Day 4: Time Check

Just prior to the sold-out Women Chemists Committee lunch on Tuesday, roughly 40 women attended an inspiring session called “Women Leaders in Chemistry: Stories of Challenges Met.” (I should acknowledge that one man attended a couple of the talks.) Publishers already have expressed interest in compiling the talks into a book.

Nine women spoke about their experiences as leaders of local sections, as academics pursing nontraditional tenure tracks in chemistry departments at various schools, as industrial powerhouses, and as advocates for telling the stories of woman chemists. They spoke about the importance of programs for mentoring young women and minorities for success and, of equal importance, programs that provide funds to women at the beginning and middle of their careers to pursue additional training. It wasn’t all hearts and sunshine: In their own words, several speakers also shared some tough personal decisions they faced and how those decisions affected them.

Even the timekeeper piqued my attention. She sat in the front row and made sure each of the nine presenters kept strictly to the schedule. Jennifer Ilsley is a high school junior from Murfeesboro, Tenn.

The teenager has presented posters at ACS regional meetings. In this session, she heard about the first African American woman chemist to earn a Ph.D. (Marie Daly) and how a woman who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry handled child care (her father-in-law watched the kids). Jennifer says she paid close attention to the personal stories and especially liked the presentation by Helen Free, former ACS president and the woman who changed the name of the ACS Women Chemists Committee from the Women’s Service Committee.

Jennifer’s father, a chemistry professor, introduced his daughter some time ago to this session’s organizer, Judith Iriarte-Gross. Then, at age 10, Jennifer participated in Gross’s program for fifth- through eighth-graders “Expanding Horizons in Science & Math.” Jennifer is now Gross’s assistant in the program. Gross says Jennifer can even finish her sentences at this point.

Will she go on to be a chemist presenting at ACS national meetings? The honors student, choir singer, piano player, and short story writer has taken several math and science classes and expresses a solid desire to teach. Right now, she’s inclined toward elementary education, but hasn’t decided if she will pursue science yet.—Rachel Petkewich, filed at 7:50 AM EST

Day 4: Celebrating Friends And Chemistry At The ACS Awards Banquet

After three days of nonstop running around the convention center, the last thing I wanted to do was squeeze my swollen feet into high-heeled shoes. But I was going to ACS’s ritzy Awards Banquet & Ceremony, and I needed to look good–what women will do for vanity!

As I was leaving the Atlanta Hilton, resigned to walk the half mile in the cold, drizzly weather to the Hyatt, I ran into ACS President E. Ann Nalley and her husband, Robert Mullican. Perfect, I thought, maybe I can walk with them since I have no idea where I’m going. “Are you guys walking?” I asked. “No, we’re getting a cab,” Ann said. Without hesitation, she added, “Do you want to come with us?” My prayer was answered.

Robert confessed to me that it was he, and not Ann, who wanted to take a cab. His feet hurt. Hey, you and me both, man.

In the cab, I learned a few things about Ann: She gave 11 talks the day before, she has a deep appreciation for minority issues, and she is one heck of a nice lady. Plus, she looked radiant in her multicolored sequin jacket and turquoise dress. I complimented her on her outfit, and she let me in on a little secret: The jacket is more than 20 years old, and she just bought the dress to go with it.

[NEW FRIENDS Ann and I at the awards banquet. Photo by Peter Cutts.]

When we arrived at the Hyatt, Ann went to rehearse her lines for the evening’s presentations. As more and more people showed up, I quickly understood why people call this shindig the “Oscars of the ACS.” Men were dressed in tuxedos and women in beautiful ball gowns. There was plenty of wine and a real possibility of overdosing on hors d’oeuvres.

ACS Executive Director and CEO Madeleine Jacobs looked stunning in a full length, off-the-shoulder midnight blue dress with beautiful layers. Her sparkling necklace, she confessed, was 100% cubic zirconium. Despite my pretty black shoes and knee-length skirt, I felt a bit underdressed.

Inside the ballroom, I watched Peter Cutts, ACS’s official photographer, do a practice shoot with the award winners. Everything is so tightly choreographed, he said, that one stray flash will throw things off.

When dinner began, I found myself sitting next to Nobel Medalist Richard Schrock, who was being honored with the F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry. We chatted a bit, and I learned that in his free time—what little of it he has—he enjoys woodworking and is finishing up a lounge chair. His future projects include a coffee table and a bed frame.

Also at my table was James Burke, chair of the ACS Board of Directors. I told him I was blogging for C&EN and asked what he thought of the effort. He said, “I think it’s fantastic.” But, he cautioned, “there’s a danger that, because it’s not peer reviewed, it’s more entertainment than knowledge. But the chemical community could use more entertainment.”

Perhaps the highlight of my evening was my conversation with a young assistant professor from MIT named Joseph Sadighi. We talked about random things, like traveling, public speaking, and the best burger joint in town.

One of the most gratifying things about coming to an ACS meeting is the new friends you make. And I sure made some good connections here in Atlanta. I can hardly wait until San Francisco.—Linda Wang, filed at 12:58 AM EST