George Gokel, Professor of Chemistry at University of Missouri–St Louis, was interviewed by KWMU science reporter Véronique LaCapra today. Gokel, recently named Director of UMSL’s Center for Nanoscience, described some of the research being done at the Center: Eric Mazjoub, physicist and Associate Director of CFN, is focusing on development of small, light, high-capacity batteries […]
Chemical & Engineering News takes another featured look (login required) at entrepreneurial St Louis chemist Shri Thanedar and the company he founded here, Chemir Analytical Services. At the time of their last look in 2006, Chemir was growing at a healthy pace. But acquisitions just before the 2008 recession and venture capital drought spelled trouble for the financial position
As part of the ongoing celebration of IYC2011, national ACS is compiling short essays on chemical topics, one for each day of the year. Our own Ted Gast contributed a brief history of paper-making for Day 135, which is/was May 15. You can see his essay here.
Vincent Spaziano had retired just last month! He had been a member of the faculty at Saint Louis University since 1973, rising to the rank of professor in 1986. He was chair of the department of chemistry from 1987 to 2002, and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2002 until his retirement.
Jai Nagarkatti, CEO of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, died quite unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack on November 13. He had worked for Aldrich Chemical Company and Sigma-Aldrich Corporation his whole professional life, starting as a bench chemist in 1976 and assuming the CEO position in 2006. Sigma-Aldrich has posted a memorial notice describing Jai’s role in the company
St Louis public schools don’t get a lot of respect. But, at least at Gateway Academic and Classical High, they are doing something right. Bart Bartlett graduated from this top-ranked high school in 1996, going on to Washington University for his bachelors degree in chemistry and to MIT for his Ph D. The progression cemented what
Robert Becker, chemistry teacher at Kirkwood High School, has advanced from Kirkwood District teacher-of-the-year to Missouri teacher-of-the-year. And the field is not just chemistry, but all subjects! Becker, who has been teaching chemistry at Kirkwood since 1990, was previously recognized as the St Louis Section and the Midwest Region chemistry teacher-of-the-year in 1995, and went all
St Louis high school student Gabriel Hernandez was featured in a Post-Dispatch article highlighting his involvement with Project SEED, the ACS program that helps economically disadvantaged students learn about and pursue careers in chemistry. Hernandez is in his second summer as a Project SEED fellow, working in the lab of Professor Stephen Holmes at University of Missouri–St
At the St Louis Scientist Awards Dinner hosted by the Academy of Science–St Louis, Hal Harris (Professor of Chemistry, UM–SL) received the Science Educator Award, “recogniz[ing] a distinguished individual or organization on the basis of outstanding contributions to science education or to the public understanding of science, engineering, or technology.”
Ted Gast, president of Arch Paper LLC, is featured in a video “conversation starter” that describes his chemistry job to a layman. The ACS project, part of the Chemistry Ambassadors program, is intended to show members how to engage non-chemists without the intimidating jargon and technical details that can make such communication impossible. Check out
