Newsletter

Officers

Remarks from the Chair

Election Information

Notes from the Secretary-Treasurer

Bylaws Revision and Ballot

Biophysical Subdivision

Theoretical Subdivision

Request for Symposia Topics and Speakers

Recent Symposia Topics

Technical Program-221^st National Meeting-San Diego, CA

Call for Papers-222^nd National Meeting-Chicago, IL

Restrictions on Speakers for PHYS Symposia

Submission of Abstracts

General Information for Contributed Papers

Future ACS Meetings

Announcements

Remarks from the Division Chair for the

San Diego ACS National Meeting
Spring 2001

It is a great honor to assume the position of Chair of the Division of Physical Chemistry. George Schatz has done a wonderful job as Chair during the past year, and I hope I can keep the division running as smoothly as he did. Much as I enjoyed being Program Chair, organizing two ACS national meetings is best classified as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am pleased to pass this responsibility on to Rich Stratt, with his successors, John Hemminger and Jim Skinner, waiting in the wings. I also want to thank Marsha Lester for the outstanding job she did organizing the Pacificchem conference in Honolulu.

The Division of Physical Chemistry represents all areas of physical chemistry, and this broad representation is reflected in the diverse program that Rich Stratt has assembled in San Diego. Symposium topics include:   Probing Molecular Aqueous Environments in Chemistry and Biology, Strong Field Chemistry, Chemical Approaches to Photonic Crystals, Accurate Description of Low-lying Molecular States and Potential Energy Surfaces, Optical Studies of Single Molecules and Molecular Assemblies, Molecular Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Energy Landscapes of Proteins, Glasses, and Clusters. I want to point out that symposia arise from suggestions made by the physical chemistry community. If you have an idea for a symposium, please contact Mark Gordon at any time (mark@si.fi.ameslab.gov).

In addition to the regular symposia, recipients of the ACS national awards are honored at a special symposium during the Spring meeting. This year eight awardees will participate in the Physical Chemistry awards symposium: John Ross (Peter Debye Award), William Klemperer (E. Bright Wilson Award), Michele Parrinello (ACS Award in Theoretical Chemistry), William Gelbart (Hildebrand Award), Francisco Zaera (George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon and Petroleum Chemistry), Martin Karplus (ACS Award for Computers in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry), John Baldeschwieler (ACS Award for Creative Invention), and Martin Zanni (Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry). This distinguished group of our colleagues well represents the intellectual vitality of the field of physical chemistry.

The Physical Chemistry Division is continuing to work with the Chemistry Division at NSF. At each national meeting, the current Chair and Past Chair meet with NSF administrators in order to pass along the concerns of the community and to keep abreast of new policies and initiatives at NSF. One ongoing issue is the need for rotators at NSF in the fields of experimental and theoretical chemistry. NSF is interested in high quality scientists who would like to perform an invaluable service to the community by spending a year in Washington. I encourage anyone interested in serving in such a position to contact George Schatz, Mark Gordon, or me.

Last year membership in the Physical Chemistry Division surpassed 3500, meaning we are now classified as a "large" division by the ACS.  I encourage all participants in physical chemistry symposia to join the division. Membership is only $12 (less for students), and members can join the theoretical and biophysical sub-divisions for free. As a member, you receive a poster several months before each meeting announcing the program, the divisional newsletter, and, depending on how efficient your university mail system is, a book of abstracts before rather than after the meeting. In addition, graduate students who are members of the division are eligible for travel scholarships to ACS meetings.

Let me conclude by thanking our Secretary-Treasurer, Mark Gordon, and his very efficient administrative staff persons, Kristin Hinders and Kimberly Gaedke, for their major role in running the division and organizing conference symposia during the last several years.

Election Information

The Bylaws of the Division of Physical Chemistry, approved in 1997, call for the Division Chair to appoint a three person nominating committee before the spring meeting. A complete slate of candidates prepared by this committee will consist of one candidate for Vice-Chair-Elect, one candidate for each vacancy on the Executive Committee, and one candidate for each vacancy that may have developed in the ranks of the division Councilors, Alternate Councilors, and Secretary-Treasurer position. The Vice-Chair-Elect automatically becomes the Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair, and Immediate Past-Chair in each succeeding year. Thus this person makes a commitment to serve five years on the Executive Committee. In the year this person serves as Chair-Elect the duties of Program Chair are also his or hers. The term of office for other Executive Committee members, Councilors, and Alternate Councilors is three years. The Secretary-Treasurer serves five years.

The Secretary-Treasurer is required to announce the slate of candidates in the fall newsletter (which is part of the abstract separates for the fall meeting).

To increase the input of the members in this nominating process and to broaden the pool of candidates, the executive committee seeks input directly from members for use by the nominating committee. Any member may suggest nominees to any of the officers of the PHYS division in writing. The nominee must agree to serve.

Additional nominations can come from the membership in the following fashion: A petition candidate must be supported by the signatures of not fewer than 4% of the members of the PHYS division in good standing (presently approxi­mately 3,500). No signature shall be valid if it appears on more than one nominating petition for the same vacancy during the same calendar year.

A letter shall be submitted from each petition nominee stating willingness to be a candidate for election and to serve the Division for a full term if elected. No nominee may be a candidate for more than one vacancy. If nomi­nated for more than one vacancy, the nominee must choose which nomination to accept.

Four weeks from the date of the mailing of the fall newsletter shall be allowed for additional nominations to be received by the Secretary-Treasurer. All valid nominations received within that period shall be accepted, and no others.

If no valid nominations are forthcoming from the membership, the nominees submitted by the Nominating Committee for Vice-Chair-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer and membership on the Executive Committee are declared elected.

Regardless of whether petition nominees are validated or not, the Bylaws require the Secretary-Treasurer to mail to every PHYS division member a ballot that bears at a minimum the names and biographical sketches of the single candidates for each Councilor and Alternate Councilor vacancy submitted by the Nominating Committee.

New Officers for the PHYS division follow.

The first six physical chemists assumed their respective offices at the close of the National ACS meeting in Washington D.C. (August 2000). The Councilors and Alternate Councilors began their terms of service on January 1, 2001. The PHYS division thanks outgoing officers George Schatz (Chair), Daniel Neumark (Chair-Elect), Richard M. Stratt (Vice-Chair), John C. Hemminger (Vice Chair-Elect), Anne Chaka (Executive Committee), Anthony Dean (Executive Committee) and Thom H. Dunning, Jr. (Councilor) for their service to the division.
 

Daniel Neumark, Chair	1 year
Richard Stratt, Chair-Elect	1 year
John C. Hemminger, Vice-Chair	1 year
James L. Skinner, Vice-Chair Elect	1 year
Barbara Garrison, Executive Committee	3 years
Arthur Nozik, Executive Committee	3 years
Ellen Stechel, Councilor	3 years
A. Welford Castleman, Jr., Alternate Councilor	3 years

Notes from the Secretary-Treasurer

This newsletter contains information about the ACS national meetings and any other items of interest to significant numbers of PHYS division members. All members of the PHYS division are welcome to submit items to the Secretary for inclusion in the newsletter. The deadlines are generally around December 1 and May 1 for the newsletters appearing before the Spring and Fall ACS meetings, respectively. Submissions may be made via mail, FAX or e-mail.

The Executive Committee of the Division of Physical Chemistry proposes several revisions of the Division Bylaws. The last revision of these bylaws took place in August 1997. Following are the proposed bylaws, in their entirety, for your review. All items to be added to the current bylaws are underlined; all proposed deletions are crossed out. Following the bylaws is a ballot for your vote on the acceptance or rejection on this proposal. As directed by the ACS bylaws, only the votes of division members will be counted.

Bylaws Revision and Ballot

Bylaw I NAMES AND OBJECTIVES

Sec. 1. The name of this Division of the American Chemical Society (hereafter the SOCIETY) is the Division of Physical Chemistry (hereafter the Division).

Sec. 2. The principal objectives of this Division are:

a.) The advancement of knowledge in the field of physical chemistry.

b.) The advancement of knowledge in other fields of science that depend upon developments in physical chemistry.

Sec. 3. To attain its objectives the Division:

b.) Provides symposia planned either to catalyze progress in certain fields or to acquaint larger audiences with the problems and achievements of specialized groups of workers.

c.) Renders to scientists generally, and especially to its own members, various services which facilitate research, reporting of the results of research, and the dissemination of knowledge. These services are usually provided by special committees appointed by the Chair of the Division as directed by the Division or its Executive Committee. They may include publication of data of general importance; lists of scientific symbols; recommendations concerning nomenclature, spelling, editorial policies, and other conventions; and other similar services. Expenses to be borne for such services must be approved by the Executive Committee.

d.) May own, sponsor, or administer appropriate journals in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY, if the members of the Division vote explicitly for a definite plan.

Bylaw II MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES

Sec. 1. Membership in this Division is open to all members of the SOCIETY who indicate in writing their wish to join the Division and who pay annual dues. Application for membership shall be sent to the Secretary of the Division.

Sec. 2. A National Affiliate of the SOCIETY may apply to the Secretary to become a National Affiliate of the Division.  Provided that dues established for National Affiliates are paid, a National Affiliate shall have all the privileges of membership in the Division except that of voting for or holding an elective position of the Division, or of serving as a voting member of its Executive Committee.

Sec. 3. A person who is not a member nor a National Affiliate of the SOCIETY, but who wishes to participate in the activities of this Division may become a Division Affiliate, provided that person's application is approved by the Executive Committee. Application shall be sent to the Secretary of the Division.  Division Affiliates have all the privileges of membership except those of voting and holding office.

Sec. 4. Members shall have the following privileges:

They receive copies of the abstracts of scientific sessions of the Division and of certain symposia sponsored by the Division.  They may also purchase at reduced rates volumes containing abstracts of papers to be presented before all divisions at national meetings of the SOCIETY.

They are invited to suggest subjects for symposia. They receive the Secretary's circular letters to the Division in which are stated plans for symposia and future meetings and requirements to be met by authors submitting papers to be read before general sessions of the Division. Certain other notices and informative publications are sent to members from time to time.

They may vote on Division matters. MEMBERS may hold elective position within the Division.  It shall be the privilege and duty of members to send to the Nominating Committee, or to the Division Chair for transmission to that Committee, the names of MEMBERS whom they recommend for its consideration.

Sec. 5. Any person may resign from the Division by submitting a resignation in writing to the Secretary during a calendar year for which dues have been paid.

Sec. 6.

a.) The names of members and National Affiliates who are in arrears in payment of dues by as much as one year shall be stricken  from the roll. Any name shall, at the individual's request, be restored to the roll after arrearages have been paid.

b.) Division Affiliates shall retain affiliate status only so long as payment is made of Division dues. Names are to be stricken from the rolls as soon as individuals are in arrears in the payment of dues and may not be restored until such action is approved by the Executive Committee.

Sec. 7. Division Emeritus Status

A member of the SOCIETY in emeritus status, who has been a member of the Division continuously for ten (10) or more years, is eligible for emeritus status in the Division. Such a member shall pay no Division dues and shall have all of the privileges of membership, including the right to vote and hold elective position.

Bylaw III OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Sec. 1. Officers

The Officers of this Division shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice-Chair, a Vice-Chair-Elect, and either a Secretary-Treasurer or a Secretary and a Treasurer. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, the duties of Secretary and Treasurer may be assumed by one individual occupying the office of Secretary-Treasurer.

Sec. 2. Duties of Officers

a.) Chair

The duties of the Chair shall be to call and preside at meetings of the Executive Committee, to carry into effect the decisions of that Committee, to preside at stated meetings of the Division, to appoint committees, and to advise them concerning policies and procedures.

b.) Chair-Elect

In the absence of the Chair, the Chair's duties shall devolve upon the Chair-Elect. It shall be the responsibility of the Chair-Elect to make all arrangements for symposia and the presentation of general papers during the term of office.  This duty shall include the organization of new symposia when unforeseen conditions seem to warrant their addition.  The Chair-Elect shall have the full cooperation and advice of the Executive Committee of the Division regarding the number and types of symposia to be held during the term of office.

The Chair-Elect, or such other person as is designated by the Executive Committee, shall receive abstracts and prepare programs from papers offered for presentation before sessions of the Division. The Chair-Elect shall notify authors about acceptance or rejection on program assignment.

c.) Vice-Chair

It shall be the duty of the Vice-Chair to take responsible charge of the planning of symposia for the following year during which the Vice-Chair is to be Chair-Elect.  The Vice-Chair shall have the full cooperation and advice of the Executive Committee of the Division regarding the number and types of symposia to be held during that year.

d.) Vice-Chair-Elect

It shall be the duty of the Vice-Chair-Elect to take responsible charge of the planning of symposia for the year during which the Vice-Chair-Elect is to be Chair-Elect. The Vice-Chair-Elect shall have the full cooperation and advice of the Executive Committee of the Division regarding the number and types of symposia to be held during that year.

e.) Secretary

It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the Division, and of its Executive Committee, and to carry out all the duties outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. In addition, the Secretary shall prepare or direct the preparation of the annual activities and financial reports of the Division to the Committee on Divisional Activities of the SOCIETY (to be submitted through the Executive Director of the SOCIETY) and shall provide for the transmittal of a copy of that report to each member of the Executive Committee.

Elections and balloting shall be administered by the Secretary with the advice and cooperation of the Division Chair. If the Secretary is a candidate for office, tellers may be appointed by the Chair to verify, open and count the ballots.

f.) Treasurer

The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Division; shall collect dues and assessments; and shall make all disbursements, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall submit a report to the Division at its annual meeting, and shall prepare the annual report required by the Collector of Internal Revenue. At five-year intervals, normally coinciding with the end of the treasurer’s term, the Executive Committee, or its designees, will inspect the financial records and activities by means which may include an external audit.

Sec. 3. Executive Committee

a.) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Division, the immediate past Chair, six other elected members, the Division Councilors, the Division Alternate Councilors, and the four officers (Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice-Chair and Secretary) of the subdivisions. It is the duty of the Committee to provide for the care of funds not needed for current operations of the Division, to plan symposia and special meetings, to plan all activities of the Division and, in general, to further the purposes of the Division and protect its welfare.

b.) It shall direct the Division Chair or the Chair-Elect or the Vice-Chair or the Vice-Chair-Elect to provide for the selection of a Chair for each symposium.  If possible, each Chair of a symposium should be invited to serve at least 11 months before the date of the meeting for which the symposium is planned.

c.) The Executive Committee shall transact its business either in meetings (usually at the time of meetings of the SOCIETY) or by mail, or by other means of communication.

Sec. 4. Elections

At least four weeks before the spring meeting of the SOCIETY the Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members, whose duty shall be to nominate MEMBERS who have consented to serve, as elected members of the Executive Committee, officers of the Division, Councilors or Alternate Councilors.

A complete slate of candidates shall consist of one candidate for Vice-Chair-Elect, candidates for membership in the Executive Committee, and candidates for Councilor and Alternate Councilor when appropriate. When vacancies arise, one candidate eac for Secretary and for Treasurer, or alternatively one candidate to serve as both Secretary and Treasurer, shall be part of the slate of candidates.

The Nominating Committee shall nominate only one complete slate unless the Executive Committee then in office has directed that for specific positions two MEMBERS shall be nominated.

The Nominating Committee shall present its nominations to the Secretary and Chair of the Division in the manner and at the time requested by the Chair. The names of candidates may be read as the Chair directs at any Division session or sessions.

The Secretary shall send the list of nominees by mail to all members of the Division. Additional nominations may then be made as follows: Each nominee or slate of nominees must be supported by signatures of not less than 4% of the members of the Division in good standing. No signature shall be valid if it appears on more than one nominating petition for the same vacancy during the same calendar year.  A letter shall be submitted from each nominee stating willingness to be a candidate for election and to serve the Division for a full term if elected. No nominee may be a candidate for more than one vacancy. If nominated for more than one vacancy, the nominee must choose which nomination to accept.

Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall be elected by mail ballot.

The Secretary shall send to each member of the Division a list of all candidates for Positions of Councilor and Alternate Councilor, and for each other vacancy for which more than one candidate has been nominated, and a ballot envelope carrying the notice: "BALLOT - Voter's Signature must not appear on or in this envelope." It must be sealed and enclosed in a larger envelope bearing the signature of the voter. For a noncompetitive election, unsealed ballots may be used.

All valid ballots received by the Secretary shall be counted by the Secretary, or by tellers appointed for the purpose by the Division Chair.   A candidate shall be elected if the candidate has received a majority of the votes cast for the office for which the candidate was nominated, or if the candidate has received a plurality of such votes and at least 5/4 as many votes as the nearest competitor.

If no candidates have received a sufficient number of votes for election, the Secretary shall mail a second ballot to all members of the Division. Oh it shall appear the names of the two candidates receiving the most votes for each vacancy still unfilled. The return of this second and final ballot shall complete the election.

The following time schedule for the conduct of election shall be observed:

a.) The list of candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee shall be mailed to all members of the Division prior to the Fall meeting of the SOCIETY.

b.) Four weeks from the date of mailing shall be allowed for additional nominations to be received by the Secretary. All valid nominations received within that period will be included in the ballot.

c.) If more than one name has been proposed for any vacancy, the complete ballot should be mailed within two weeks after the close of the period allowed for additional nominations.

d.) Four weeks shall then be allowed for marked ballots to be returned to the Secretary in sealed envelopes.

e.) If a second shorter ballot must be prepared, it should be mailed within two weeks of the close of the period allowed for return of the final ballot.

f.) An additional period of at least three weeks shall be allowed for return of the final ballot.

If the dates of the meetings of the SOCIETY or if other conditions make it impossible to follow the schedule here outlined, the Executive Committee shall have the power to decrease or increase the time allowed for the return of ballots. The time actually to be allowed must be clearly stated on the ballot or in a notice which accompanies it.

Sec. 5. Terms of office

a.) The term of the Chair shall extend from the close of one autumn meeting of the SOCIETY through the autumn meeting of the following year.

b.) The term of the Chair-Elect shall extend from the close of one autumn meeting of the SOCIETY until the beginning of the term as Chair one year later.

c.) The term of the Vice-Chair shall extend from the close of one autumn meeting of the SOCIETY until the beginning of the term as Chair-Elect one year later.

d.) The term of the Vice-Chair-Elect shall extend from the close of one autumn meeting of the SOCIETY until the beginning of the term as Vice-Chair one year later.

e.) The terms of the Secretary and of the Treasurer shall begin at the close of one autumn meeting of the SOCIETY and terminate at the close of the autumn meeting five years later.

f.) The term of each elected member of the Executive Committee shall begin at the close of one fall meeting of the SOCIETY and close at the end of the fall meeting three years later. Terms shall be set in a manner to produce rotation so that the terms of two elected members to the Executive Committee expire each year.

g.) If a successor shall not have been elected, the term of any Officer or member of the Executive Committee shall extend until an election of a successor shall have been completed in a manner to produce rotation.

Sec. 6. Vacancies

Vacancies in any office shall be filled by appointment by the Chair, subject to confirmation by the Executive Committee. The incumbent so selected shall serve the unexpired portion of the predecessor's term except that in the cases of Councilors and Alternate Councilors, the appointees shall serve only until the next annual election.

Bylaw IV COUNCILORS

It shall be the duty of the Division Councilors or their Alternate Councilors to represent the Division in the Council of the SOCIETY. Councilors and Alternate Councilors will be voting members of the Executive Committee and will participate in all activities of the committee.

Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall be elected for terms of three years, beginning January 1st following their election. In order to provide for an overlapping of terms, the terms of Councilor/Alternate Councilor pairs shall be staggered.

Bylaw V COMMITTEES

The Chair, with the advice of the Executive Committee, may appoint such committees as are necessary to carry on the business of the Division.

Bylaw VI DUES

Sec. 1. Members and National Affiliates of the Division shall pay annual dues, the exact amount to be decided annually by the Executive Committee. Dues of members and National Affiliates are payable in advance.

Sec. 2. Division Affiliates shall pay annual dues equal to or greater than those of members, but not less than $2.00. The exact amount is to be decided by the Executive Committee. Dues of Affiliates are payable in advance.

Bylaw VII MEETINGS

Sec. 1. The Division shall meet at each national meeting of the SOCIETY, unless the Executive Committee votes otherwise.

Sec. 2. The annual business meeting of the Division shall be held at the fall meeting of the SOCIETY.  Division business requiring vote of the membership shall not be conducted at any other meeting, but may be transacted by mail.

Sec. 3. Special meetings of the Division may be called by the Executive Committee, if notice is given to the membership in writing or by publication in the official organ of the SOCIETY at least two months in advance.

Sec. 4. Five percent of the members of the Division shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. Changes in the Bylaws may be proposed and discussed but the final balloting may be transacted only by mail.

Sec. 5. The fee for registration at any special meeting of the Division shall be decided by the Executive Committee in accordance with the Bylaws of the SOCIETY.

Bylaw VIII PAPERS SUBMITTED FOR PRESENTATION

Sec. 1. It shall be the duty of the Chair-Elect, or such other person designated by the Executive Committee, to receive papers and abstracts of papers submitted to the Division for presentation at its sessions, and to arrange them in programs and provide a suitable chair for each session. The Chair-Elect shall reject any paper which is not appropriate for a program of this Division, and may submit any paper of doubtful suitability to a reviewer (chosen by the Chair-Elect) or to a committee appointed by the Chair of the Division.

Sec. 2. The rules for papers presented before meetings of the SOCIETY as outlined in the Bylaws of the SOCIETY shall govern this Division.

Sec. 3. Each title, whether for an invited paper or not, must be accompanied by an abstract of about 200 words.

Sec. 4. The Executive Committee may impose additional requirements.

Bylaw IX SUBDIVISIONS

Sec. 1. Composition

To achieve its objectives, the Division may sponsor Subdivisions devoted to specialized fields within the area of Division interest.< Membership or National Affiliation in this Division shall be a requirement for membership or Affiliation in a Subdivision.

Sec. 2. Formation

Formation or discontinuance of a Subdivision shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Division. Steps to initiate a Subdivision may be made by petition of a group of Division members to the Executive Committee or by the action of the Executive Committee.  Prior to formation or discontinuance of a Subdivision, the membership will be notified and its opinions sought. The scope of the activities of any Subdivision shall be defined by the Executive Committee.

Sec. 3. Officers

Upon approval of the formation of a Subdivision, the Executive Committee of the Division shall appoint a Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice-Chair, and Secretary for the Subdivision. The Chair-Elect shall assume the office of Chair after one year and the Vice-Chair shall assume the office of Chair-Elect after one year.  In succeeding years, the Subdivision shall elect, at the annual meeting, a Vice-Chair and a Secretary. Only Subdivision MEMBERS are eligible to hold elective positions.

Sec. 4. Funds

The necessary expenses for each Subdivision shall be authorized by the Executive Committee of the Division from Division funds and shall be paid by the Treasurer of the Division upon the usual authentication.

Sec. 5. Representation

The Officers of a Subdivision shall serve as MEMBERS of the Executive Committee of the Division. The Officers of each Subdivision shall constitute a steering committee for the Subdivision, and shall report through the Subdivision Chair and shall be responsible to the Executive Committee of the Division.

Bylaw X AMENDMENTS

Sec. 1. A proposal for amendment shall first be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Division by either a majority of the members of the Executive Committee, or not less than 25 members of the Division. The Executive Committee shall examine and formulate a report on each proposal.  The Division Secretary shall transmit the report to the sponsors of the proposal who in turn shall notify the Division Secretary within two weeks of their acceptance or rejection of any recommendations for modification. If a majority of the sponsors accept recommendations for modification, the proposal as modified becomes the proposal for amendment, which together with the report thereon shall be transmitted by the Division Secretary to each member of the Division. The Division Secretary shall enclose an appropriate ballot, and a statement of the time at which the vote will be declared complete and the ballots subject to opening and counting. Ballots need not be secret but each must be accompanied by a signature of the voter.

Under normal circumstances, proposals for changes in the Bylaws should be circulated after the spring meeting either with the list of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee or with the complete ballot for Officers. It may be mailed with the annual letter of the Secretary if the Division Chair so directs. If in the opinion of the Executive Committee a rapid vote is necessary, a special balloting may be conducted to facilitate immediate action on proposed amendments to the Bylaws.

When an interval of four weeks is allowed for return of ballots, a majority of those voting shall be sufficient for adoption of an amendment.  Regardless of the time allowed for return of the ballots, the amendment shall be valid if approved by a majority of the members of the Division.

Ballots may be counted by the Secretary or by tellers as the Division Chair directs.

Sec. 2. Amendments to these Bylaws shall become effective upon approval by the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, acting for the Council unless a later date is specified.

Bylaw XI

Upon dissolution of the Division, any assets of the Division remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to such organization then existent dedicated to the perpetuation of objects similar to those of the Division and the SOCIETY or to the SOCIETY so long as whichever organization selected by the governing body of the Division at the time of dissolution shall be exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended or under such successor provision of the Code as may be in effect at the time of the Division’s dissolution.

Biophysical Subdivision

Subdivision membership is free to dues-paying members or affiliates of the Division of Physical Chemistry. To join the Biophysical Subdivision, notify the secretary, Gerald Babcock, at the address in the table of officers. Indicate that you wish to join and mention that you belong to the PHYS division. If you do not belong to the Division, you may join both the Division and the Biophysical Subdivision by completing the application form at the end of this newsletter.

Theoretical Subdivision

A nominating committee, consisting of Susan Tucker, Don Truhlar and Ken Jordan have selected Anne Chaka (chaka@lubrizol.com) as the new Secretary and, as of January 1, 2001, John Adams (AdamsJE@missouri.edu) as the new webmaster for the Theoretical Subdivision. We offer our sincere gratitude to Mike Page who has served the subdivision by playing both roles for several years.

Welcome, and thank you, to the new and departing Subdivision officers!
 

Theoretical Chemistry News is mailed semiannually to all members of the Theoretical Chemistry Subdivision. It includes news of symposia at national meetings as well as information about the Theoretical Chemistry Postdoctoral Position Clearinghouse.

Subdivision membership is free to dues-paying members or affiliates of the Division of Physical Chemistry. To join the Theoretical Subdivision notify the secretary, Anne Chaka, at the address in the table of officers. Indicate that you wish to join and mention that you belong to the PHYS division. If you do not belong to the Division, you may join both the Division and the Theoretical Chemistry Subdivision by completing the application form at the end of this newsletter.

Request for Symposia Topics and Speakers

Recent Symposia Topics

Spring Meeting
Technical Program
April 1-5, 2001 - San Diego, CA

• Probing Molecular Aqueous Environments in Chemistry and Biology, Teresa Head-Gordon, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, TLHead-Gordon@lbl.gov, and Lawrence Pratt, Los Alamos National Laboratory, lrp@lanl.gov
• Strong-Field Chemistry: Molecules and Clusters in Intense Laser Fields, Robert Levis, Wayne State University, rjl@chem.wayne.edu, and A. Welford Castleman, Pennsylvania State University, awc@psu.edu
• Chemical Approaches to Photonic Crystals, David J. Norris, NEC Research Institute, dnorris@research.nj.nec.com, and Vicki Colvin, Rice University, colvin@ruf.rice.edu
• Accurate Description of Low-Lying Molecular States and Potential Energy Surfaces, Kenneth G. Dyall, Eloret Corporation, kgdyall@mciworld.com, and Mark R. Hoffmann, University of North Dakota, Mark.Hoffmann@mail.chem.und.nodak.edu
• Optical Studies of Single Molecules and Molecular Assemblies in Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Anne Myers Kelley, Kansas State University, amkelley@ksu.edu, and Shimon Weiss, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, sweiss@lbl.gov. Please see their website: http://www.ksu.edu/chem/ACSSymposium/SMSWeb.htm.
• Molecular Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Peter M. Weber, Brown University, Peter_Weber@brown.edu, and Stephen T. Pratt, Argonne National Laboratory, stpratt@anl.gov
• Energy Landscapes of Proteins, Glasses, and Clusters: Dynamics, Folding, Function and Prediction, Jose Onuchic, University of California at San Diego, jonuchic@ucsd.edu, Charles L. Brooks III, The Scripps Research Institute, brooks@scripps.edu, and David Wales, Cambridge University, wales@clust.ch.cam.ac.uk
• Awards Symposium, Richard M. Stratt, Brown University, Richard_Stratt@brown.edu

Fall Meeting

Call for Papers

August 26-30, 2001 - Chicago, IL

Online abstract submission for this meeting begins March 1, 2001, abstracts for the following symposia must be submitted by April 5, 2001. Please see http://www.acs.org/meetings/abstract/abinfo.html for abstract submission access and guidelines. ONLY electronic abstracts via the ACS online submittal system OASys, will be accepted, except by special arrangement with the  ACS symposium organizers before March 15, 2001.

• Physical Chemistry of Gas-Particle Interactions, Vicki Grassian, Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, vicki-grassian@uiowa.edu, and Jeffrey Roberts, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, roberts@chem.umn.edu
• Computational Chemistry in the Undergraduate Curriculum (Colisted with CHED and COMP), Frank Rioux, Dept. of Chemistry, St. John’s Univ., College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN 56374, frioux@csbsju.edu, and Hannes Jónsson, Chemistry Dept., University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1700, hannes@u.washington.edu
• What Can We Really Learn about Condensed Phases from Clusters?, Bruce C. Garrett, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, bruce.garrett@pnl.gov, and Douglas Ray, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, dray@pnl.gov
• Molecular Electronics, Phaedon Avouris, IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, avouris@us.ibm.com, and Mark A. Ratner, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3113, ratner@chem.nwu.edu
• Signal Processing in Chemistry, Vladimir Mandelshtam, Chemistry Department, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, mandelsh@uci.edu, and A.J. Shaka, Chemistry Department, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, ajshaka@uci.edu
• First-Principles Simulation of Chemical Dynamics (Cosponsored with COMP), Roberto Car, Dept. of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-1009, rcar@princeton.edu, and Todd J. Martinez, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801-3792, tjm@spawn.scs.uiuc.edu
• Stereochemistry in Aligned Environments, David J. Nesbitt, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, djn@jila.colorado.edu, and Alec M. Wodtke, Dept. of Chemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA  93106, wodtke@chem.ucsb.edu
• Three-Dimensional Si-O Cages: Materials for the 21st Century (Cosponsored with INOR, POLY, PETR) , Frank J. Feher (INOR), Dept. of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, fjfeher@uci.edu, Mark S. Gordon (PHYS), Dept. of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, mark@si.fi.ameslab.gov, and Patrick T. Mather (POLY), mather@mail.ims.uconn.edu

Dissociative Recombination of Molecules with Electrons, Steven L. Guberman, Institute for Scientific Research, 33 Bedford Street, Suite 19A, Lexington, MA 02420, slg@sci.org

Restrictions on Speakers for PHYS Symposia

Submission of Abstracts

Request for contributed oral presentation: Authors who submit a contributed paper to the program and wish their abstract to be considered for possible oral presentation in a topical symposium must indicate such preference. The abstract should be submitted to the symposium in which oral presentation is desired, and is due one week prior to the deadline.

General Information for Contributed Papers

Information and Rules Applying to All Contributed Poster Papers

1. No paper will be accepted unless an author expects to be present.
2. ACS Bylaws 3(a) require that "papers by American Chemists or chemical engineers not members of the Society shall not appear on the program unless they be joint with one or more Society members."
3. Prospective poster presenters who also submit papers to other Divisions should inform the Chairman-Elect as to the Division, titles of papers and co-authors by the deadline date.
4. Each poster paper will have a poster board measuring 4’x8’.
5. All illustrations, charts, and textual material to be posted must be prepared in advance since materials for these purposes will not be available at the meeting.
6. Posters should be mounted prior to the opening of the session and left in place until the close. Authors are encouraged to be present the entire session.
7. There must be a heading (with lettering at least 1" height) giving the title of the papers, the author(s), their affiliation(s), and the number assigned to it in the program.
8. Illustrative material will be read by attendees from a distance of 3’ or more, so lettering on illustrations should be at least 3/8" high.
9. There should be a logical sequence (introduction, development and conclusion) to the display and each sheet should be numbered.
10. Mounting the sheets on colored construction paper and using other techniques for improving graphic impact will enhance the presentation's effectiveness. Ease of reading is far more important than artistic flair. Certain color combinations, for instance, may look beautiful but may be almost impossible to read, especially in the absence of optimum lighting.
11. Do NOT mount illustrations on heavy stock, which is difficult to mount on the poster boards.
12. Each author is responsible for mounting his or her material at least 1/2 hour prior to the opening of the assigned poster session and removing it within 1/2 hour after the close of the session. ACS cannot assume any responsibility for materials beyond those time limits.
13. Do provide sign-up sheets to record names and addresses of attendees who wish more information.
14. Do bring duplicates of data and conclusions. Duplicating facilities are unavailable through ACS.
15. ACS provides a modest supply of pushpins, masking tape and felt-tipped pens but it is wise to bring your own. Upon advance request, ACS will arrange for blackboards to be available in the room.
16. Admission to poster sessions will be by ACS meeting badge only.
17. A poster paper submitted to the Program Chair (before the deadline) for presentation at a national meeting should be considered accepted unless the author is specifically notified to the contrary by the Division of Physical Chemistry Program Chairman.

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