NSF-Funded Science & Engineering Opportunities for 2008 (GRAD STUDENTS ONLY)

Program Overview
The Central Europe Summer Research Institute (CESRI) is designed to provide U.S. graduate students in the sciences and engineering with a high-quality international summer research experience in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland or Slovakia.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the CESRI program sends enrolled U.S. graduate students in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, or mathematics for 8 weeks to receive a relevant laboratory experience in Central Europe in the sciences.

In the past two years, grantees have travelled to Central Europe to work on a wide range of projects, from studying the properties of Roman concrete, studying genes that confer disease resistance and working on improved data transmission on wireless networks.

For Summer 2008, CESRI will support up to 14 qualified grantees.

New Online Application
The 2008 competition is now open with a February 4th deadline. Program details, including the new online application, are available online: http://www.iie.org/cesri

Additional Information
If you would have any questions or would like to receive brochures for the program, please feel free to contact CESRI program manager, Vijay Renganathan at the email or telephone number below


NSF Central Europe Summer Research Institute
U.S. Student Programs
Institute of International Education
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
P: 212 984 5442
F: 212 984 5325
cesri@iie.org

Chemistry Seminar - 12/7

This week's seminar speaker will be Mr. Sean Smith, a student in the department's Masters program. He'll present the talk "Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) Study of the Blood to Air Distribution of Volatile Organic Compounds in Humans and Rats".

Please join us at 1:30pm in Weyandt 149. Light refreshments will be served.

CHEM 301 Poster Session

The CHEM 301 "Introduction to Research" students will be presenting posters of their research proposals next Wednesday, Dec. 12, from 12:30-2:30 pm in WEY 236.

Ms. Brittany Buterbaugh
Ms. Beth Leverettt
Ms. Nicole Morozowich
Ms. Jessica Nicole
Ms. Whitney Simmons
Mr. Jarod Sterrett

You are cordially invited to come view the posters and question the students about their intended research plans. Light refreshments will be served.

Chemistry Seminar - 12/5 (Wednesday)

An extra seminar this week will be by Mr. Jeffrey Rupert, a student in the department's Masters program. He'll present the talk "Indium Mediated Conjugate Addition to α,&beta Carbonyl Compounds".

Please join us at 4:00pm in Weyandt 127. Light refreshments will be served.

Chemistry Seminar - 11/30

This week's guest speaker will be Mr. Einstein Ofotsu Djabeng, a student in the department's Masters program. He'll present the talk "The Influence of pH on the Rate of Nucleophilic Decomposition of the Polythionates".

Please join us at 1:30pm in Weyandt 149. Light refreshments will be served.

Undergraduate Scholars Forum - Save The Date

The 3rd Annual Undergraduate Scholars Forum will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 in the HUB and Sprowls Hall.

The Forum provides all registered IUP undergraduate students with an opportunity to present their original research, scholarship and creative works at a collegial and scholarly event. Students may present their original work as an oral presentation, a poster, or a performance at the day long event. In addition, an Undergraduate Juried Art Exhibition will feature creative works that will be accepted after a juried review.

Applications are invited from ALL registered IUP undergraduate students who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in scholarly activity within their discipline. Applications are due February 17, 2008 and require faculty sponsorship.

Chemistry Seminar - 11/16

This week's guest speaker will be Ms. Selar Sulaiman, a student in the department's Masters program. She'll present the talk "Synthesis of New Macrocyclic Manganese (III) Schiff Bases as Catalysts for Asymmetric Epoxidation".

Please join us at 1:30pm in Weyandt 149. Light refreshments will be served.

Part Time Lab Tech Wanted

A part-time lab technician position is available immediately at Environmental Service Laboratories, Inc., located in Indiana.

15-20 hours a week include evenings and weekends. For further information, contact Michael Moyer (724-463-8378) or submit your resume in person at 1803 Philadelphia Street.

IUP Undergraduate Wins Chung Soo Yoo Award

Beth Leverett, an IUP undergrad in the Chemistry Department, has earned the Chung Soo Yoo Award at the 65th Pittsburgh Diffraction Conference held at the Hauptman-Woodward Institute in Buffalo, NY. The Chung Soo Yoo Award is given to the top graduate student presenter. Dr. Tim Umland, the awards committee chair, commented that her presentation entitled "Twinning in the Adamantine-Like Quaternary Chalcogenide Li₂ZnSnS₄" (pictured above) was "an outstanding detective story".

Her research demonstrated that the currently accepted interpretation of the diffraction data associated with these compounds was incorrect. Ms. Leverett was the first undergraduate student in the history of the society to win the award. She had stiff competition from Ph.D. graduate students studying at the University of Rochester, University of Buffalo, Hauptman-Woodward Institute, The Ohio State University, Cornell University, Stanford University, University of Toledo, McMaster University and the University of Western Ontario, amongst others.

The Pittsburgh Diffraction Society (PDS) was founded in 1941 to bring scientists together to discuss the use of X-rays to investigate the structure of matter at the atomic level. The PDS is oldest diffraction society in the United States and its membership includes leading scientists from around the world including Nobel Laureate Herbert Hauptman (pictured above).

Chemistry Seminar - 11/9

This week's guest speaker will be Dr. Andrew Karatjas from the University of Michigan. He'll present the talk "Extending Pummerer Reaction Chemistry: Asymmetric Synthesis of Spirocyclic Oxindoles".

Please join us at 1:30pm in Weyandt 149. Light refreshments will be served.