Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The 2023 Chemistry Jobs Scramble

Welcome to the 2022 Chemistry Jobs Scramble. 

Are you a job seeker? Enter your contact information here. 

Are you an employer? Enter your job posting and contact information here. 

Guidelines: 

  • Registration will open for one week, starting today, February 28, 2023. It will close on 11:59 PM Eastern, March 6, 2023. 
  • We will register both potential employers and job candidates.
  • Potential employers will be required to post a position with an intent to hire before September 30, 2023. 
  • Job seekers will have to attest that they have not accepted a position with another employer. 
  • On March 7, job seekers will be offered access to the list of potential positions. They will not be offered access to the list of job seekers. 
  • On March 7, potential employers will be offered the list of job seekers. They will not be offered access to the list of potential employers. 
  • There will be no matching - simply the provision of potential openings or candidates. 
  • This year, there will be an opportunity for a "signal" for job seekers; job seekers will be allowed one opportunity to send a short message (140 characters) to a single employer. To deploy the signal, job seekers will communicate to Chemjobber via e-mail (chemjobber@gmail.com)
  • Access to the scramble will be revoked on March 21, 2023. 
  • This is primarily intended to provide an opportunity for unfilled academic and industrial openings and unmatched job seekers to find matches and permanent employment. Therefore, postdoctoral positions or adjunct positions will not be included; visiting positions of one year or longer will be permitted. Industrial positions are welcome. 
Questions? E-mail chemjobber@gmail.com or ask your questions in the comments. 

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 611 research/teaching positions and 72 teaching positions

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 611 research/teaching positions and 72 teaching positions. 

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

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

On March 1, 2022, the 2022 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 570 research/teaching positions and 101 teaching faculty positions. On March 2, 2021, the 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 297 research/teaching positions and 53 teaching faculty positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a link to the current (third) thread. 


Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Monday, February 27, 2023

Politico: scientists find higher than normal levels of chemicals in the East Palestine area

Via Politico: 

Air samples collected around East Palestine, Ohio, continue to show higher-than-normal levels of several hazardous chemicals three weeks after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train, a team of university researchers said Friday.

But the Biden administration said the concentrations of those substances are not high enough to cause concern in the short term — and they will not persist long enough to create long-term health risks after crews remove contaminated soil from the crash site.

One of the lead researchers agreed with the EPA that the pollution levels do not pose an “imminent threat to health and safety.”

“This could be a concern if those levels were sustained over the long term,” said Weihsueh Chiu, a professor of veterinary physiology and pharmacology at Texas A&M University, which conducted the analysis of EPA data collected between Feb. 4 and this past Tuesday.

If you read further in the article, it looks like they're finding some acrolein in the air - considering that there were some acrylates involved in the crash, I suppose that's not too much of a surprise. 

(It's remarkable and not very surprising that all sorts of folks who have access to the relevant instrumentation are coming out of the woodwork to monitor the environment around East Palestine. I sure hope that this surfeit of data will result in some good science being practiced...) 

It's always nice (for your science) to be appreciated

In this week's Chemical and Engineering News: 

Much has already been said about the fiasco surrounding the firing of professor Maitland Jones Jr. by New York University as the result of a student petition claiming that his organic chemistry class was too difficult. Without wishing to comment on this case myself, I am reminded of a related aspect of teaching organic chemistry that I suspect others may also have experienced.

Organic chemistry seems to hold a special place in the hearts and minds of most practicing physicians. Some have been left with very positive feelings about this subject, while others have very negative feelings. Both groups of doctors keenly remember how important it was for them to receive good grades in organic chemistry to be admitted to medical school.

Today, when I tell my doctor that I’ve taught organic chemistry, this always draws an immediate response. Some light up with a smile and tell me how much they’ve enjoyed this class, while others frown and offer words to the contrary. When the latter happens, this does give me pause for thought. Is this the right doctor for me? On one occasion, only moments before I was anesthetized for a colonoscopy, my gastroenterologist asked me what class I was teaching at my university. When I told her it was organic chemistry, her face lit up with a smile. Oh, what a relief that was.

Steven L. Regen 
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

I try not to think about this stuff too much (i.e. I would really rather not know how medical providers think about chemistry), but it's nice to talk to medical providers who are at least a little bit receptive to the concept of chemistry...

Friday, February 24, 2023

Have a good weekend

This was a weird week, but it had its moments. I hope you had a good week, and I hope you have a good weekend. See you on Monday!

FiercePharma: Akorn Pharmaceuticals declares bankruptcy

Via FiercePharma: 
After years of navigating regulatory woes and financial troubles, Akorn Pharmaceuticals is calling it quits.

The company has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy and is shutting down U.S. operations, according to a letter posted by the Herald & Review in Illinois.

In Decatur, Ill., the company is shutting a plant and laying off 400 workers, angering local and national representatives. But the problems stretch beyond that plant, according to the letter from Akorn CEO Douglas Boothe.

Akorn has been trying to sell itself since last year, but it did not receive an "appropriate bid," Boothe wrote to employees. Since Akorn has been "running at a loss for some time," the company was unable to secure financing to continue operations.

As of Thursday, all Akorn U.S. sites will close and all employees will be terminated, Boothe wrote to employees.

“I truly regret that these actions have become necessary,” Booth said in the letter. “This is a shock. It will take some time to absorb the news and what it means to you and your colleagues.”

Best wishes to them, and best wishes to all of us. 

Endpoints: Pfizer lays off 196 employees at its La Jolla facility

Via Endpoints News: 

The WARN notice also gave more details on Pfizer layoffs to the south. Pfizer has laid off 196 employees at a facility in the San Diego area, which will go into effect in April. Pfizer confirmed layoffs in California in late January, telling Endpoints in January that it is “increasing earlier external innovation efforts.”

Pfizer’s presence in the area is in the La Jolla area and includes a 25-acre campus that has around 500,000 square feet of labs that are focused on vaccines and oncology work. 

Best wishes to the laid off folks, and to all of us. 

Thursday, February 23, 2023

38 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

At Common Organic Chemistry, curated by Brian Struss, there are 38 new positions for February 18. The jobs can be viewed on the website or spreadsheet.

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

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

NYT: Animals can't hold their liquor

In the New York Times, this story on animals getting into human food, with this interesting sidebar about alcohol: 
Humans are not always the source of intoxicants. Think Wild Central Oregon, which runs a wildlife hotline and hospital, regularly treats cedar waxwings that have become intoxicated after eating fermented berries.

“They look pretty wobbly,” said Molly Honea, the organization’s development and communications coordinator. “Because of that disorientation and uncoordination, they end up striking windows.”

The hospital treats the birds’ injuries and provides supportive care for their inebriation. “We do stick them in the oxygen tank and get them rehydrated,” Ms. Honea said.

Stories have also circulated about other animals — including bears, elk and, perhaps most famously, elephants — that get “drunk” after eating fermented fruit. Such anecdotal reports are not always reliable, and some experts have argued that large creatures would have to consume an improbable amount of fruit to become intoxicated.

But a genetic analysis published in 2020 suggested that species varied widely in their ability to metabolize alcohol. “Overall, as a species, we’re pretty darn good at it,” said Amanda Melin, a biological anthropologist and ecologist at the University of Calgary and an author of the study. “So something that we can tolerate fairly well might be enough to severely inebriate another species.”

Next time you find yourself getting into a poker game with a rabbit or a cedar waxwing, looks like you should encourage them to have a beer or two. 

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Coming: The 2023 Chemistry Job Scramble

Andrew Spaeth and I will be putting together a job market scramble to open on the week of March 7 for registration of employers and job seekers. This is an attempt to create a "thick" market for both job candidates and potential employers, especially those who did not get a faculty position this year. The basic contours: 

  • Registration will open for one week, starting February 27, 2023. It will close on 11:59 PM Eastern, March 6, 2022. We will register both potential employers and job candidates.
  • Potential employers will be required to post a position with an intent to hire before September 30, 2023. 
  • Job seekers will have to attest that they have not accepted a position with another employer. 
  • On March 7, job seekers will be offered access to the list of potential positions. They will not be offered access to the list of job seekers. 
  • On March 7, potential employers will be offered the list of job seekers. They will not be offered access to the list of potential employers. 
  • There will be no matching by Andrew or I - simply the provision of potential openings or candidates. 
  • Access to the list will be revoked after 2 weeks. 
  • This year, there will be an opportunity for a "signal" for job seekers; job seekers will be allowed one opportunity to send a short message (140 characters) to a single employer. 

Questions? Ask them in the comments, or email us at chemjobber@gmail.com.  

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 608 research/teaching positions and 72 teaching positions

The 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 608 research/teaching positions and 72 teaching positions. 

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

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

On February 22, 2022, the 2022 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 569 research/teaching positions and 100 teaching faculty positions. On February 23, 2021, the 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 292 research/teaching positions and 48 teaching faculty positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a link to the current (third) thread. 


Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Monday, February 20, 2023

NYT: East Palestine residents are getting their own testing done:

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — When a team came by the morning of Valentine’s Day to test the air quality in Maggie Guglielmo’s store a few blocks from where a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed this month, the smell was undeniable.

“The air monitoring team left within 10 minutes due to the unpleasant/overwhelming odor,” the team of government and private environmental experts wrote in its report, describing a “super glue/pool/fruity-like odor.” But there was no detection of significant amounts of vinyl chloride, a colorless gas carried by the train, or other toxic chemicals.

Ms. Guglielmo, 67, was not satisfied. Instead, she paid $900 for an independent contractor to analyze the air in the store, Wristbands America, and was planning to pay to test her inventory of silicone bands. The sickly, plastic smell still lingers inside and clings to the creek, Sulphur Run, a few feet from her door.

“I’m not going to take that chance” of doing nothing, Ms. Guglielmo said, though she acknowledged the extra analysis could be a luxury for others. “Not everybody has money sitting around to do these kinds of tests.”
I don't blame people for getting testing. I doubt they will get results that they can use. (I also hope that the folks that are doing the testing do a good job, and charging a fair price.) 

Friday, February 17, 2023

Have a good weekend!


This was a relatively chill week, but I think I have some pretty tough weeks in front of me. I can do it (I keep telling myself.) Hope that you had a good week, and that you have a great weekend. See you on Monday! 

 

The bill of (de)lading in East Palestine, OH

There is a lot of talk about the East Palestine incident. I don't have much to add. It is horrible, and it should not have happened, and we should prevent it from happening in the future. But I did read this New York Times article that actually states the volumes and identities of the released chemicals: 
  • Vinyl chloride: 5 cars, contents burned
  • Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether: one car, fate unknown
  • Butyl acrylate: one car, contents spilled
  • Ethylhexyl acrylate: one car, breached
  • Isobutylene: one car, derailed, not breached
Here's guessing that it's going to get more difficult to transport hazardous chemical by rail, and no one should be surprised when it happens. 

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Job posting: Research Physical Scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

From the inbox: 

The Planetary Environments Lab at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which studies the chemistry and astrobiology of the atmospheres and surfaces of planetary bodies, is seeking a scientist who specializes in chromatography, with a strong emphasis on front end separation techniques and hardware development. Candidates are expected to have experience in chromatography mass spectrometry techniques.  The job is open to all US citizens.  Applications are open between 2/9/2023 and 2/23/2023.  

Full ad here. Sounds pretty fascinating! Best wishes to those interested.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

I'm glad I don't work for Elon Musk

Via Platformer last week, this is quite the story about Elon Musk as a boss: 

On Tuesday, Musk gathered a group of engineers and advisors into a room at Twitter’s headquarters looking for answers. Why are his engagement numbers tanking?

“This is ridiculous,” he said, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting. “I have more than 100 million followers, and I’m only getting tens of thousands of impressions.”

One of the company’s two remaining principal engineers offered a possible explanation for Musk’s declining reach: just under a year after the Tesla CEO made his surprise offer to buy Twitter for $44 billion, public interest in his antics is waning.  

Employees showed Musk internal data regarding engagement with his account, along with a Google Trends chart. Last April, they told him, Musk was at “peak” popularity in search rankings, indicated by a score of “100.” Today, he’s at a score of nine. Engineers had previously investigated whether Musk’s reach had somehow been artificially restricted, but found no evidence that the algorithm was biased against him.

Musk did not take the news well. 

“You’re fired, you’re fired,” Musk told the engineer.

I've worked for lots of different people in my life, and some of them have been good bosses, and others less so. While some of these folks have had pretty inflated egos (none quite as large as his, I wager!), some of them have had a certain level of humility about them. It's pretty clear that Musk's ego has currently gotten the best of him; it would be interesting to know what would rein it back in. 

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Monday, February 13, 2023

C&EN: 2022 earnings for chemical companies don't look great

Via C&EN's Alex Tullo: 

Earnings reports for 2022 are coming out from major US chemical makers, and so far they paint a picture of an industry that faced many obstacles, particularly in the second half of the year.

It was a “very challenging year characterized by a war in Ukraine, evolving responses to the COVID pandemic, energy volatility, inflation, and rapidly changing monetary policies,” LyondellBasell Industries CEO Peter Vanacker told analysts on a conference call.

The company posted a sales increase of 9.3% but a profit decline of 32.7% for 2022.

Its olefins and polyolefins business saw slumping demand, particularly in Europe, where the unit’s plant operating rates were 60% in the fourth quarter and it lost $152 million before taxes. Europe has been mired in an energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine and the resulting disruption to natural gas supplies.

Of Dow, DuPont, Eastman, LyondellBasell and Trinseo, only DuPont posted an increase in earnings. 


C&EN: "Safety questions remain after Ohio train derailment"

Also in this week's C&EN, this article by Rick Mullin on the vinyl chloride spill in East Palestine, OH: 
An evacuation order issued following the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying vinyl chloride in Ohio was lifted Feb. 8 after state and federal authorities determined that air and water quality were safe for residents to return to their homes. But questions remain about the safety of transporting the hazardous chemical.

People living near the accident, which occurred Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, a town of about 4,700 residents on the Pennsylvania border, began leaving immediately as a column of black smoke rose over town. In an effort to avoid an explosion, railroad and state authorities began a controlled release and burn of the vinyl chloride Feb. 6. Earlier that day, the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania ordered an immediate evacuation of a 1- by 2-mile area that crossed the state line.

In all, about 50 cars—20 of which were carrying hazardous materials—left the tracks in the accident. Of most concern were the 5 carrying vinyl chloride. In a statement announcing the evacuation order, Ohio governor Mike DeWine warned that people closest to the derailment faced “grave danger of death.”

The article notes an estimate that only about 10% of vinyl chloride is shipped. Considering this incident and its undoubted immense costs, I imagine that the railroads won't be interested in shipping more hazardous materials in the future...

Friday, February 10, 2023

Have a good weekend

Well, this was a busy week. Who knows if it will be fruitful, but at least I did my part. I hope you had a good week, and I hope that you have a great weekend. See you on Monday. 

University of Delaware resolves explosive chemical situation

Via the Newark Post: 
An incident in a University of Delaware laboratory prompted the evacuation of several campus buildings Wednesday afternoon.

The incident began around 12:30 p.m. at Lammot Dupont Lab, which is located on the UD Green east of Memorial Hall and houses the chemistry, biochemistry and marine sciences departments.

UD spokesman Peter Bothum said emergency officials responded to an "isolated hazardous materials situation related to an experiment" at the lab. Researchers inadvertently produced a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive chemical.

Here's video of the bomb squad doing its thing. Here's a comment on Reddit; hard to know its accuracy, but it is at least plausible: 

A graduate student accidently made 20g of TATP (highly explosive) so they're evacuating the green to do a controlled explosion of it.

I imagine that someone was working with 30-35% hydrogen peroxide and inadvertently added some acid and acetone. Happy to hear that the situation was resolved without any injuries. 

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Ask CJ: What about working in the cannabis industry?

From the inbox, this question: 
Dear CJ: 

I would respectfully request an article on the upsides and perils of working in the cannabis industry. 

[redacted] 

I live in a THC legal state but am concerned about long term repercussions of having that on my resume. 
Question: I have a BS in Chemistry and Plant Biology. I've recently been offered a position in Colorado extracting the psychoactive oils from legally grown marijuana plants (making hash oil, more or less). Could this have a significant negative affect on my career? Any professionals out there who might offer some guidance?

[My answer]: No one knows, because this is the first time in the history of chemistry that we have the possibility of that kind of transition.

I suspect that Colorado, California and Washington employers will be the most understanding, and that large corporate entities will be the largest repository of chemists-uncomfortable-with-cannabis.
It's almost nine years later, and I haven't heard stories about cannabis chemists being "locked out" of the regular chemical or pharmaceutical industry. That being said, this is something that we don't have data (anecdotal or otherwise) about. 

I think the the main peril about working in the cannabis industry is that it is an industry full of small employers, which means that you will have a wider variety of quality of employer. 

I'm not sure what the benefits might be, but it seems to me to be a growing field, with more opportunity to explore and be the first... Readers, do you have thoughts? 

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

NYT: a new form of ice?

Via the New York Times:
Shaken and chilled — but not stirred — ordinary frozen water turns into something different: a newly discovered form of ice made of a jumble of molecules with unique properties.

“This is completely unexpected and very surprising,” said Christoph Salzmann, a chemistry professor at University College London in England and an author of a paper published on Thursday in the journal Science that described the ice.

Water is a simple molecule that has been intently studied by scientists for centuries: two hydrogen atoms jutting off at a 104.5-degree angle in a V-shape from a central oxygen atom.

The new discovery shows, once again, that water, a molecule without which life is not known to be able to exist, is still hiding scientific surprises yet to be revealed. This experiment employed relatively simple, inexpensive equipment to reveal a form of ice that could exist elsewhere in the solar system and throughout the universe.

Ball milling ice - well, that's new!  

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Job posting: full-time assistant/associate professor of chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, HI

From the inbox: 
Hawaii Pacific University is seeking a highly motivated candidate to fulfill teaching, research and program development in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Assistant or Associate Professor level.  The successful applicant will be an active scholar in the field and teach courses to support the Bachelor of Science degree program in Chemistry and Biochemistry.   This position will also coordinate and help develop courses for undergraduate and/or graduate degree programs. These courses include, General Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and/or Inorganic Chemistry. This position will provide service to and on behalf of the University through activities such as committee work, student advising, and program review. The successful candidate is expected to engage in scholarship activities to enhance the academic and professional development of undergraduate and graduate students.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.  

Monday, February 6, 2023

You Break It, You Fix It

I have been waiting patiently for the new ACS executive leadership and new leadership of Chemical and Engineering News to offer some kind of a vision or a plan for 2023 and beyond. My hopes have been seemingly dashed so far. 

Rather, this last week has seen a spate of resignations of additional long-time staff from C&EN

By some counts, 21 of 47 C&EN editorial/creative staffers have left since March 2021; 2 were fired in December, 5 more (including the above) have left since then. 

Whatever the reasons ACS had to move C&EN from Publications to Communications, the change and the damage has been done, and it appears to be irreversible. 

While I do care about HOW we got here, I am desperate to understand WHAT is going to be done next. I sense that the magazine has had difficulties in filling positions. That's not a surprise - why would you join a place that is hemorrhaging workers? What is the new leadership doing to change that? Is there a vision? How about a plan? Are there attempts to retain current staffers? If not, why? What plan does ACS have to rehabilitate the image of C&EN

I have a second related question: it's abundantly clear that this change happened with the approval of the highest executive management of the Society. Some (Tom Connelly) have left. Why should we trust those leaders who made this clearly disastrous change with fixing it? 

Job postings: various, Kintra, Brooklyn, NY

From the inbox, a number of positions at Kintra, a textiles startup located in New York City: 

Friday, February 3, 2023

Have a good weekend

Well, here we are, and this week was both a little bit stressful and a bit slow as well. Here's hoping for a somewhat restful weekend for myself, and for you too. See you on Monday! 

Australian nuclear team finds cesium-137 pellet in Western Australia

Don't know if you heard, but Australian mining company Rio Tinto lost a cesium-137 pellet (via the New York Times): 
After a tiny, dangerously radioactive capsule was lost in the Western Australian desert in mid-January, the authorities feared that it could take weeks or even months to find it. The device was smaller than a penny, while the search zone was an 870-mile stretch of highway cutting across vast tracts of desert.

But the search took just six days, with the authorities announcing on Wednesday afternoon that the capsule had been recovered in what they called an “extraordinary result.”
A dedicated team of radiation specialists from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) are behind the successful detection and rapid retrieval of a missing radioactive source in outback Western Australia. 

Working alongside authorities from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), Defence, and the Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) as part of a multi-agency response, the team of radiation experts located the miniscule-sized source during a vehicle search using a suite of radiation equipment including ANSTO’s own custom-developed radiation detection and imaging technology.

The source was found two metres from the roadside on the Great Northern Highway near the town of Newman, when ANSTO’s radiation detection equipment – which was mounted in the back of the vehicle - detected the presence of gamma rays whilst travelling at 70 kilometres per hour. 
Congratulations to all involved. I don't think the pellet was a very big deal, but I'm glad they found it nonetheless.

UPDATE: After a couple of comments, I've decided I was wrong in that the potential risks were more than I initially imagined. 

Thursday, February 2, 2023

22 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

 At Common Organic Chemistry, curated by Brian Struss, there are 22 new positions for January 29. The jobs can be viewed on the website or spreadsheet.

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

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Intel to cut pay by 5%, stop all merit raises and quarterly bonuses

Via Reuters: 

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O) said on Tuesday that it had made broad cuts to employee and executive pay, a week after the company issued a lower-than-expected sales forecast driven by a loss of market share to rivals and a PC market downturn.

The reductions will range from 5% of base pay for mid-level employees to as much as 25% for Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger, while the company's hourly workforce's pay will not be cut, said a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly...

...The person familiar with Intel's pay cuts said that in addition to 5% decreases for mid-level employees, vice president level employees will see 10% reductions and the company's top executives other than the CEO will get 15% cuts.

The company has also lowered its 401(k) matching program from 5% to 2.5% and suspended merit raises and quarterly performance bonuses, the person said.

Annual performance bonuses based Intel's overall financial performance will remain but those bonuses have been smaller in recent years as the company has lost ground to rivals, the person added.

The revenue numbers must look really, really bad in order for the organization to make this move, which will instantly tank morale and cause employees to look elsewhere. 

I imagine there are many Intel employees who are current or former readers of the blog. If so, I am terribly sorry to hear this bad news. Best wishes to you folks, and best wishes to all of us.