackett, FCIC, has been appointed president and CEO of Alberta Ingenuity. Alberta Ingenuity supports science and engineering researchers and researchers-in-training at Alberta universities, public colleges, and technical institutes, as...

Radu Iftimie.(University)
March 1, 2005... L'Universite de Montreal est fiere d'annoncer la venue, en janvier 2005, au departement de chimie, en qualite de professeur adjoint, de Radu Iftimie. Iftimie a recu son Ph.D. de la University of Toronto sous la direction de Jeremy Schofield,...

Jillian Buriak.(Distinction)(2005 Forum of Young Global Leaders)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Jillian Buriak, MCIC, has been chosen to attend the 2005 Forum of Young Global Leaders. Buriak is a chemistry researcher at the National Institute for Nanotechnology of the National Research Council (NINT) and professor of chemistry at the...

Eric Mead.(Distinction)(2004 SIAST Outstanding Service Award)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Eric Mead, FCIC, was recently presented with the 2004 SIAST Outstanding Service Award. Mead is a chemical technology instructor at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Kelsey Campus in Saskatoon, SK. The SIAST...

Ian Smith.(Distinction)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The country of Romania honoured an NRC scientist for teaching Romanian radiologists how to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Ian Smith, FCIC, director general of the NRC Institute for Biodiagnostics, was awarded the Star of Romania...

Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko.(Distinction)(Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS))(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS) is an association run by girls for girls. It began in 1992 when Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, then age 9, noticed that her friends lacked an interest in science and research. In response, she...

Peter Wilson.(Distinction)(2004 AstraZeneca Canada award in chemistry )(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Peter Wilson, MCIC, is the recipient of the 2004 AstraZeneca Canada award in chemistry for his outstanding contributions to the field of synthetic organic chemistry. Wilson is a professor of chemistry at Simon Fraser University (SFU). The award...

In Memoriam.(Obituary)
March 1, 2005... The CIC extends its condolences to the family of Drew Fisher, MCIC.

Underwater hockey puck.(Distinction)(Octopush derives its name from the era when the sport was played with eight players to a team)
March 1, 2005... It's a deceptively simple sport featuring a puck weighing 42 to 49 ounces similar to the one used in ice hockey. Two teams attempt to "flick" the puck into the opponents' 10-foot-wide goal using one-foot-long wooden sticks. The playing area is...

Ontario's ethanol mandate.(Distinction)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Ontario has introduced legislation that will require that gasoline sold in Ontario contain an average of five percent ethanol by 2007. The Premier's press release says, "Ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel, so this means cleaner air. It's made...

SPARKing student interest.(SPARK--an acronym for Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... A student writing program puts a fresh spin on science. A unique program that sees students writing news articles about research is helping to bring science to the mainstream. SPARK--an acronym for Students Promoting Awareness of Research...

Interactive pets motivate students.
March 1, 2005... When Monica Sturgess noticed that students in her first-year class were not doing the required course readings, she enlisted the help of some ViPs--not very important persons, but virtual interactive pets. The virtual interactive pet is an...

New penaltie$ for polluters.(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The Ontario government will introduce legislation that will ensure polluters face immediate consequences for their actions. "Our commitment to safe, clean, liveable communities means holding polluters accountable for spills," says Premier...

Canada tops U.S. in chemical productivity.(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... In November 2004, the Conference Board of Canada released a report called "Performance and Potential 2004-05--How Can Canada Prosper in Tomorrow's World?" The study compared productivity in a range of industries between Canada and the U.S....

Building boom favours research labs.(Canadian universities are building research facilities faster than classrooms)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... A recent survey by CanWest has found that Canadian universities are building research facilities faster than classrooms, despite significant growth in enrolment. The results, published in the National Post, show that full-time enrolment in...

Picture perfect presentations.(CHEM PUTING)
March 1, 2005... I seem to be the odd man out. Essentially every computerized presentation given today uses PowerPoint. People even get to the point of saying "PowerPoint projectors" or "PowerPoint presentations." For my water treatment courses, I prefer the...

Catching the hare: the splendours of oxidizing agents.(CHEM FUSION)(Column)
March 1, 2005... My high school chemistry classes were not impressive. We memorized lots of formulas and drew loads of pictures of experimental set-ups. We became very adept at drawing condensers, Erlenmeyer flasks, and Bunsen burners with a template. But we...

Proof positive: promoting a positive reaction to the chemical industries.
March 1, 2005... Chemical. Just the word itself can evoke strong feelings and images. The media often report on "toxic" chemicals, usually accompanied by a skull and crossbones symbol. Chemical soup, blobs, spills, and the like are easy to understand, and...

Top of the list: wonders never cease. Chemical wonders especially. Can we remind the public of how wonderful chemistry can be? Can we attract Canada's top students back to the field?
March 1, 2005... The word "chemistry" has been an inspiring term for generations dating back to the ages of alchemy. It used to resonate deep in the hearts of people on the same level as words such as "wonder," "creativity," "magical," and "marvelous." Rightly...

Guest editorial.(The Editors' Page, Educational aspects of Canada)
March 1, 2005... EDUCATION is big business; education is everybody's business. A technical education may take 20 years to acquire and is seldom used for more than twice that length of time. An activity which absorbs 50 or even 70% of our local taxation revenue...

National Chemistry Week / La Semaine Nationale de la Chimie.
March 1, 2005... National Chemistry Week continues to be the CIC's main focus for outreach to students and the general public. Each year, groups of volunteers get together at malls, in science centres, and at educational institutions to publicize information...

Public understanding of chemistry.(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The 2004 Sponsors Gold BASF Canada Inc. Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research Silver Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. H.L Blachford Ltd. Nexen Chemicals NOVA Chemicals Corporation Rhodia Canada...

The National Crystal Growing Competition.(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The National Crystal Growing Competition is organized for high school students and their teachers. Anachemia Science supplies the chemicals so that everyone starts off on an even footing. Teams compete to grow the largest and best-quality...

Special thanks.
March 1, 2005... "The spirit of friendly scientific competition is alive and well in Canada, if the continued involvement of schools around the country in the NCW Crystal Growing Competition is any indication. One of the proofs is the steady improvement in the...

Speaking of crystals ...(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... "The enthusiasm for this competition is high. We had to purchase extra material to accommodate all the teams. It's a great program for them. Students teams check their crystal before and after school daily for the five weeks. This is a great...

"What did we do?".(Duncan Silversides's crystals production method)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Homeschoolers of all ages are also getting involved in the crystal growing competition. Some of the younger students have even entered their crystals for judging, and no matter the outcome, they all seem to enjoy the experience! The mother of...

Girl power: join CAGIS. Join the fun!(Canadian Association for Girls in Science )
March 1, 2005... At the age of nine, Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko noticed an alarming trend among her female school peers. "The girls hated science. They thought of scientists as old men with crazy hair," says the psychology major. "I've never had that...

Students find sweet inspiration--in the lab! Delicious decorations created by grad students at the University of Regina.(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... "Since beginning our academic studies in chemistry and biochemistry as undergraduates, we have both found the University of Regina (U of R) to be a very special place. We both chose to stay at the U of R for graduate studies and find the...

Helping hands--tomorrow's scientists in crisis today: anyone out there in the science community thinking of a sabbatical of volunteer teaching in a far away place? Think Lesotho.
March 1, 2005... Great scientists often start young. But what if you are growing up in a tiny landlocked country in Africa and your very survival is in question? Some Canadians want to change the situation in Lesotho. An incredible partnership has developed as...

College Chemistry Canada/La Chimie Collegiale Au Canada.
March 1, 2005... Looking for an excuse to visit Newfoundland this summer? Interested in chemical education? Look no further! College Chemistry Canada ([C.sub.3]) is having its 32nd pretty-much-annual conference in St. John's, NL, June 16-19, on the campus of...

ChemEd catches on: chemical educators find support as the ChemEd conferences spread like wild fire.
March 1, 2005... In the early 1970s, several prominent chemical educators, most notably the late Reg Friesen, began to discuss their belief that ,high school and college chemistry instructors lacked a regular vehicle for quality professional development. They...

CNC/IUPAC Travel Awards for 2006.(CSC BULLETIN SCC)(Canadian National Committee)(International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The Canadian National Committee for IUPAC (CNC/IUPAC) established a program of Travel Awards for young Canadian scientists in 1982. These Awards are financed jointly by the Canadian Society for Chemistry's Gendron Fund and by CNC/IUPAC's...

Bourses de voyage du CNC/IUPAC pour 2006.(CSC BULLETIN SCC)(scholoarships offered by Canadian National Union/International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... Le Comite national canadien de l'Union internationale de chimie pure et appliquee (CNC/IUPAC) remet des bourses de voyage aux jeunes scientifiques canadiens depuis 1982. Ces bourses sont subventionees par le Fonds Gendron (administre par la...

Student Chapter Merit Awards.(STUDENT NEWS / NOUVELLES DES ETUDIANTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The Student Chapter Merit Awards are offered as a means of recognizing and encouraging initiative and originality in Student Chapter programming in the areas of chemistry, chemical technology, and chemical engineering. One award is given out...

Vancouver's "Chemistry in Society" Lectureship.(LOCAL SECTION NEWS / NOUVELLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES)(Canadian Society for Chemistry)(Brief article)
March 1, 2005... The inaugural "Chemistry in Society Lectureship" was held on November 14, 2004. It used some of the proceeds from the CSC 2002 Conference held at The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) that were generously donated to the Vancouver CIC...

Canada.(Events of chemistry)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... May 9-11, 2005. 9th Annual Advanced Process Control Appliance for Industry Workshop: APC 2005. Vancouver, BC. Contact: Guy Dumont; Web site: www.ieee-qas.org/apc200S. June 16-19, 2005. 32nd Conference of College Chemistry Canada, St....

U.S. and overseas.(Events / evenements)(chemical industry)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... June 20-24, 2005. 2nd International Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry and the 9th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference, Washington, DC. Contact: Robin Rogers; E-mail: rdrogers@bama.ua.edu. July 10-14, 2005. 7th...