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  » March 2009

Scholarships & Awards
Syracuse University students interested in a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering disciplines are invited to apply for nomination for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. Current full-time sophomore or junior students pursuing a baccalaureate degree, with a GPA of at least 3.0, with U.S. citizenship, U.S. national status or permanent resident status are eligible. Students with experience in undergraduate research projects are especially encouraged to apply. The scholarships cover up to $7,500 annually to help cover eligible expenses. In order to be considered for an award, students must be nominated by Syracuse University - potential candidates must submit a preliminary Goldwater Scholarship application and essay, along with a letter of recommendation from their research advisor. The deadline for the receipt of the preliminary application is October 30, 2009. For more information, contact Benjamin Zender (College of Arts & Sciences Soling Program, 305 Tolley Building, 443-3133, BRZender@syr.edu).

Remembrance Scholarships are given by Syracuse University to honor the memory of the 35 SU students, killed in the Pan Am 103 bombing in 1988. A student must have fulfilled requirements for graduation in December of 2010 or May of 2011. Applicants will be required to complete an application form and three essays, and submit up to two letters of recommendation. Scholars receive an award of $5,000. The application deadline is January 21, 2010. Contact Eileen Fahey (Undergraduate Studies, 304 Steele Hall, 443-1368) for more information, or visit remembrance.syr.edu.

A group of eight to twelve academically outstanding graduating seniors are designated each year as Syracuse University Scholars. Outstanding Arts & Sciences seniors (minimum 3.6 GPA) must be nominated to the Colleges selection committee by department chairpersons or program directors, or individuals designated by them. Individual students may ask their chairpersons to consider them for nomination. Contact Tamera Y. Beard (College of Arts and Sciences, 329 Hall of Languages, 443-9396) for more information.

The Norma Slepecky Prize for Female Undergraduate Research is awarded in the spring semester of each academic year to a female SU undergraduate student who is excited about her research and has mentors who advocate and supervise undergraduate research experiences. Students wishing to compete for the prize are required to submit documentary evidence of their research as undergraduates. Visit http://www.ecs.syr.edu/organizations/wise/index.htm for more information.

The American Chemical Society Scholars Program awards renewable scholarships of up to $5,000 to underrepresented minority students who want to enter the fields of chemistry or chemistry-related fields, such as environmental science, toxicology and chemical technology. College freshmen, sophomores, or juniors are eligible to apply. The award was established in 1994 to attract African American, Hispanic and American Indian students considered underrepresented in the chemical sciences to pursue careers in the field. Applications are accepted from November 1, 2009 to March 1, 2010. For more information and application materials, visit www.chemistry.org (Funding & Awards / Scholarships) or e-mail scholars@acs.org.

The ACS Women Chemists Committee Travel Award, sponsored by The Eli Lilly & Company, provides funding for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral women chemists to travel to scientific meetings to present the results of their research. Funds may be applied only for registration, travel, and accommodations, and are restricted to travel to meetings within the United States. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible. The deadline for meetings between July 1 and December 31, 2010 is February 15, 2010. For more information and application materials, visit membership.acs.org/W/WCC/.

The Dooley Ornstein Reisman, Robert Charles Ornstein, and Lt. Adolph Ornstein Scholarship annually recognizes outstanding students planning to pursue a career in medicine and research. Current Sophomores and Juniors enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences with a major of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Biophysical Science or who are designated Pre-Med are eligible. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better and must demonstrate financial need. Students meeting these criteria may be invited to submit an essay if they are selected by their departmental representative. The deadline for the nomination essay is late February 2010. Contact Tamera Y. Beard (College of Arts and Sciences, 329 Hall of Languages, 443-9396) for more information.

Headed to Graduate School
Are you wondering whether a graduate education is for you? If so, searching for a graduate school that is a perfect fit can be a daunting task, but there are several tools available to help you find the school that best fits your needs. You can start by reading "Planning for Graduate Work in Chemistry: A Resource for Students Considering Advanced Study," a guide created by the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training. It provides guidelines on how to select and apply to graduate schools, what to expect after being accepted, how to choose a research mentor, and information on financial support. You can view the guide online at www.chemistry.org (Education / Students / Graduate).

Other Resources:

• US NEWS and World Report's "Best Graduate Schools"
• Attend the seminars offered through the Department of Chemistry to hear faculty from other schools speak.
• Talk to your professors and faculty who are doing research in the area(s) of study in which you are interested. Visit the department web site for a list of chemistry faculty and their research interests.
• Read about graduate research being done at other schools in the Directory of Graduate Research. You can find a copy in the main office (1-014 CST), or visit dgr.rints.com for the most recent online edition.

Basic Graduate School Timeline

Spring - Junior year: Talk with an advisor or current graduate students about graduate school opportunities and make a personal assessment about whether it’s the right path for you. Also, take the GRE.

Fall - Senior year: Use online resources, e-mail, and advisors to find and apply the "rule of 3" to several program choices - that is find schools of interest with at least three professors each with whom you’d like to work with. Make visits to schools, and start applying, making sure to follow guidelines so that your applications are complete. Take the GRE again if necessary.

Early Spring - Senior year: Follow up with schools you have applied to and make sure your applications are complete. Continue to visit schools if necessary. Start investigating financial support and choose a program in a timely manner.

Graduate Fellowships

Merck established The Merck Index Women in Chemistry Scholarships in 2007 to encourage women to pursue advanced degrees in synthetic organic or medicinal chemistry. Merck will present up to five annual scholarships of $5,000 each to outstanding women chemists who are beginning their first year of study in a chemistry Ph.D. program. See www.merckbooks.com/mindex/scholarship.html for more information.

GEM is a program of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. Through GEM, African Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans compete for portable fellowships to be used for graduate study in an engineering or science discipline at a GEM member institution to which the fellow has been admitted. These fellowships provide a stipend of $10,000 a year to master's students and $14,000 a year to doctoral students. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit www.gemfellowship.org.

Department of Chemistry Seminars
Did you know that every Tuesday of the semester there is a seminar or lecture by chemistry faculty visiting from other Universities or who work in industry? Students who are interested in going to graduate school would benefit from attending these seminars to meet faculty from other institutions (networking!) and to hear about current research. To find the seminar schedule, visit the department web site, chemistry.syr.edu.

Getting Involved with Research
The Chemistry Department offers many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research, be it through informal arrangement, for credit, or as part of one of our summer undergraduate research programs. Students at all levels of study are strongly encouraged to get involved, whether they are planning on a career in the sciences or just want to see what research is all about. Regardless of their ultimate career goal, this experience gives students the chance to explore their talents and inclinations for scientific inquiry as well as to get more in-depth exposure to the frontiers of chemistry, and to the culture of scientific research. Doing research can also help students gain admission to graduate or professional school and to compete favorably in the job market.

To find a research advisor, first look at the faculty pages on the departmental web site. Read the research descriptions, then contact those professors whose work you find interesting in order to explore the possibility of doing research in their group and to ask for more information on available research projects. Students can earn course credit for research during the academic year or summer by registering for CHE 450 (Research in Chemistry) or BCM 460 (Research in Biochemistry).

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds a large number of research opportunities through its REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) Sites program (www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/). Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with faculty and other researchers. An REU site may be at either a US or foreign location. Students must contact the individual sites for information and application materials. NSF does not have application materials and does not select student participants.

Additional research opportunities are available in the summer through the REU program here on campus (chemistry.syr.edu/reu), as well as through the iREU program where students do research abroad in Graz, Austria (chemistry.syr.edu/ireu). These programs each run for 10-weeks, and student participants receive a stipend, rather than getting research credit. While most participants in these programs will come from other universities, Syracuse students are also encouraged to apply. The application deadline for SU students for the iREU program is November 15, 2009.

Alpha Chi Sigma
Interested in science? Chemistry? Consider pledging Alpha Chi Sigma, the only Professional Chemistry Fraternity. The Pi Chapter at Syracuse University holds rush each Fall and Spring semester. Rushing is a great opportunity to meet plenty of new people that you may have a lot in common with. The chapter meets regularly to have dinner, game nights, and plenty of other fun activities. Alpha Chi Sigma is extremely diverse in terms of academic interests and hobbies. Although they are a Chemistry Fraternity, a lot of the members aren't science majors. Whether you have a keen or general interest in chemistry, they invite you to join. For additional info, visit their web site: http://axs.syr.edu.

Looking for a chemistry tutor? E-mail sgkesar@syr.edu

Award Winners
Congratulations to Kelly Whitenack (B.S. with Distinction, Chemistry, May 09) who was honored with Norma Slepecky Undergraduate Research Student Awards at the Norma Slepecky Memorial Seminar. Kelly received the prize for her work with Prof. Zubieta entitled "The Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Microporous Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Materials with the Potential of Hydrogen Storage." Kelly is currently studying podiatric medicine at Columbia University. Dr. Norma Slepecky was a distinguished researcher, an advocate for undergraduate student research and mentoring, and a strong supporter of women in science and engineering.

We also congratulate senior dual chemistry and biology major Amy Rabideau who is among 18 students nationwide to receive the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's 2009-2010 scholarship award. The $10,000 scholarship is presented to top science and engineering students who exhibit exceptional performance, initiative, and creativity in their field, as well as intellectual daring and a genuine desire to positively change the world around them. Amy was also honored as one of 35 undergraduate students to be a 2009-10 Remembrance Scholar. Amy does research in the Doyle Group and this past summer, as an Amgen Scholar, Amy completed research at MIT on bioprobes with Dr. Barbara Imperiali.

2009 Department of Chemistry Awards - April 28, 2009

Exceptional Performance in Honors Chemistry: Muhammed Ziauddin & Oriana Fuentes

Exceptional Performance in Organic Chemistry - George Wiley Award: Lua Jafari & Jaclyn Mirault

Exceptional Performance in Analytical Chemistry: Michael Bagnall

Exceptional Performance in Inorganic Chemistry: George Ling

Exceptional Performance in Physical Chemistry - Willem Prins Award: Kin Yang

Exceptional Performance in Biochemistry: Paul OConnor

Exceptional Performance in Biochemistry Research - Birge Award: Elizabeth Higbee

Overall Excellence in Chemistry: George Ling, Kin Yang & Natalie Ann Daurio

Exceptional Performance in Undergraduate Research (Sponsored by Alpha Chi Sigma): Amy Otuonye

Outstanding Senior Chemistry Major: Michael Bagnall

Syracuse Section of the ACS - Membership Award: Sukee Kesar

Schedule Adjustments
Fall '09:
Withdrawal Procedure:
After the academic drop deadline, students may withdraw from classes by filing a petition to withdraw. Classes from which students withdraw remain on the transcript record with the grading symbol WD. The WD does not calculate toward the grade point average. 1) Obtain a petition form from the home college dean’s office. Complete the petition, indicating all relevant course information: course prefix, number, section, and title.
2) Obtain the required signatures (professor, chairperson, and home college dean).
3) Submit the form to the Registrar’s Office, 106 Steele Hall, by the withdrawal deadline, Friday, November 20.

Spring '10:
After the Add Deadline, Tuesday, January 26, adjustments may no longer be made through MySlice. The Add/Drop form is used to adjust course registration during this time. If you need to add a class after the Add Deadline, please contact the dean's office of your home school/college. Students may continue to drop regular semester courses through the academic drop deadline, Tuesday, March 23. Full tuition will be charged for courses, except for SUIP internships, dropped after Tuesday, February 9, the financial drop deadline.

Undergraduate Advising
Spring registration is from Wednesday, November 11 to Monday, December 21. It is essential that students make an appointment with their advisor before registration begins. Registration cannot occur until the hold is lifted.

Advisors
Chemistry:
Prof. Hudson - Rm. 3-014A, x5805, bshudson@syr.edu
Prof. Luk - Rm. 3-.48, x7440, yluk@syr.edu

Biochemistry:
Prof. Borer - Rm. 0-221D, x5925, pnborer@syr.edu
Prof. Dabrowiak - Rm. 2-016D, x4601, jcdabrow@syr.edu

Forensics:
Prof. Sponsler - Rm. 4-012, x4880, sponsler@syr.edu

Fall 09 - Important Dates & Deadlines
11/11 - 12/21: Registration for Spring '10
11/20: Withdrawal deadline
11/25 - 11/29: Thanksgiving Break, no classes
12/14: Last Day of Classes
12/15 (AM), 12/19, 12/20: Reading Days
12/15 (PM), 12/16-18, 12/21: Final Exams

Degree with Distinction
Degrees with distinction are awarded to graduating seniors who show both academic and research excellence in the field and who meet all of the degree requirements. For more information, please visit:
  For Chemistry Majors: chemistry.syr.edu/undergraduate/distinct_chem.html
  For Biochemistry Majors: biochem.syr.edu/distinction.html

Spring 2010 Schedule of Classes
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