A Note from the Chair-Elect

I hope you all had a great experience at the SLA Conference in Seattle in June. The conference was filled with opportunities to learn and network and to celebrate our profession. I hope that you all returned back to your organizations and were able to put at least one new thing you learned into practice already.

I enjoyed meeting some “Newcomers” to the Chemistry Division at the Newcomers’ Luncheon, congratulating the award winners at the Business Meeting, learning about alternative fuels and some hot technologies, and networking with new and old friends at the Chemistry Division’s Speed Networking/Open House Reception and the All Sciences Poster Session. HINT: if you happened to miss seeing any of the posters, there was an opportunity to view them via the online web poster session in October – November. You can still find them at http://forum.lib.lsu.edu/slachem.

Also at this conference the planners for the 2009 conference met twice and we are gearing up to set the schedules and topics for next year’s programs. You will see some familiar program sessions again, such as the Roundtable event. We also want to continue the Speed Networking concept for the Chemistry Division Open House Reception, and it appears as if the All Sciences Poster Session/Reception will do an encore performance.

Please stay tuned to the Chemistry Division discussion list to learn more about the other program topics being planned because we may put a call out for moderators, speakers and panelists in the next few months.

To join the SLA Chemistry Division discussion list, SLA-DCHE, please go to:
http://units.sla.org/division/dche/listserv.htm

Luray M. Minkiewicz, SLA Chemistry Division Chair-Elect
luray.m.minkiewicz@usa.dupont.com

News from the MRM Section Chair

Help us stay in touch!

The MRM section Board is continuing to work on some of the projects identified during our annual business meeting held a few months ago. Communications is the theme of the year, and our listserv and web page are the two best ways we have to communicate as needed with members and non-members alike.

Currently we’re reconciling the list of section members (as reflected by SLA’s records) and the names of people who are registered with the list, to identify those MRM section members who have not joined the list, and directly invite those members to join. It’s not a requirement, by any means, but it sure makes it easier to communicate!

To stay in touch between newsletters:

• Visit the website at http://units.sla.org/division/dche/mrm/index.htm


• Join the list by e-mailing Lyris@lists.sla.org. The body of the message should say: Subscribe sla-dmrm <your e-mail address> <FirstName> <LastName>


• Not sure if you’re already a member of the list? Go to http://sla.lyris.net/read/login

Cathy DiPalma, Incoming Chair

As the SLA program year draws to a close, I’m trying to provide incoming Chair Cathy DiPalma with a good feel for the kinds of issues and activities that she’ll be involved in next year. To that end, I’ve asked her to submit a Chair-Elect column for this issue. And thank you Cathy, for your kind words! I’m looking forward to supporting you next year as I’ve been supported so well this year!

Hello fellow MRM members,

I have been caught up in a whirlwind of activities since accepting the position of Chair-Elect of the DCHE Materials Research and Manufacturing Section; in addition to being the Program Planner for the 2009 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. It should come as no surprise that in the SLA whirlwind I have met many energetic and dedicated people. A debt of gratitude is owed to those who have helped guide and encourage me: Marty Rhine, Betsy Aldridge, Ben Wagner, Margaret Bower, the current DCHE Chair Sue Cardinal, and the current MRM Chair Nora Stoecker. Nora patiently answered questions and offered helpful suggestions as I began this journey last January at the SLA Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. We thank Nora for the leadership role she assumed in the MRM section; her contribution has been invaluable.

Looking toward 2009, I encourage the MRM membership to contact me with your ideas, comments, suggestions, questions, and yes, complaints concerning our section. Although materials science covers a broad range of activities and touches on many fields, we are all connected by the business of information and knowledge management within this very diverse discipline. I look forward to working together to continue to develop a stronger and more unified group.

Anticipation remains high for the 2009 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. next June as we celebrate the SLA centennial. I am fortunate to have the DCHE Chair-elect, Luray Minkiewicz as well as Susan Makar as co-program planners. We have been working for several months to develop programs we think will enlighten as well as entertain. If time and finances permit, please consider attending this very special conference.

Cathy DiPalma
cathy.dipalma@saint-gobain.com
Saint-Gobain NorPro
3840 Fishcreek Road
Stow, Ohio 44224
330-677-5-3566

Warm regards,
Nora K. Stoecker, nstoecker@nksinfo.com