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In-Person Meeting of the Princeton ACS Section
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Professor Rashanique Quarels,
Rowan University
“New Approach to Synthesis of the Vancomycin Linear Heptapeptide”
Frick Chemistry Laboratory, Princeton University
Mixer 7:00 pm; Lecture 7:30 pm
Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern. Antibiotics are extremely effective in eradicating infectious diseases that until the 1930s had proven to be lethal. However, the occurrence of drug-resistant, disease-causing bacteria has become more acute over the past six decades. A growing number of bacterial infections have become harder to treat, with first-line antibiotics leading to longer hospital stays and necessitating the use of secondary and tertiary antibiotics. This has led to an increased resistance to last-resort antibiotics (i.e., vancomycin, carbapenem, and colistin). The immense need for effective antibiotics can be addressed by developing new therapeutic agents or modifying existing ones. Modifications of vancomycin-class antibiotics have created innovation in therapeutic development but require unsustainable synthetic effort. The strategy presented combines umpolung amide synthesis to avoid epimerization of necessary aryl glycine stereocenters and traditional amide. These conditions are highly desirable and can innovate therapeutic design of glycopeptides and related derivatives.
Biography: Dr. Quarrels received her PhD in Chemistry from Louisiana State University in 2017, and held a postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt University 2017-2020. Her research program at Rowan focuses on the development of new synthetic methodologies and the synthesis of biologically relevant natural products and derivatives as potential therapeutics. An area of interest is the development of unnatural glycopeptides with antimicrobial activity. She is also studying the composition of natural and unnatural amino acids in linear peptide precursors to antibiotics. Another area of intense focus is on studying the effects of fluorination on morphine derivatives. The aim is to improve drug efficacy while potentially reducing dependence.
Her most recent honors and awards include the Chancellor’s Academic Pathways Postdoctoral Fellowship, Vanderbilt University, 2017-2020; Penn Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship for Academic Diversity, University of Pennsylvania, 2017 (declined) and the NSF LS-AMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship, Louisiana State University, 2012-2014.
Reservations: There is no fee to attend the meeting but reservations are required. To register, go to https://www.princeton-acs.org/events?month=05-2023
ACS Spring 2023 Hybrid Meeting
Indianapolis, Indiana
March 27-30, 2023
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
Actions of the Council
Election Results:
Candidates for President-Elect, 2024
• The Committee on Nominations and Elections presented to the Council the following nominees for selection as candidates for President-Elect, 2023: Mary K. Engelman, Dorothy J. Phillips, and Florian J. Schattenmann. The fourth nominee withdrew for personal reasons prior to the Council meeting. By electronic ballot, the Council selected Dorothy J. Phillips and Florian J. Schattenmann as candidates for 2024 President-Elect. These two candidates, along with any candidates selected via petitions, will stand
Candidates for District III and VI
• The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the results of the election held prior to the hybrid Council meeting; to select candidates from the list of nominees for Directors from District III and District VI on the Board of Directors for the term 2024-2026. By internet ballot, the Councilors from these districts selected Diane Krone and Helen (Bonnie) A. Lawlor as District III candidates, and Janet L. Bryant and Jeanette M. Van Emon as District VI candidates. Ballots will be distributed to members residing in District III and District VI around October 1, 2023, for election of a Director from each District.
Candidates for Directors-at-Large
▪The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the selection of the following candidates for Directors-at-Large for the 2024-2026 term: Wayne E. Jones, Jr., Daniel Rabinovich, Carolyn Ribes, and Joseph P. Stoner. The election of two Directors-at-Large from among these four candidates and any selected via petition will be conducted in the fall. Ballots will be distributed to the Council around October 1, 2023.
• By electronic ballot, the Council elected Daniel Rabinovich for a two-year term (2023-2024) on the Committee on Committees (ConC).
Other Council Actions
Highlights from Committee Reports and Key Actions
· On the recommendation of the Council Policy Committee (CPC), Council approved the Petition to Amend the Duties of the Council Policy Committee to authorize CPC to review the conduct of Councilors.
As required by the ACS Governing Documents, CPC has set the divisor for Local Section and Division representation at Council for the period 2024-2027. The formula is based on membership numbers as of December 31, 2022. Notification will be sent by the Secretary to all affected units by May 1, with details on how they will be impacted.
CPC reviewed the Councilor Expense Program and voted to approve a streamlined process for fall 2023. The committee also voted to review further streamlining options for the program going forward.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees (ConC), and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Amend the Duties of the Committee on Environmental Improvement to change the name of the committee to the Committee on Environment and Sustainability.
ConC announced that the opening of the online preference form to all ACS members begins on April 3 and will run through July 3. Councilors interested in serving on an ACS Committee in 2024 should go to CMTE.acs.org to complete their preferences.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E), and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Add Plan B to Council Meetings, which authorizes the postponement of voting at Council in case of technology failures or natural disasters.
N&E reminded Councilors that any petition candidates to ACS National Office must certified by the July 15 deadline to be placed on the ballot this fall.
On the recommendation of the Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC), Council approved the 2024 Schedule of Membership.
The Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC) announced the launch of the ACS Speaker Directory, a new resource for our component group leaders to access a wide range of speakers for their in-person, hybrid, and asynchronous events.
• The Committee on Meetings and Expositions (M&E) is actively engaged in collaborative efforts to re-imagine ACS meetings, targeting increased value and relevancy. Councilors can expect to receive more information on the Future of Meetings project in the coming weeks, starting next month with the M&E Chair comment in C&EN.
Council Special Discussion
President Giordan introduced and led a special discussion on the ongoing review of Society Committees. She sought Councilor input of positive ideas, key issues, and opportunities to improve the structure of committees.
Four specific prompts were posed to Councilors for their input and suggestions:
Ideally, for ACS to have a committee structure that is forward thinking and able to address opportunities for members, ACS and the chemistry enterprise, we would...
Current and future key issues impacting ACS, the chemistry enterprise and our committees include...
I wonder what the positive impact on committees, member involvement, and ACS would be if we were to...
I wish that committees at ACS could...
Councilors provided their ideas and thoughts, and relevant Society units will receive this input within the next several weeks.
Resolutions
The Council passed several resolutions:
In memory of deceased Presidents Brian M. Rushton and Dr. S. Allen Heininger.
In memory of deceased Councilors Yorke E. Rhodes and Maurice M. Bursey.
- In sincere appreciation of the Indiana Local Section, host Section for the spring 2023 ACS meeting
The spring 2023 meeting was held in a hybrid manner from March 26-30. As of March 29, there were 12,623 registrations (10,792 in-person and 1,831 virtual).
Actions of the Board of Directors - Executive Session
The ACS Board of Directors met in Executive Session on March 24-25, 2023, in Indianapolis, IN. They considered several key strategic issues and responded with numerous actions. The Board opened its session with a reflection on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect (DEIR).
Chief Executive Officer’s Report
The Board received an extensive report from the new CEO, Al Horvath, on issues relating to employee engagement, the Skilled Technical Workforce Strategic Initiative, C&EN, and upcoming events/activities.
Board Committees and Working Groups
The Board received and discussed reports from the Governing Board for Publishing, as well as its committees on Executive Compensation, Professional and Member Relations, and the Working Group on Structure and Representation. Some of these committees requested and obtained Board action on one or more items, as follows:
· The Board received an extensive briefing and approved several recommendations from its Committee on Executive Compensation. The compensation of the Society’s executive staff continues to be reviewed regularly by the Board.
· Upon recommendation of the Society Committee on Publication, the Board voted to approve the reappointment of several ACS journal editors. The reappointments will be announced after the individuals have been notified and appropriate arrangements for their continued service have been made.
· Upon the recommendation of the Editor Search Committee, the Board voted to approve an Editor- in-Chief of the journal ACS ES&T Air. The appointment will be announced after the individual has been notified and appropriate arrangements for their service has been made.
· The Board voted to approve the reappointment of a member of the Governing Board for Publishing who falls in the category of being a member of the Society with executive experience from academia, but who is not a member of the Board of Directors. The reappointment will be announced after the individual has been notified and appropriate arrangements for their continued service have been made.
· Upon recommendation of the Committee on Professional and Member Relations (P&MR), the Board approved recommendations for establishing The David A. Evans Award for the Advancement and Education of Organic Synthesis, the 2024 Othmer Gold Medal nominee, and the screened lists of five nominees each for the 2024 Award for Volunteer Service to the ACS and the 2024 Priestley Medal.
· Upon recommendation of the Committee on Public Affairs and Public Relations (PA&PR), the Board voted to approve an amendment to Board Regulation VII, Sec. 3 (c) requiring Board approval of the filling of amicus briefs in legal proceedings.
· The Board Working Group on Structure and Representation provided an update on their efforts to add an International District Director to the Board of Directors in the form of the Petition to Add International Representation on the Board of Directors, which was considered by the Council at the spring meeting.
Other Society Business
As is customary, the Board heard reports from the Presidential Succession on their current and planned activities for 2023 and 2024. The Board also received an update on the status of the search for the new Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Society. The Board held general discussions on two topics. The first focused on raising items of strategic concern from members of the Board, and the second was dedicated to sharing feedback received from ACS members, elevating their voices to all Board members.
Finally, the Board adopted resolutions in memory of ACS Past Board Members and Presidents Brian M. Rushton and S. Allen Heininger.
Other Local Events of Interest
Chemical Consultants Network Meeting
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Apps for
Chemical Consultants
Joanne Leonard, BS, Consulting and Freelance in Software Engineering & Web Application
John Newport, Ph.D., Consulting & Contracted Research in Polymer Science
Date & Time: Wednesday May 10, 2023, 6:30 PM
Location: Online via Zoom! This session is FREE.
(Registration required, see below)
Click here to register to attend the event.
Abstract: Together Joanne and John will discuss their initial experiences with the flood of new artificial intelligence (AI) apps with an emphasis on utility, productivity boost and overall benefits for CCN members in their scientific, engineering and consultancy work. They will then open a discussion session for meeting attendees to share their own experience with AI tools and how they have made use of them in their work.
Biographies:
Joanne Leonard has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Rutgers University College of Engineering and has spent her career in both engineering and IT at Amp Inc., Boeing Computer Services, ADP, Merrill Lynch, consulting and freelance work with a focus on manufacturing/distribution and finance/marketing/trading software development at several different platform levels, web application development, web architecture and technical management.
John Newport, with a PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Manchester, UK and previously a Senior Research Fellow at Hercules Incorporated provides Consulting and Contract research through Chemventive LLC.Quotesv33n2