This is a cut and paste from a Word document. A PDF version, with tables in appropriate places will be available on the CHAS web site shortly. Comments and questions appreciated to any member of the executive committee. - Ralph Secretary's Report ACS Technical Division Annual Report for 2003 Division of Chemical Health & Safety Submitted by Russell Phifer Website URL http://www.chemistry.org/divisions/chas 1. Officers - As designated by your Division's Bylaws Required by Bylaws Position filled Through 2003 Is there someone available to step in if needed (i.e. assistant secretary) Chair X X Chair elect Chair-Elect X X No (would appoint) Vice-Chair Past-Chair X X Yes (other past Chairs) Secretary X X No (would appoint) Treasurer X X No (would appoint) Secretary/Treasurer Program Chair X X Yes (we have two) Councilors (specify number) 3 3 3 alternates Member-at-Large (specify number) 2 2 No (would appoint) 2. Were the 2003 Elections conducted in accordance with the Division's Bylaws? Yes 3. Is the Division incorporated? Yes If yes, what year was it incorporated in: 1999 What state was it incorporated in: Washington, DC 4. Bylaws and Operations Manual (maintained on compact disk) Current Date Date of Last Review Division Bylaws 2003 9/7/03 Operations Manual 2003 9/7/03 Membership Retention/ Recruitment Plan 2003 9/7/03 5. Number of Executive Committee members 20 Chair (2004) Neal Langerman chemsaf**At_Symbol_Here**ix.netcom.com Secretary (2006) Barbara L. Foster bfoster**At_Symbol_Here**wvu.edu Treasurer (2005) Erik A. Talley erikt**At_Symbol_Here**etalley.com Chair-Elect (2005 Chair) Russell W. Phifer rphifer**At_Symbol_Here**glasmesh.com Immediate Past Chair (2003 Chair) Robert H. Hill, Jr. rhill**At_Symbol_Here**cdc.gov Councilor (2004) Eileen Segal Ebsegal**At_Symbol_Here**aol.com Councilor (2005) George H. Wahl, Jr. george_wahl**At_Symbol_Here**ncsu.edu Alternate Councilor (2005) Ruth Hathaway scifair**At_Symbol_Here**semovm.semo.edu Alternate Councilor (2004) Sung Moon moon**At_Symbol_Here**adelphi.edu Member-at-Large (2006) Ken Fivizzani kfivizzani**At_Symbol_Here**nalco.com Member-at-Large (2005) CHAS Editor Harry J. Elston helston**At_Symbol_Here**bigfoot.com COMMITTEES Audit Bob Hill Awards Douglas Walters waltersdb**At_Symbol_Here**earthlink.net Long Range Planning Laurence Doemeny lxd3**At_Symbol_Here**cdc.gov Membership Ralph Stuart rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**esf.uvm.edu Nominations Frankie Wood-Black fwblack**At_Symbol_Here**ppco.com Program: Kathryn Benedict (Program Chair/Fall meetings) kathryn.benedict**At_Symbol_Here**pfizer.com Jim Kapin (Program Chair/Spring meetings) jim**At_Symbol_Here**chemical-safety.com Publications Eileen Segal Public Relations VACANT Regulatory & Public Affairs Barbara L. Foster Social John Palmer jpalmer**At_Symbol_Here**ucsd.edu Training and Workshops Sung Moon Web Page Administrator Ralph Stuart 6. Executive Committee/Division Meetings Spring National Meeting Fall National Meeting Other Executive Committee Meetings Yes Yes Conference calls as necessary Division representative attended DLC Yes Yes Division Annual Meeting Yes Yes Number of Councilors and/or Alternate Councilors attending Council 3 3 7. What is your mechanism of exchanging annual reports and Form 990 information among your officers? Email with attachments. 8. Who attended the 2003 Division Leadership Conference (DLC)? Neal Langerman, Chair-Elect. 9. Members are kept current regarding Council and Executive Committee activities via: ___ Division website _ Division Newsletter _ open Division meeting _ open Division Executive Committee meeting _ others - Listserv, bulk email 10. Copy and paste your 2003 Executive Committee Roster in this section. (_ check here if also available to the members on your website) 11. Subdivisions (not applicable) 12. Who attended the 2002 Program Planning and Coordinating Conference (P2C2)? Kathryn Benedict attended the P2C2 in 2003. 13. Programming - National Organized Programming Cosponsored symposium with other Divisions Held workshops Held tutorials Cosponsored meeting with other U.S. And non-U.S. societies Spring National Meeting 6 technical sessions 6 technical sessions Yes - 2 No No Fall National Meeting 8 technical sessions 3 sessions Yes - 3 No No 14. List meeting(s) and co-organizer(s) of co-sponsored meetings with other U.S. societies and non-U.S. societies. None. 15. List affiliations that your Division has with other technical organizations. (Note the start date). American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1998), American Industrial Hygiene Association (1985), Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (1994), American National Standards Institute (1992). 16. Does your Division actively participate in a Secretariat? _ Yes _ No If yes, check the appropriate box(es). _ Biotechnology _ Catalysis _ Materials _ Macromolecular 17. Did your Division participate at regional meetings. YES If yes, list the regional meeting and the form of participation below (i.e. symposia, workshop, tutorial). Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting, organized and presented a one day symposium, co-sponsored a one day symposium, and presented two full-day workshops. Programming and workshops are anticipated at a minimum of 5 regional meetings in 2004. 18. Does your Division have a Regional Meeting Program Chair? . _ Yes If yes, who is it? Ralph Stuart 19. Did your Division participate in programming at Local Section Meetings?_ _ Yes _ No If yes, how many meetings: Six 20. Publications and Newsletters Number Hard Copy On Website Other Newsletter One issue Yes Yes Separates Preprints Directory Books Published in 2003 Journals (Chemical Health & Safety Journal) Six issues Yes Select articles only 21. How do you perceive your division membership over the past 5 years (in 50 words or less)? Our membership has declined slightly, resulting in an initiative for new members which is currently being implemented. The focus is on 1) participation at ACS Regional Meetings, and 2) a mentoring program which will encourage participation with under-represented minorities and younger chemists. We have attracted many new members through our journal (a subscription is included with membership). We have met several times with the ACS Regional Meetings Office and established a "framework" for professional programming and workshops at regional meetings and currently anticipate participation in a minimum of five regional meetings in 2004. 22. Outreach (Activities not associated with programming) Did your Division Participate in any: Yes No Educational outreach activities X Public outreach activities X Outreach activities directed toward government or public officials X National Chemistry Week X Other (please list) X Established a Mentoring Program under the auspices of the ACS Committee on minority affairs - focusing on ACS Student Affiliates and historically-black colleges and universities. Developed an On-Line Intercollegiate Chemical Safety Course Initiated an elementary school tutoring program Presented a Magic of Chemistry course to Middle School students in West Virginia Presented safety training courses for teaching assistants at Univ. Wisconsin -Madison and the University of West Virginia 23. Copy and paste the list of awards given by your Division during 2003 and their recipient(s). (_ check here if also available to your members on your website) Howard Fawcett Chemical Health and Safety Award - Harry Elston Tillmanns-Skolnick Award - Peter Ashbrook 24. What was your Division's particularly outstanding or innovative activity(ies) (up to three only) this year? Please note whether it was an activity launched in 2003 or one that had been initiated in prior years and how you measure its effectiveness. Activity Measurement of Effectiveness New/Established 1. Developed a Mentoring Program designed to increase awareness in Chemical Health and Safety at colleges and universities This is a new initiative; our final plan was developed subsequent to attendance by two executive committee members at the ACS Mentoring Workshop in Washington, DC in 2003 New 2. Establish an ongoing programming effort at the ACS Regional Meetings Attendance at workshops and symposium was consistent with attendance at similar programming at ACS National Meetings New 3. Initiated an On-Line version of our Journal - Chemical Health & Safety Our membership survey indicates a substantial interest in on-line availability of articles Expanded from 2002 when only select articles were available 25. What activities, during this year, were earmarked for a specific group of members such as: younger chemists, minorities, women, chemical technicians, undergraduates, etc. Activity Measurement of Effectiveness Developed Mentoring program aimed at ACS student affiliates This is a new program; effectiveness will be measured in 2004 Participated in the Careers for Chemists program at West Virginia University Many graduate and undergraduate students attended. Planned co-sponsorship of symposia with Younger Chemists Committee A number of new members are Younger Chemists 26. List your Division programs and activities that support the ACS Strategic Thrusts: Be the world's leading provider and deliverer of chemical information Developed an On-Line Safety Course; Expanded programming to ACS Regional level Provide programs and activities to facilitate the career development of chemical professionals Presented fourteen technical sessions and five technical workshops at ACS National Meetings in Chicago and New York Provide programs to improve science literacy of students and ensure quality education in the chemical sciences Formed a Task Force on Safety in the Curriculum that included collaboration and membership from CHAS, CHED, CHAL, and CCS; developed elementary school tutoring program and middle school "Magic of Chemistry" program. Increase participation of students and young chemists in the activities of the Society Participated in the Chemist in the Classroom program; supported a Chemistry Learning Center which tutors undergraduate chemistry students; increased co-sponsorship of programming with Younger Chemists Committee Provide programs and activities to encourage the participation and leadership in all aspects of the chemical sciences by women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities Co-sponsored session with Women Chemists Committee Expand services to members and prospective members working in industry Published Chemical Health & Safety articles on website; participated in safety training courses for graduate students at Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison and Univ. of West Virginia Expand activities at the interdisciplinary boundaries of chemistry Safety is perhaps the most interdisciplinary of all the chemistry related "industries"; our entire focus is on bringing safety to all facets of industrial and academic chemistry. This was particularly well reflected in the On-Line Safety Conference presented by the Division. Encourage funding of research in science, technology, and engineering Members actively participated in the ACS Legislative Action Network, contacting legislators on science policy and funding issues Encourage activities and programs applying scientific principles to environmental issues All members of the ACS Task Force on Laboratory Environment, Health & Safety are active members of DivCHAS; Organized a Green Chemistry symposium at MARM in 2003; initiated a list-serv among members Provide programs and activities to improve the public's recognition and appreciation of the contributions of chemistry The Division has a significant focus on Green Chemistry in all our technical programs; we also participate heavily in National Chemistry Week - our members were instrumental in developing safety procedures for use during NCW 27. Do you believe that your Division is healthy? Explain. Yes. The best sign is our continued efforts to expand our horizons beyond traditional limits; we have recognized (and gotten serious about) attracting minorities, younger chemists, and women to our Division. Our Mentoring Program is ambitiously pursuing relationships with ACS student affiliates and science students at historically black colleges and universities who do not traditionally follow health & safety career paths. Our volunteer levels remain high, and the level of communication among members far exceeds anything we've experienced in the past. Also, a rebound in our financial reserves is anticipated as the economy continues its recovery. 28. Do you have any other information that you feel that the reviewer needs to know to appropriately assess the health of your division? If so, please list it here. Financial deficits of the Division are due primarily to the large costs associated with publishing our journal, Chemical Health & Safety. The Board has sought to address this in a number of ways including reviewing and minimizing expenditures wherever possible and increasing division dues. We are prepared to take whatever steps are necessary for the financial health of the Division, including changing to an on-line only publication of our journal. We believe, however, that in the long run we can attract new members with our current and planned initiatives, and are convinced these measures will help alleviate fiscal problems in the future. 29. What problems did your Division encounter, and how might ACS help to resolve them? While our financial planning (including a substantial dues increase) has resulted in our ability to maintain most of our current programs, we would like to be able to more adequately fund our awards program, attract top-quality speakers through some travel reimbursement, and initiate new public awareness programs, such as ones that may attract more women and minority members. We anticipate that the Local Section/Division subsidies implemented beginning in 2004 will help solve these problems, but believe ACS should continue to explore new ways to make funding to Divisions more equitable (as compared to local sections). Our programming chairs have expressed frustration with the distant and small rooms we are provided for programming at National Meetings. It appears that the larger Divisions are provided with unlimited space and can present unlimited numbers of papers each year - is that what the national meetings are all about? What is the purpose of the national meetings if not to offer all chemical disciplines an opportunity to present and learn within one venue? There appears to be no limit to the amount of programming that can be put on by the larger divisions, and this is one reason why "technical" divisions find it so hard to compete. Balanced programming evens this out a bit, but we question whether or not there is a point at which national meetings will no longer be useful for Technical divisions. 30. What new ideas, unmet needs, or questions would your Division like to be addressed by the Divisional Activities Committee (DAC), Division Leadership Conference (DLC), Program Planning and Coordination Conference P2C2), the Committee on Science (ComSci), and/or ACS staff? From a programming perspective, CHAS would like to see the ACS find ways to actively coordinate programming between divisions, particularly between "professional" as opposed to "technical" divisions. Some divisions, such as CHAS, CHAL, BMGT, HIST and TECH are inherently multi-disciplinary, in that they draw members from a variety of the "technical" divisions, such as ORG, INORG, etc. Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of their programming, these professional divisions are frequently competing with each other for attendees. CHAS would like to see the formation of a mechanism, perhaps a new secretariat, which would allow these divisions to coordinate their activities in such a way that would improve the overall quality of the program and increase attendance, without increasing divisional competition. For instance, CHAS and several other divisions have expressed a concern about the lack of chemical safety education in the academic curriculum. To address this shortcoming, CHAS has joined CHED, CHAL, and CCS in the formation of a taskforce to devise a possible solution. We would like to see DAC support this effort, which could come in the form of endorsement and assistance in locating funding sources for this effort. Ideally, this should become an ACS sponsored activity. In our view this is a cross-cutting issue that deserves broad support; a long-term effort will require significant determination and leadership. We have considered the recent initiative regarding Division & Local Section funding with great interest. One suggestion that might be considered would be to NOT automatically assign members to a local section; instead let them choose whether or not to join in the same way they choose Divisional membership. This would provide ACS with a more accurate assessment of the perceived value of these affiliations to the members and allow a fairer allocation of both council membership and funding. We believe that our journal, Chemical Health & Safety, is the foremost publication in this field with appeal to chemists of all disciplines. As noted previously, its publication drains approximately 80% of our revenues. We strongly feel that ACS should be the publisher of this Division journal and we look to help from DAC. Because of the journal's importance to the multi-disciplinary field of chemistry, we look to ACS Publications for its support to offer this service. It has been noted that other Divisions are interested in electronic voting as a way to increase participation and save mailing expenses. ACS should consider a bylaw change that allows this. -- Ralph Stuart, CIH Membership Committee Chair Webmaster Division of Chemical Health and Safety American Chemical Society List owner, DCHAS-L rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu fax: (802)656-5407
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