Upcoming Talks
Dr. Regan Silvestri - Thursday, March 21st, 6:00pm at Albertus Magnus College, Behan Community Room
"Beer So Healthy Astronauts Can Drink It For Breakfast: Quantifying Antioxidants in Non-Alcoholic Beers!”
Dr. Regan Silvestri: Professor of Chemistry, Lorain County Community College
“Beer So Healthy Astronauts Can Drink It For Breakfast: Quantifying Antioxidants in Non-Alcoholic Beers!”
March 21st, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Albertus Magnus College
Behan Community Room
Light Refreshments will be served ---- RSVP Here!
Past Talks
Dr. Marc A. Hillmyer - Tuesday, October 10th, 6:30pm at Hub and Spoke - 3001 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport CT 06605
"“Biorenewable and Compostable Polymers”
Dr. Hillmyer is a principal investigator and the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, and leads a research group focused on the synthesis and self-assembly of multifunctional polymers. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. Hillmyer served as an associate editor for the ACS journal Macromolecules from 2008-2017 and is currently the editor-in-chief of Macromolecules. He is also the director of the Center for Sustainable Polymers headquartered at the University of Minnesota, a National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation.
Dr. Stephen Cantor - Tuesday September 12th, 6:30pm at Eli’s on Whitney in Hamden
“Chemistry in Everyday Life”
Did you ever wonder how “Scotch tape” got its name? Or do you know what aspirin and heroin have in common? Join us at our next “Dinner and a Talk” event to find out the answers to these questions and hear more fascinating stories of chemistry in our lives!
A NYC native, Stephen Cantor, graduated from Queens College (BS, Chemistry,1959), received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Rochester (1963) and completed a “post-doc” at the University of Arizona. He had lived in Cheshire CT and worked in the chemical industry in CT for most of his adult life. In 1965 he joined the Uniroyal) Research Center, developing 11 patents regarding rubber chemicals, adhesives and agricultural chemicals. He has taught Organic Chemistry as an adjunct instructor at universities in New Haven and Bridgeport CT and had been the Chairman and Program Chairman of the New Haven Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) With the American Cyanamid, Danbury, CT (1982), he produced silicone coatings for sutures and developed a pad to stop bleeding in the operating room. In 1986, as Marketing Director for chemical supplier, Pfaltz & Bauer, he introduced a waste minimization program for the research chemist and emphasized laboratory waste reduction in ACS Speakers Bureau lectures. From 1990 on, as Laboratory Manager of Dymax Corp., Torrington, CT, he received nine patents devoted to photo initiators that responded to both UV and visible light which became the subjects of lectures at numerous national conferences. This technology has been used to produce a line of UV-blocking sunglasses and several artists have employed this expertise to produce glass works of art.
Brooke Kammrath, Ph.D. - May 25th, 5:30-9:00pm at Eli’s on Whitney in Hamden
“Better Justice with Portable Spectrometers”
Advancements in the miniaturization of instrumentation are carrying spectroscopy beyond the laboratory to deliver analytical capabilities directly to the sample. Meaningful societal implications have resulted from the development of varied applications of portable spectroscopy and spectrometry in diverse industries including, but not limited to chemical, cultural heritage, food science, geology, archaeology, hazardous materials response, military, and forensic science. Although not their primary purpose, portable spectrometers are tools with important implications for the promotion of social justice through rapid, reliable and objective science. Portable spectrometers provide swift access to better science thus providing a tool for realizing the goal of social justice to reduce human suffering through equality and justice. Whether it be through providing more reliable and objective real-time information regarding the identification of a suspected illicit drug sample than currently employed colorimetric field tests, or ensuring equal access to verified medicines through effective counterfeit pharmaceutical detection operations, portable spectrometers are proving to be valuable tools in the fight for equality and justice. This presentation will highlight applications of portable spectroscopy and spectrometry in the field detection of illicit and counterfeit drugs which have notable effects on the delivery of improved criminal and social justice.
Brooke W. Kammrath, Ph.D., ABC-GKE is a Professor of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven and the Assistant Director of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science. She teaches a range of both undergraduate and graduate forensic science courses and has a varied research agenda that includes the uniting of microscopy with spectroscopy, applications of field portable instrumentation, the identification and characterization of microscopic samples of forensic interest, the statistical analysis of trace, pattern and impression evidence, and investigations into the significance of physical evidence. Additionally, she works as a consulting criminalist, where she is a qualified expert in both state and federal courts. She is a member of several professional organizations, and is the past-president of the New York Microscopical Society (NYMS), and on the Governing Boards of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS). Dr. Kammrath also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Dr. Kammrath is the co-editor of the two-volume book Portable Spectroscopy and Spectrometry and the co-author of the book Blood Traces. She has also co-authored 2 laboratory manuals, 8 book chapters, 1 encyclopedia article, over 20 journal articles, and over 100 professional conference presentations.
Dr. Kammrath will be giving a talk which will be followed by our Awards Banquet!
Join us at Eli’s on Whitney at 2392 Whitney Ave., Hamden CT 06518
5:30-6:00pm - Registration
6:00-7:00pm - Dinner
7:00-8:00pm - Talk
8:00-9:00pm Awards
Julie G. Ezold - March 8th, 6:30-9:00pm
“The trials and tribulations of the discovery of a new element – Tennessine”
Julie Ezold has 30 years’ experience in the nuclear sciences and is currently the Californium-252 Program Manager; a multi-million-dollar enterprise that includes the production of Berkelium-249, Einsteinium-253, and other trans-curium products. These trans-curium products have been used in the discovery of a new element, Element 117, aptly named Tennessine. Previously she was the Radioisotope Production and Operations Section Head; responsible for managing the production and optimization of all radioisotopes that are in a continuing and sustained state of demand and production beyond the research and development phases. Ms. Ezold has actively supported nuclear science educational activities through the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate’s Educational Outreach Committee, K-2 Science Club, Mentor Program, and others. Ms. Ezold holds a BS, Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters, Nuclear Engineering, from North Carolina State University. Her master’s research was conducted at the High Flux Isotope Reactor at ORNL. After completing her master’s, she joined the staff at ORNL and has held positions in engineering, waste management, criticality safety, and isotope production.
Dr. Marc Zimmer - February 6th, 6:30-8pm
IN PERSON at Yale Sterling Chemistry Lab, Parking at Ingall’s Ice Rink and Lot 22
Door prizes and catering provided! - REGISTER HERE!
Time:
Check-in and Food 6:30-7:00 pm
Talk: 7:00-8:00 pm
Closing and Door Prizes: 8:00-8:15 pm
Cost: (No cost to attend virtually)
Students and Professors/Teachers: Free
Regular Members: $15
Retired Member/Spouse of Member: $10
Public: $20
If attending virtually, a zoom link will be sent out the day of the event.
About the Talk:
Science itself is never inherently bad or evil. However, it is easy to do sloppy science, misrepresent science, ignore racial and gender inequities in science or misuse science, and that is what I would call bad science. As science grows bigger and more powerful, these abuses escalate proportionally. This leads to mistrust of science at just the time when it is most important for scientists and nonscientists to find a consensus on sensitive issues. Some of the most crucial issues of our time―climate change, vaccines, and genetically modified organisms―have become prime targets for concerted disinformation campaigns. Fake news, pseudoscience, and quackery have spread through society from social media all the way to Congress. Where does it all come from?
Marc Zimmer is the Jean C. Tempel ’65 Professor of Chemistry at Connecticut College and the author of Science and the Skeptic: Discerning Fact from Fiction, The State of Science: What the Future Holds and the Scientists Making It Happen, Illuminating Diseases and 3 other books for young adults. His writing has appeared in USA Today, Washington Post and the Boston Globe, and he has been interviewed and quoted in The Economist, Science and Nature.
ACS New Haven Section Talks
Hao Sun - December 13th, 6:00-9:00pm
IN PERSON at Eli’s on Whitney, 2392 Whitney Ave., Hamden, CT 06518
Cost associated with in person attendance; see below - BE SURE TO BRING CASH OR CHECK TO THE EVENT IF ATTENDING IN PERSON!
Or FREE to attend virtually: https://yale.zoom.us/j/99216379921?pwd=Q0FxVjdzbytERU1QRHRqYlRnZDBBUT09
“Chemically-Recyclable Polymer Materials via Modern Polymer Chemistry”
Hao Sun, PhD - Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of New Haven
Over the past century, plastic materials have infiltrated into every facet of our society and become an essential part of our daily life. However, the current commercial plastics are considered as “forever materials” because of their extremely slow degradation in nature. At the end of their useful life, plastic wastes are typically landfilled or incinerated, causing serious issues to the ecosystems and human health. To tackle this challenge, my research team at the University of New Haven is developing the next-generation polymer materials that are degradable, chemically-recyclable, and possess excellent mechanical/thermal properties akin to current commercial polymers. Specifically, we leverage our multidisciplinary knowledge of polymer chemistry and material science to design novel polymer structures that can easily depolymerize back into original monomers under mild conditions. The regenerated monomers can be reused to produce the polymer again, achieving a circular economy of polymer plastics.
Dr. Hao Sun is an organic and polymer chemist. He is currently an assistant professor of Chemistry at the University of New Haven. His research program harnesses macromolecular approaches to addressing challenges in global health and sustainability. In particular, his group leverages state-of-the-art synthetic polymer chemistry to design next-generation polymer materials, generate polymer-biomolecule conjugates, and gain fundamental knowledge of structure-property relationships for polymer materials in specific applications. Several areas in the intersection of synthetic polymer chemistry, materials, and biomedicine are being investigated, with particular focus on those most closely related to environmental and biomedical applications. Current research interests of Sun research group are centered in: (1) developing chemically-recyclable polymer materials for a sustainable future; (2) developing modular and scalable approach for biopolymer-based delivery systems of therapeutics (e.g., gene, peptides, and proteins).
REGISTER HERE for Dr. Hao Sun’s talk!
Please note - charges apply for in person attendance (see below)
BE SURE TO BRING CASH OR CHECK TO THE EVENT IF ATTENDING IN PERSON!
Cost:
Members: $25
Retired/Spouse of Member: $15
Student/High School Teacher: $10
Public: $30
Schedule:
6-6:30pm Arrival/Networking
6:30-7:30pm Dinner
7:30-8:30 Seminar
Anson Ma - November 10th, 6:30-8:30pm - IN PERSON at Avanti Restaurant, 34 River Road, Meriden CT 06451
“Additive Manufacturing of Functional Materials: From Electronics to Edible Products”
Anson Ma PhD - Site Director, National Science Foundation (NSF) SHAP3D center for additive manufacturing, UTC Professor in Engineering Innovation - University of Connecticut
Additive manufacturing (AM), also commonly referred to as “3D printing”, uses computer-aided design to build objects layer-wise or drop-wise. AM complements more conventional subtractive manufacturing methods, where unwanted material is removed from a piece of feedstock material by cutting, drilling, or grinding. AM has been successfully used to create complex, topologically optimized parts that are otherwise extremely difficult or impossible to manufacture using conventional methods. AM is especially well-suited for distributed manufacturing, mass customization, reducing tooling costs, and minimizing material wastage. This presentation will highlight some of our recent AM research activities, spanning from printing polymer composites, sensors, and magnets to food and drug tablets, using a variety of AM techniques, such as fused deposition modeling, digital light processing, direct ink writing, and binder jetting. While the need for 3D printing is motivated differently by the specific applications, the key to success is founded on understanding the fundamental science of the AM processes. In this presentation, we will also share the lessons learnt during the development of a pilot-scale HuskyJet 3D printer. With the open architecture of this printer, we have further explored a rather ambitious concept of “autonomous 3D printing” to speed up the optimization process, leveraging the latest (near) real-time, in-situ metrology and machine learning methods.
ACS New Haven/Connecticut Valley Dinner and Talk
As our first in person meeting since the pandemic and as our annual joint New Haven - CVS event, dinner and admission are FREE. We look forward to seeing you all! Registration capped at 35, so please only sign up if planning to attend.
REGISTER HERE for this in person talk from Dr. Anson Ma!
Career Panel - May 4th 2022, 6:30pm-8:30pm - Virtual
Schedule: 6:30-7:45 Panel Discussion, 7:45-8:30 Panelist Breakout Room Q&A
REGISTER HERE for the Career Panel Discussion on May 4th, 2022 at 6:30pm!
Bill Yule - May 12th 2022, 6:00pm - Virtual
ACS New Haven is sponsoring a talk by Bill Yule on May 12th at 6pm via Zoom!
“Introduction to Mushroom Hunting and Amateur Mycology”
Bill Yule teaches courses on ecology and environmental education at The Connecticut River Museum and has been teaching about mycology for over 25 years. He is member of multiple mycology societies and is a former high school biology teacher
REGISTER HERE for Bill Yule’s virtual talk!
Laura Cisneros and Nicole Freidenfelds - March 7th, 2022 at 7pm
The University of Connecticut’s Conservation Training Partnerships program uses an innovative intergenerational partnership framework that connects teens and adults and empowers them to understand and address local environmental issues. First, our intergenerational teams (e.g., high school students and adult volunteers) attend a two-day workshop that teaches them practical approaches to conservation science and geospatial technology. Then each teen-adult team designs and implements a local project that addresses a real community environmental need, leveraging their new technological and conservation toolkit. During this presentation, we will first share our programmatic model, outline and discuss how our design principles and communication pillars were developed, and demonstrate how they are interwoven into program activities and project support to facilitate the successful completion of teen-adult conservation efforts. These design principles and communication pillars aim to establish collaborative team partnership norms that resist traditional hierarchical teen-adult relationships. They also consider how participants can draw on their interests and experiences and connect with conservation science disciplinary knowledge and practices to accomplish meaningful pursuits. The guiding principles we propose can help contribute to and enhance community-driven local environmental outcomes.
REGISTER HERE for the Virtual talk from Laura Cisneros and Nicole Freidenfelds on March 7th, 2022 at 7pm!
Stephen Gephard - November 11th at 6pm
Steve Gephard, a trained fisheries biologist, retired from the State of Connecticut, DEEP- Fisheries Division after a 42 year career during which he supervised the Diadromous Fish Program and Habitat Conservation Program. He currently is employed as a part-time Fishery Analyst for the federal agency of NOAA- Fisheries and as an On-Call Senior Environmental Scientist for BL Companies, a private consulting firm. He also works as a a private consultant specializing in migratory fish and their habitat. He is a Trustee for the Connecticut River Conservancy, serves on the U.S. Atlantic Salmon Assessment Committee, the Scientific Council for Diadromous Migratory Fishes of the Loire Basin (France), and has a presidential appointment as a U.S. Commissioner to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO). In addition, he hosts a bi-weekly radio program on iCRV radio (streaming at iCRV.com) and co-writes a regular column for Estuary magazine.
ACS New Haven is sponsoring a talk by Stephen Gephard on Thursday November 11th at 6pm
Anadromous fish are species that migrate from saltwater to freshwater to spawn. Examples include salmon, shad, river herring, striped bass and sturgeon. These fish typically leave natal freshwater streams as relatively small juveniles and return after years in the ocean as large adults. The adults generally return to the same freshwater body of water from which they departed as juveniles. This life history requires two complex processes: physiologically changing from a freshwater fish to a saltwater fish and then vice versa, and finding their way 'home'. The latter mechanism is referred to as imprinting/homing and it takes advantage of the unique organic chemical components in the water of the home streams. This mechanism can be disrupted by both natural substances and anthropogenic chemicals in the water. Conservation of these important 'runs' of fish require that our waterways remain free of not only the well-known pollutants such as sewage but also some lesser known covert chemicals that can do damage at extremely low concentrations.
REGISTER HERE for Stephen Gephard’s talk!
Daniel White - December 8th at 7pm
ACS New Haven is sponsoring a talk by Daniel White on December 8th at 7pm.
“The Role of Chemistry in Insurance”
Daniel White, Senior Chemist at The Hartford
Daniel White, Sr. Chemist with The Hartford Insurance, will go over the role of chemistry in insurance and how it is used to both improve workplace safety as well as assist in preventing fraud.
REGISTER HERE for Daniel White’s talk!
Dr. Brückner - October 26th at 7pm
ACS-CVS is sponsoring a talk by Dr. Christian Brückner on October 26th at 7pm.
"The Chemistry (and a little bit of biology) of Eggshells”
Christian Brückner, University of Connecticut, Department of Chemistry
Bird eggs are filled with wonder, deep symbolism, and culinary delight. Eggshells are also fascinating from biological and chemical points of view. This talk will be richly illustrated, primarily non-technical, and geared toward a science-curious audience. I will briefly introduce eggshell shapes, materials, and eggshell colorings from the points of view of a life-long but non-expert birder and synthetic organic chemist. Drawn from well-established knowledge as well as most recent findings, biological function is linked to mechanical principles, color theory, as well as materials and dye chemistry. Special focus will be on the chemistry of eggshell pigments and their link to ‘the pigments of life’.
Other Section Past Talks
Dr. Mingxu You - February 23rd, 2022 at 7pm
ACS Connecticut Valley Section (CVS) is sponsoring a talk by Dr. Mingxu You on February 23rd, 2022 at 7pm.
“Cellular Imaging and Regulation with Nucleic Acids”
Abstract:
Sensors that can report the distribution and flux of cellular metabolites and signaling molecules are critical tools in studying biology. Based on emerging genetically encoded fluorescent RNA molecules, I will first introduce an advanced sensor platform for the quantitative and sensitive detection of a broad range of cellular targets. In the second half of this talk, DNA-based tools will be described for imaging some previously undetectable biophysical events in live cell membranes, including intercellular mechanical forces and dynamic lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions. Our goal is to develop next-generation platforms to study cell biology and disease, based on the building block of life – nucleic acids.
Dr. Mingxu You, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, UMass Amherst
Bio:
Dr. Mingxu You started his independent career in 2016 as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University in 2008, and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Florida in 2012 under the supervision of Prof. Weihong Tan. Dr. You further pursued his postdoctoral research with Prof. Samie R. Jaffrey at Weill Cornell Medicine, interested in developing RNA-based fluorescent sensors for cellular imaging. His laboratory at UMass Amherst is now applying nature’s building blocks, DNA/RNA, to develop next-generation platform for disease diagnostics and therapy. Dr. You has been recognized in several awards, including the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, NIH MIRA, and NSF CAREER award. In addition, he has been recognized as an Emerging Investigator in journals including Analytical Methods, Supramolecular Chemistry, Frontiers in Chemistry, Nanoscale, and ChemComm.
CLICK HERE for more information on this talk on the ACS CVS website!
REGISTER HERE through the ACS CVS website!
