Dear esteemed members,
We had such an exciting National Chemistry Month! I hope you caught the riveting lecture by Dr. John A. Rogers about materials for electronics that can dissolve in the body, which was one of our best-attended presentations of the year. I loved meeting many of you at the Distinguished Scientist Award Banquet, where we honored Dr. Ben Cravatt’s life-long contributions to the field of chemical biology. Thank you to the audience members and the Student Affiliate Chapters who made this year’s Chem Expo a fun and educational event for scientists of all ages.
Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the Tony Battone Volunteer of the Year Award, Valerie Kuck, and the Committee Chair of the Year Awardee, Jackie Trischman. Thanks to Valerie’s dedication to our Local Section, we got through the worst times of the pandemic by providing you with high-quality remote programming. Jackie is amazing in her own right. She practically moved mountains to make Chem Expo a reality this year. She succeeded in organizing the event, which usually would take up to six months of planning, in six weeks!
Our main event for November is a hybrid presentation called “Unwrapping the Science of Chocolate,” by Jackie Trischman and our colleague, Robyn Araiza. Professors Trischman and Araiza will take us on an exciting and interactive journey from humble bean to gourmet chocolate, and the chemistry that makes it all possible. The format for this event will be hybrid. You may attend the free live presentation at CSU San Marcos or view it over Zoom. Did I mention that both formats come with complimentary chocolate!? Click here to receive a set of chocolates to accompany the presentation, which we will deliver to your home.
Also happening this month are the Local Section elections. Please be sure to vote for your Local Section representatives. You will receive your ballot at the email address we have on file for you. If you do not receive your ballot, reach out to our election coordinator, Jackie Trischman (trischma@csusm.edu). Your participation in the electoral process ensures that caring and dedicated volunteers continue to steward our Section so that it continues to provide great chemistry-themed social, professional, and educational opportunities.
On the evening of December 8, we will announce our newly elected leaders at the upcoming end-of-year meeting. This event will also feature a cheese and wine charcuterie presentation by master cheese connoisseur, Robert Graff, from Venissimo Cheese. The first 50 participants to register will receive a complimentary cheese sampler. For a small additional cost, you may also elect to receive an exquisite pre-selected wine to compliment your
cheese pairing. Click here to register for the event!
I hope you have a wonderful month of November and can share it with your closest friends and family.
With gratitude,
Juan Gonzalez