Monday, November 30, 2020

EPA is assessing ethylene oxide for cancer risk

In this week's Chemical and Engineering News, this news item from Britt Erickson on draft EPA regulation on ethylene oxide: 

Ethylene oxide, a gas commonly used to sterilize medical equipment and spices*, poses health risks to workers and communities surrounding sterilization facilities, the US Environmental Protection Agency says in a draft risk assessment.

The EPA conducted the evaluation as part of the reregistration review process for pesticides. The agency regulates the use of ethylene oxide as a sterilant, which it considers an antimicrobial pesticide.

The draft assessment, released Nov. 19, provides a route for the EPA to tighten regulations on ethylene oxide releases from sterilization facilities. The agency has been evaluating options for reducing ethylene oxide emissions since a 2016 assessment showed that cancer risks are greater than the EPA previously thought. In its August 2018 air toxics screening assessment, the EPA pointed to ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilization facilities as a major contributor to the elevated cancer risks.

Ethylene oxide “is used on half of all sterilized medical devices in the United States annually and, in some cases, it is the only sterilization method available,” Alexandra Dunn, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, says in a statement.

As a teenage hospital volunteer, I clearly remember one day when the basement was shut down because of an ethylene oxide leak in the sterilization space. It's not surprising to me that it's an effective sterilizing agent, but it seems to me that something as toxic (and flammable!) as ethylene oxide would attract quite a bit of research to make it obsolete...

*Spices? Yes, spices.

African crested rats cover themselves in cardiotonic glycosides?

Via the New York Times, this unusual news (article by Katherine J. Wu):  

Give them a chance and African crested rats will take nibbles from the branch of a poison arrow tree. It’s not for nutrition. Instead, they will chew chunks of the plants and spit them back out into their fur, anointing themselves with a form of chemical armor that most likely protects them from predators like hyenas and wild dogs. The ritual transforms the rats into the world’s only known toxic rodents, and ranks them among the few mammals that borrow poisons from plants....

...People in East Africa have long known about the crested rat’s poisonous punch, which has felled many an overcurious dog. (Those that survive their encounters tend to give the rats a wide berth.) In 2011, a team of researchers described the heart-stopping toxins that the rats milked from Acokanthera schimperi, a tree traditionally harvested by hunters who would use its juices to lace their arrows.

From Wikipedia, this description of the tree:

The bark, wood and roots of Acokanthera schimperi are used as an important ingredient of arrow poison in Africa. All plant parts contain acovenoside A and ouabaïne, which are cardiotonic glycosides. Its fruit is edible, and is eaten as a famine food.

 Guessing that overcurious dogs don't last long in Africa...

Friday, November 27, 2020

Have a good weekend!

 

Hope everyone has a good weekend, and we'll see you on Monday. 

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

Every year, I am incredibly thankful for my family, my friends, my community (physical and online) and my job. This year, I am very thankful for the health and safety of our family and friends.

I am also thankful for you, my readers and commenters. Thank you for your reading, your advice, your e-mails and your brilliant, insightful comments. I am truly blessed. I hope that you are safe from the pandemic, and that you and your family are doing well.

[An additional note: if you would ever like to meet for a cup of coffee or a beer, please reach out to my e-mail address. I plan to find myself in unexpected places in 2021, and I love to meet readers of the blog.] 

My family and I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and if you're not in the United States, a happy Thursday and Friday! 

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Chemical Activity Barometer up 0.8% in November

From the American Chemistry Council: 

WASHINGTON (November 24, 2020) – The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), rose 0.8 percent in November on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.0 percent gain in October. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer fell 2.4 percent in November.

The unadjusted data show a 1.3 percent gain in November following a 0.5 percent gain in October and a 0.7 percent gain in September. The diffusion index eased from 76 percent to 71 percent in November. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relative to the total number of indicators monitored. The CAB reading for October was revised upward by 0.38 points and the reading for September was revised downward by 0.06 points. These were highly volatile months for the data. The November data are provisional and subject to revision.

“With seven straight months of gains, the November CAB reading is consistent with recovery in the U.S. economy,” said Kevin Swift, chief economist at ACC.

The CAB has four main components, each consisting of a variety of indicators: 1) production; 2) equity prices; 3) product prices; and 4) inventories and other indicators.

In November, production-related indicators were positive. Trends in construction-related resins, pigments and related performance chemistry were mixed. Resins and chemistry used in light vehicles and other durable goods were strong. Gains in plastic resins used in packaging and for consumer and institutional applications were positive. Performance chemistry for industry rebounded and U.S. exports were mixed. Equity prices rebounded and product and input prices were positive. Inventory and other supply chain indicators were positive.

Well, that's good news. Here's hoping it continues into the new year. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 195 research/teaching positions and 17 teaching faculty positions

 The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 195 research/teaching positions and 17 teaching assistant professor positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On November 26, 2019, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 482 research/teaching positions and 32 teaching faculty positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  Go to the second open thread. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

Postdoc: mechanistic enzymology, Basu Lab, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN

From the inbox: 

A postdoctoral position is available in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, IUPUI starting spring 2021. The project involves studying the structure-function relation in periplasmic  nitrate reductase, a mononuclear molybdenum enzyme. These enzymes take part in the global cycling of C, S, N, and As, and impact human health in a myriad of ways. Our approach includes careful kinetic analysis coupled with biophysical experimentation, and with this approach, we  hope to develop an in-depth understanding of these critical enzymes' reactivity. 

This NIH/NSF funded position is for one year with the option to extend beyond the initial year. The  department is well equipped with modern instrumentation such as mass spectrometry facility,  cell culture and protein purification facilities. Experience in enzyme kinetics and molecular  biology is desirable. As a home of major pharmaceutical companies, upcoming biotech  industries, and largest medical school in the country, Indianapolis offers a vibrant scientific  community. The city of Indianapolis is thriving city with a rich cultural environment, plenty of  options for an active outdoor lifestyle. Interested candidate should contact Prof. Partha Basu  (basup@iu.edu).

Best wishes to those interested. 

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 42 positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 42 positions. It is curated by Lilian Josephson (@lljosephson).

From Dr. Josephson: This year we will try to utilize the list further by circulating among the professors, as well as using the hashtags #facultychemEjobs and #MeettheCandidatesChE2020.

The open thread is found here. 

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 52 positions

 The Academic Staff Jobs list has 52 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Monday, November 23, 2020

The government's ability to accelerate innovation, and production

I've been reading the broad blogosphere for a very long time (since 2001 or so), and so I'm familiar with a lot of the old players. While there are very few of the original players who are still solely blogging (like Derek Lowe, for example), I am amused at the trajectories of progressive bloggers Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias, both of whom departed Vox recently, Klein for the New York Times and Yglesias for his own website on Substack. I've been reading Yglesias for a very long time, so it's not a surprise to me that he's returned to one of his favorite themes - that government money can effectively spur new R&D:  
The Pfizer people made a big deal out of the fact that their program wasn’t technically part of the Operation Warp Speed effort that the Trump administration put together. But they are very much part of the program where both the US government and the European Union made large advance agreements to purchase vaccine doses. That guarantee makes a big difference to any private sector undertaking.

And to me it’s a proof of concept for the kind of thing we could be doing in the clean energy space. Say an electric car that meets such-and-such specifications would get guaranteed orders to serve as government fleet vehicles. Or pre-commit to buying electric buses for schools and transit agencies. Nuclear micro-reactors for use on military bases or as backup systems for hospitals. The assurance that a market exists is a big stimulus to private investment, and when strong social consensus exists that innovation would be beneficial, we can get it done....

...So while we both could and should mount a vaccine-esque push for clean energy research and deployment, we so far have not. Hopefully, that will change as more people look at the success of the pharmacological aspects of America’s Covid response and see that directed research programs really do work.

Of course, I quibble with his argument. I think the term "directed research programs" need to be defined before we can agree they "really do work." Is Operation Warp Speed such an example? I'm not so sure, but I cannot deny that advanced purchase agreements are a powerful incentive. God willing, we'll all be arguing this in 2022 in person, but it's hard for me to think that if Pfizer didn't have such an agreement with OWS, they could have still made an agreement with the United States government once they knocked on the door with positive clinical results. Of course, that it's Pfizer (with its $52 billion annual revenue) plays a role - not too many other companies could have self-financed such a venture. 

Regarding his clean energy thoughts, I think such agreements are both science- and economics-dependent. If Elon Musk showed up with an electric school bus that cost $2 million per, would that be viable? It wouldn't - and it takes quite a bit of new science and new engineering to get a competitive price, and I'm not sure how much faster a guaranteed market would really drive said development. Also, how politically viable would such a guaranteed market bet? 

On the other hand, this New York Times writeup of OWS' ability to get logistics stuff done is pretty impressive: 

When Moderna discovered this summer that an air handling unit for its factory could not be delivered over a weekend because of Covid-19 limitations on interstate trucking, the major’s team stepped in. Warp Speed officials arranged a law enforcement escort to accompany the massive piece of equipment from the Midwest to its Massachusetts manufacturing plant.

The team again sprang into action when Moderna discovered that a specialized pump, needed to make the first batches of vaccine for the clinical trials, was marooned in a rail car and was not going to be delivered on time. Federal workers tracked down the train and rummaged through it until they found the pump.

“They put it on a plane, and it arrived on time,” Mr. Andres, the company’s operations chief, said.

The interventions, he said, were “absolutely instrumental.”

Getting yourself moved to the front of the line by the power of the state isn't anything to be sneezed at. (Railroads? How did that happen? Those guys are impossible to work with, I've heard...)

This week's C&EN

A few of the articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News: 

Friday, November 20, 2020

Have a good weekend

 

Well, we made it another week, folks. I hope you have a good weekend, and we'll see you on Monday. 

This week's C&EN

 A few articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News

Thursday, November 19, 2020

34 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Common Organic Chemistry is resolving some technical difficulties, but has ported over the list to Google Drive for now. There are 22 new positions for November 18,  and 12 for November 16.

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company list, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers.

Job posting: Deputy Division Director, Division of Chemistry, MPS, NSF, Alexandria, VA

 From the inbox, a position at the National Science Foundation: 

The Division of Chemistry (CHE) is responsible for programs with a total annual budget of more than $200 million. These programs support research and education that expand the knowledge base of the science of chemistry through single investigator and collaborative research programs (catalysis; life processes; measurement and imaging; structure, dynamics and mechanism; environmental chemistry; macromolecular, supramolecular and nanochemistry; synthesis; and theory, modeling and computational chemistry), Centers for Chemical Innovation, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Research Instrumentation and Facilities, and Special Projects. The mission of the NSF Division of Chemistry (CHE) is to support innovative research in chemical sciences, integrated with education, through strategic investment in developing a globally engaged U.S. chemistry workforce reflecting the diversity of America.

Within the Division, the Deputy Division Director works with the Division Director in providing leadership and management to the Division’s programs and assists the Division Director in carrying out Division-wide responsibilities such as the preparation of budget submissions for Congress, oversight and management of the Division budgets, and the recruitment of scientific staff.  The incumbent also supervises and provides leadership and guidance to administrative and support personnel within the Division.  Externally, the Deputy Division Director represents the Division in a variety of MPS-wide, NSF-wide and interagency activities related to research and education, and in interactions with the community.  The Deputy Division Director assumes the Division Director’s role in the absence of the Division Director.

 Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

What are three virtual ACS National Meetings going to do to early careers?

I'm sure you got this message from ACS' CEO via e-mail, or maybe you didn't: 
I am reaching out today to share the news that we will hold our spring 2021 ACS meeting entirely virtually April 5-16, 2021. Meeting virtually for ACS Spring 2021 will enable the meaningful sharing of scientific information, while ensuring everyone’s safety. 

Originally planned as an in-person event in San Antonio, TX, in March 2021, the meeting was transitioned to a virtual event as a result of the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases locally, nationally, and globally, and predictions for worsening conditions throughout the winter season. The virtual format was chosen out of concern for the health and safety of our members, meeting attendees, staff and residents of San Antonio.

We are committed to ensuring that the virtual meeting will give participants the most robust and rich experience possible. We have lengthened the footprint of the meeting to allow for a maximum amount of science to be shared with the widest possible audience. The program will include 10 weekdays of live sessions followed by two weeks of on demand content, at the presenters’ discretion.

The window for abstract submissions will open on December 16, 2020, and close on January 18, 2021. Abstracts questions can be directed to abstracts@acs.org.  Registration will open in January for the virtual meeting with fees set at $99 for ACS members, $149 for non-members, and $29 for students. Unemployed member and 50-year emeritus members will be able to attend at no cost.

I think this is a pretty logical move - even with vaccines, it's hard to imagine that people would be meeting in March 2021. Friend of the blog Harry Elston had a good question - what will three consecutive virtual meetings do to early career researchers in chemistry? 

I'll be honest and say that I don't know. In discussions of the National Meeting, there is always a lot of chatter about how these venues aren't nearly as good as smaller meetings, such as Gordon Conferences. I broadly agree. At the same time, I think there is genuine value in the breadth of the meeting, and also far more opportunity for serendipitous meetings of old friends and colleagues in other subfields, and new ones as well. The virtual meetings offer some good points: the price is much, much lower (especially with the lack of travel) and that offers an opportunity for students of all institutions to participate. 

I think it's unlikely that there will be a measurable impact to the careers of students who were not able to stand awkwardly in front of their Sci-Mix posters for 3 hours, and participated virtually instead. Still, for those of us who are in the middle of our careers, it bears some amount of consideration and watching. 

Cool story on chalk

Via the New York Times, a group of manufacturers thinking about a quality product and technology transfer: 

The bright-white sticks drop one by one into the whir and clatter of a weatherworn piece of machinery, where they are stamped with the most celebrated name in chalk: Hagoromo.

The early stages of the process look a lot like food production. The ingredients in what the company’s owner calls a “recipe” are dumped into a mixer originally designed for bread dough, and what comes out is fed into a kneader originally intended to make udon noodles.

Of the thick grayish mass that emerges, four ingredients are known: calcium carbonate, clay, glue and oyster shells. The other three are a secret. In a video posted to YouTube about the chalk, an American fan offers a guess as to one of them: angel tears.

Hagoromo chalk is a cult favorite of elite academics, artists and others around the world who praise it for its silky feel, vibrant colors, scant dust and nearly unbreakable quality. Mathematicians in particular are prone to waxing poetic about it, and buying it in bulk. 

Despite its renown, Hagoromo is still produced on a relatively small scale, using custom-made equipment, much of it run by two laborers who are identical twins — a throwback in a high-tech era where interactive displays are replacing chalkboards.

It's hard not to get romantic about the glory of manufacturing, where a high-quality product is made for adoring customers. Good story, very enjoyable. Read the whole thing. 

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 178 research/teaching positions and 16 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 178 research/teaching positions and 16 teaching assistant professor positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On November 19, 2019, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 470 research/teaching positions and 30 teaching faculty positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  Go to the second open thread. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

Job posting: visiting assistant professor, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT

From the inbox: 

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Fairfield University seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor beginning January 1, 2021. This appointment and its possible renewal through the 2021-2022 academic year are contingent upon final approval of funding. The successful applicant will have the ability to teach lecture and laboratory classes in General Chemistry, as well ability in one or more of Chemical Analysis Laboratory, Physical Chemistry, Chemical Instrumentation Laboratory and/or Biochemistry Laboratory. A PhD is required, as is a commitment to innovation and demonstrated excellence in using technology in the classroom. Fairfield University is pursuing in-person instruction. Individuals seeking remote employment should not apply. Review of applications will begin immediately.

For full consideration submit a cover letter, a CV, and graduate school transcripts, a statement of teaching philosophy to the University portal by November 23, 2020. Three letters of recommendation should also be sent directly to chemistryVAP@fairfield.edu.

Best wishes to those interested.  

Job posting: dean, College of Science & Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ

From the inbox: 

Rowan University is seeking an innovative and entrepreneurial leader to serve as the Dean of the College of Science & Mathematics (CSM).  The Dean will lead the development of a new vision for CSM in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students which advances the University’s mission to provide access to an affordable, quality education for a diverse student body, to create new knowledge to serve humankind, and to serve as an economic engine for our region and the state of New Jersey. We seek a candidate who will lead the CSM community in our scientific, technological, and educational response to society's challenges in sustainability, climate change, and social and environmental justice.

As the chief academic and administrative officer of CSM, the Dean’s responsibilities include: (1) oversight, enhancement, and development of high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs including stackable and micro-credential programs; (2) expansion of the college’s research endeavors; (3) recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty and student body and promotion of an inclusive environment; (4) fundraising, development of new revenue sources, and budgetary oversight; (5) alumni relations, and (6) enhancing the visibility and reputation of the college.  The Dean will work closely with the Provost and fellow deans to support Rowan University’s distinctive identity, while moving towards Carnegie 1 research status.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 39 positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 39 positions. It is curated by Lilian Josephson (@lljosephson).

From Dr. Josephson: This year we will try to utilize the list further by circulating among the professors, as well as using the hashtags #facultychemEjobs and #MeettheCandidatesChE2020.

The open thread is found here. 

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 51 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 51 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Monday, November 16, 2020

Weirdest story you will read today

Via the New York Times, this bizarre news: 

It was supposed to be a fun family summer trip to Yellowstone National Park. Two cousins, a neighbor and their families packed two chickens, canoed about eight hours and hiked to the Shoshone Geyser Basin, where they decided to cook their chickens in a hot spring.

But dinner didn’t go quite as planned. In fact, it led to three of them pleading guilty to petty offenses. They were sentenced to two years’ probation, banned from the park for that period and fined between $500 and $1,200, according to court documents.

“A ranger responded and found two whole chickens in a burlap sack in a hot spring,” she said. A cooking pot was also found nearby. When Mr. Romriell went to check on the chicken — the group was bathing in the river nearby — he found the park ranger, who then questioned him and the rest of the group of 10 people about it. The next day, the ranger returned to the men’s campsites and issued them citations requiring a mandatory court appearance.

In September, the three men pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Casper, Wyo., to foot travel in a thermal area, according to court records. Mr. Romriell also pleaded guilty to the additional charge of having food in a thermal area...

So there are a bunch of dumb questions to ask, like: 

  • Why would you want to eat chicken stored in a burlap sack? 
  • Why would you risk your life to get near enough to a hot spring to cook a chicken in it? 
  • Why would you think you wouldn't get caught? 
But here's my real question - why would you think it would taste good? Aren't all the hot springs pretty sulfurous? The water smelled pretty bad to me when I visited 19 years ago...

(The article says that the men said it tasted good? Who knows.) 

Friday, November 13, 2020

Have a good weekend!

 

Well, we've made it through another week. I hope you have a good weekend, and we'll see you on Monday.

Pfizer's vaccine storage plan

Via the New York Times, this interesting set of facts about the COVID-19 vaccine: 
...Pfizer is making the vaccine at facilities in Kalamazoo, Mich., and Puurs, Belgium. The doses distributed in the United States will mostly come from Kalamazoo. In Kalamazoo, vaccines will go into vials (five doses per vial). Vials will go into trays (195 vials per tray). Trays will go into specially designed cooler-type boxes (up to five trays per box). Pfizer plans to have about 100,000 of the coolers by the end of this month and more than double that total by March.

The reusable boxes, each toting between 1,000 and 5,000 doses and stuffed with dry ice, are equipped with GPS-enabled sensors. Pfizer employees will be able to monitor the boxes’ locations and temperatures as FedEx and UPS transport them to hospitals and clinics nationwide.

The boxes “will have eyes on them at all times,” Ms. Alcorn said.

Representatives of UPS and FedEx said they had been planning to play a major role in distributing vaccines and were ready to go.

Once the Pfizer coolers reach their destinations, hospitals or pharmacies will have a few choices of how to store the vaccine. The easiest option is using ultracold freezers, but not many sites have them. Otherwise, the facilities can stash the trays in conventional freezers for up to five days. Or they can keep the vials in the cooler for up to 15 days, so long as they replenish the dry ice and don’t open it more than twice a day.

Good times for dry ice manufacturers! 

Thursday, November 12, 2020

46 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Common Organic Chemistry is resolving some technical difficulties, but has ported over the list to Google Drive for now. There are 14 new positions for November 11, 16 for November 9 and 16 positions for October 21. 

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company list, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers.

Job posting: Deputy Division Director, Division of Chemistry, MPS, NSF, Alexandria, VA

From the inbox, a position at the National Science Foundation: 

The Division of Chemistry (CHE) is responsible for programs with a total annual budget of more than $200 million. These programs support research and education that expand the knowledge base of the science of chemistry through single investigator and collaborative research programs (catalysis; life processes; measurement and imaging; structure, dynamics and mechanism; environmental chemistry; macromolecular, supramolecular and nanochemistry; synthesis; and theory, modeling and computational chemistry), Centers for Chemical Innovation, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Research Instrumentation and Facilities, and Special Projects. The mission of the NSF Division of Chemistry (CHE) is to support innovative research in chemical sciences, integrated with education, through strategic investment in developing a globally engaged U.S. chemistry workforce reflecting the diversity of America.

Within the Division, the Deputy Division Director works with the Division Director in providing leadership and management to the Division’s programs and assists the Division Director in carrying out Division-wide responsibilities such as the preparation of budget submissions for Congress, oversight and management of the Division budgets, and the recruitment of scientific staff.  The incumbent also supervises and provides leadership and guidance to administrative and support personnel within the Division.  Externally, the Deputy Division Director represents the Division in a variety of MPS-wide, NSF-wide and interagency activities related to research and education, and in interactions with the community.  The Deputy Division Director assumes the Division Director’s role in the absence of the Division Director.

 Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 165 research/teaching positions and 14 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 165 research/teaching positions and 14 teaching assistant professor positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On November 12, 2019, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 463 research/teaching positions and 29 teaching faculty positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  This is the second open thread. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 38 positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 38 positions. It is curated by Lilian Josephson (@lljosephson).

From Dr. Josephson: This year we will try to utilize the list further by circulating among the professors, as well as using the hashtags #facultychemEjobs and #MeettheCandidatesChE2020.

The open thread is found here. 

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 51 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 51 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Monday, November 9, 2020

3M invented scratch-and-sniff?

 Via the New York Times, a fun article by Caity Weaver about a $590 scratch-and-sniff luxury T-shirt delved into the pioneer of this technology:  

...Scratch-and-sniff is a feature, a deed and a technology derived from the experiments of Gale Matson, a chemist who grew up in a small town in Minnesota and later went to work for his local global manufacturing conglomerate, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. One of Mr. Matson’s first tasks after joining the company was to refine the practice of producing ink copies of documents without the use of messy black carbon paper. While tweaking a manufacturing technique known as microencapsulation in 1966, he invented what we now know as scratch-and-sniff.

Its basic concept is this: A bunch of itty-bitty plastic-coated balls, filled with scented substance, can be made to rupture with light physical contact (Mr. Matson suggested “fingernail pressure”), releasing their scent into the air.

Mr. Matson’s patents describe how he created capsules filled with “one part perfume oil and two parts diethyl phthalate,” and coated them onto a sheet of paper. The paper remained odorless until the capsules were scratched open....

...Gale Matson died in 2004 after more than 30 years at the company, which is known today as 3M. Its scarlet logo appears on products ranging from neonatal monitoring electrodes to helicopter blade repair paste to Scotch tape.

“He loved working at 3M,” Mr. Matson’s son Tim recalled. “They say you bleed 3M red.”

“I never got to see where he worked, because it was in a secure location,” he added. “Until they patented something and disclosed the inventions, it was all trade secrets and tight security.”

Surprisingly, there’s not too much information on the internet about the life of Dr. Matson, although his obituary notes that he was a 50 year member of the ACS. I wonder if he knew that his legacy in chemistry to the world would be to be known as the inventor of scratch-and-sniff? 

(3M didn't have like "Family Day" or something where people got to tour the workplace?)

Friday, November 6, 2020

Have a good weekend

 

Well, we made it to Friday, mostly in one piece. I hope you all have a great weekend. See you on Monday. 

Industry offers/postings being pulled?

So it's November now, and we should be in the middle of the fall hiring push for industrial chemists. What is the feeling out there? What's your opinion on how the process is moving along? Slow? About as fast as normal? Are you seeing posting being suddenly pulled, or offers disappearing due to budgets? 

Readers, what do you think? 

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Early 4th quarter GDP estimates

From Calculated Risk: 

From Merrill Lynch:

We expect growth to slow to 3% qoq saar in 4Q amid the stimulus stalemate. [Oct 30 estimate] emphasis added

From Goldman Sachs:

We left our Q4 GDP tracking estimate unchanged at +4.5%. [Nov 3 estimate]

From the NY Fed Nowcasting Report

The New York Fed Staff Nowcast stands at 3.2% for 2020:Q4. [Oct 30 estimate]

And from the Atlanta Fed: GDPNow

The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the fourth quarter of 2020 is 3.4 percent on November 2, up from 2.2 percent on October 30. [Nov 2 estimate]

Well, here's hoping things get better...

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 154 research/teaching positions and 14 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 154 research/teaching positions and 14 teaching assistant professor positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On November 5, 2019, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 447 research/teaching positions and 28 teaching faculty positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Go to the first open thread.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 37 positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 37 positions. It is curated by Lilian Josephson (@lljosephson).

From Dr. Josephson: This year we will try to utilize the list further by circulating among the professors, as well as using the hashtags #facultychemEjobs and #MeettheCandidatesChE2020.

The open thread is found here. 

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 49 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 49 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Monday, November 2, 2020

The craziest academia story you will read today

In this week's C&EN, this completely unbelievable story of a graduate student getting hurt, and the trouble it took for her to get her injury compensated (article by Sam Lemonick) (emphasis mine): 
...She remembers the next few hours as frustrating: The ambulance crew didn’t seem to know how to treat her injury. The emergency room staff initially thought her accident involved a few liters of hydrofluoric acid. After she sat for several hours in an exam room using a wet paper towel to soothe the burn, doctors sent her home with instructions to wash the area with soap and water, saying there wasn’t much else they could do.

But that frustration was minor compared with what happened over the next several months, as Dastjerdi landed in the maddeningly complex world of US workers’ compensation laws and how they do—or do not—cover medical expenses for graduate students injured while working in a research lab. Dastjerdi dealt with collection notices for overdue hospital bills and confusing and contradictory information from BU officials. Eventually she hired a lawyer who convinced the university to pay some of her medical expenses.

Dastjerdi is far from the only US graduate student or postdoctoral researcher to be injured while at work. She is also not the only one to have been surprised that collecting a paycheck does not safeguard against personally paying medical bills for work injuries. Nor is BU the only institution with unclear policies—a C&EN review found that other schools’ stances seem similarly vague, and a federal fight continues over whether graduate students are considered employees for certain purposes. It’s yet another vulnerability for graduate students in a system in which they have the least money and power.

I had an injury that needed some stitches (broke some glass into my thumb) when I was in graduate school, but I genuinely don't remember who paid my bill. This is one of those weird gray areas where schools will do what they can to pretend that graduate students aren't employees because they're students-in-name-partially-and-workers-in-name-partially. 

As I've said in the past about a worse incident: 

Another reminder for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to not become Schrödinger's employee, and determine their status in terms of worker's compensation, benefits and the like. (Short answer: whatever status benefits the university? That's your status.) 

 It's 2020, and the above is still true. Read the whole thing. 

This week's C&EN

A few of the articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News