Chemistry for Society

Cross-listed with Chemistry for Health.

Organizer:
Jane Weitzel, Independent consultant, Winnipeg, Canada

In 2018 Canada passed the Cannabis Act which legalized the production and sale of cannabis for recreational purposes. While this is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry, the legalization of cannabis has emphasized the importance of chemistry: from setting regulatory requirements, evaluating health effects, and to provide infrastructure for measuring cannabinoids and other constituents. This symposium will draw from the success of similar events at CCCE2019 and provide insights and perspectives from Canada’s cannabis industry leaders.

Organizers:
Kim Baines, Western University, Canada
Yujun Shi, University of Calgary, Canada
WIDE, CSC Committee Working for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity

Sponsored by: Bruker, Paraza Pharma, Chemistry Education Division (CIC), Environment Division (CIC), Inorganic Chemistry Division (CSC), Macromolecular Science and Engineering Division (CSC), Maritime Local Section (CIC)
Organic Chemistry Division (CSC), Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Division  (CSC), Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, Department of Chemistry, Western University

Invited Speakers:
Najat Aoun Saliba, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Moumita Majumdar, Indian Institution for Science Education and Research, India
Yanet Villasana, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Ecuador
Lami Angela Nnamonu, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria
Ching-Wen Chiu, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Yvonne Choo, Xiamen University Malaysia, Malaysia
Lydia Toorenburgh, University of Victoria, Canada
Novan Gray, McMaster University, Canada
Lydia Sosa Vargas, Sorbonne University, France
Sandra Künzler, Germany

This symposium will provide a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) faced by the global chemistry community. Although many advances have been made in recent years to promote the principles of EDI, to change the culture, and to foster a more inclusive and diverse environment, many challenges and obstacles continue to exist. In this symposium, international leaders will discuss the challenges and barriers for EDI practices, policies and procedures within their home countries as well as their approaches to sustainable solutions. By centering the voices of marginalized and underrepresented individuals, the experiences of chemists in a global context will be highlighted. The goal of the symposium is to share our global experiences and to learn from one another in an effort to continue to achieve an equal, diverse and inclusive chemistry community.

This symposium contains an extended abstract submission deadline into the summer of 2021.

Submit your abstract!

Organizers:
Pierre Kennepohl, University of Calgary, Canada
Belinda Heyne, University of Calgary, Canada
Tom Baker, University of Ottawa, Canada

Undergraduate research experiences are integral components of our strategies for training the next generation of chemists in Canada. Drawing inspiration from the Canada 2067 national initiative for science, technology, engineering and math education, the Chemistry in Canada 2067 session will showcase the future leaders of the Canadian chemistry community by highlighting the contributions made by undergraduate students in all areas of chemistry from across the country. Building on the success of the inaugural event in Quebec City, this symposium will highlight the research of undergraduate students including those from the Reactive Intermediates Student Exchange (RISE Canada) and Inorganic Chemistry Exchange (ICE), well-established summer exchange programs with a long history of developing young talent by providing them with unique research opportunities across the country. Each of these programmes typically hosts an end of summer conference that allow students to present their work, as well as learn about other research performed by their colleagues. For the IUPAC WCC and CCCE 2021, the Chemistry in Canada 2067- Future Leaders in the Chemical Sciences” symposium will provide these students with an even broader perspective on the research enterprise.

The symposium will include presentations by participants in the summer exchange programmes, alumni of these programmes that have continued on to successful careers in chemistry, as well as including a call for contributions from other undergraduate researchers. The selection of speakers in this symposium will seek to ensure representation from contributors from across the country and from a diverse group of students and alumni.

Sponsored by the CSC Inorganic Chemistry Division

Organizers:
Alison Flynn, University of Ottawa, Canada
Stephen MacNeil, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

Award lecture:
Alison Flynn, University of Ottawa, Canada – 2021 CIC Award for Chemistry Education recipient

Invited speakers:
Erika G. Offerdahl, Washington State University, USA
Morgan Howe, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

This symposium invites chemistry education research submissions that report all types of CER studies, with particular support for those aligned with the conference theme. This symposium is an integral part of building the Canadian and International CER community, raising CER’s profile in Canada, and supporting chemistry education researchers. CER investigates issues in chemistry education using a rigorous, data-driven approach, so that proposed solutions may be informed by evidence rather than intuition. The intent is better learning outcomes for graduates, resulting in stronger contributions to their chosen professions and society.

Organizers:
Peter Mahaffy, The King’s University, Canada
Alison Flynn, University of Ottawa, Canada
Jan Apotheker, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Invited speakers:
Sarah Cornell, Stockholm University, Sweden
Mary Kay Orgill, University of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Seamus Delaney, Deakin University, Australia
Jenny MacKellar, ACS Green Chemistry Institute, USA
Vicente Talanquer, University of Arizona, USA
Jane Wissinger, University of Minnesota, USA
Tom Holme, Iowa State University, USA
Stephen Matlin, International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development, UK

Students often experience chemistry education as “fractionated knowledge”, presented as a myriad of isolated facts and concepts, strongly emphasizing mathematical calculations and with challenging symbolic representations. This makes it difficult for students to apply what they learn to everyday life and global challenges, all of which require interdisciplinary insights and higher-order skills. And the complexity of 21st century sustainability challenges requires learners equipped to understand and address the interconnected scientific, technological, societal, and environmental systems in which the activities of chemistry to analyze, synthesize, and transform matter play such a crucial part.

This symposium provides a forum for progress to date and next steps in global and local initiatives to reorient chemistry education through systems thinking, so as to help students better understand chemistry and integrate knowledge about the molecular world with the sustainability of Earth and societal systems. Initial efforts have been catalyzed by the IUPAC Project on Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education (https://iupac.org/projects/project-details/?project_nr=2017-010-1-050), whose outcomes included a special issue of the Journal of Chemical Education in December 2019.

Organizers:
Jan Apotheker, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Mei-Hung Chiu, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

Invited speakers:
Melanie Cooper, Michigan State University, USA
Mauro Mocerino, Curtin University, Australia
Ron Blonder, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Fun Man Fung, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Technology infusion in science classrooms has provided teachers with a new kind of tool to use in their teaching. In particular, the use of multiple representations and interactive devices helps teachers to present abstract and complex structures of chemical compounds to students for better understanding of chemistry concepts in classroom. Furthermore, augmented reality is becoming an important tool for teaching and learning chemistry, physics, and biology concepts. This symposium will explore the role of visualization in chemistry education with focus on modern technologies such as augmented reality and climate change.

Organizers:
Hayley Wan, University of Alberta, Canada
Ashley Ponich, University of Alberta, Canada

Invited Speakers:
Glenn Hurst, University of York, United Kingdom
Maria Gallardo-Williams, NC State University, USA

Today’s undergraduate students have spent most of their lives immersed in digital technology and online activities. As such, instructors teaching in traditional laboratory subject areas (e.g. chemistry) need to employ novel and interesting methods to better engage and motivate their students. This symposium will provide a platform to discuss effective methods (e.g. technology, online resources, novel experiments etc..) for teaching today’s students in the undergraduate laboratory curriculum.

Organizers:
Anika Tarasewicz, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Sorina Chiorean, University of Alberta, Canada
Holly Fruehwald, Univerisity of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada
Nadia Laschuk, Univerisity of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada
Meagan Oakley, University of Minnesota, USA
Josseline Ramos-Figueroa, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Sponsored by:  The Royal Society of Chemistry, The University of Toronto Department of Chemistry

A lot can be said about strength in numbers. Allies are a valuable chorus of voices that can work alongside underrepresented groups to catalyze positive changes by striving to build an equitable, diverse, and inclusive chemistry community. In this symposium, we will showcase how individuals can come together to support marginalized groups in the chemical sciences through various initiatives, organizations, and personal experiences. By including chemists’ perspectives from different sectors and at different

Organizers:
Myriam St-Onge Carle, University of Ottawa, Canada
Amanda Bongers, Queen’s University, Canada

Invited Speaker:
Stephanie Santos–Díaz, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

This symposium is to highlight science outreach to the community. Examples include, but are not limited to, new experiments used in outreach, outreach strategies, or research into the effect of outreach.

Organizers:
Tricia Carmichael, University of Windsor, Canada
John Hayward, University of Windsor, Canada
James Gauld, University of Windsor, Canada
Nola Etkin, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
Horace Luong, University of Manitoba, Canada

Award lecture:
Nola Etkins, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada – 2020 CIC Award for Chemistry Education recipient

Invited Speakers:
James Nowick, University of California, Irvine, USA
Lee Penn, University of Minnesota, USA
Heather Andreas, Dalhousie University, Canada
Erika Merschrod, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
John Hayward, University of Windsor, Canada
Tiago Vieira, Gilead, USA
Christopher Bannochie, Savannah River National Laboratory, USA
Benny Chan, The College of New Jersey, USA
John Limanto, Merck, USA
Michael Godfrey, University of Windsor, Canada

Diversity is a fact; inclusion requires action. Pride and positive space stickers are an excellent way to signal inclusion, but active engagement by all is how it gets better. In this conference symposium, we bring together the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies to establish a supportive network and discuss initiatives to improve inclusive culture in both industry and academia. This symposium will feature presentations on student and faculty perspectives on the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Chemistry and showcase the achievements of some of our most successful scientists. Panel discussions featuring EDI leaders from industry and universities will empower individuals, allies, bystanders, and institutions.

Organizer:
Javier Garcia-Martinez, Universidad de Alicante, Spain

Invited speakers:
Angela K. Wilson, Michigan State University, USA
Mary Garson, The University of Queensland, Australia
Francesca Kerton, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
Johanna Irrgeher, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria
Steve Heller, InChI Trust, USA

This symposium will feature the recent role of chemistry and IUPAC in the global affairs with contributions from global organizations such as the OPCW, BIPM (redefinition of the SI, IUPAC Div V), World Antidoping Agency, IAEA, or United States Pharmacopeia. The Symposium will showcase the close relationship between chemistry and its larger impact in society.

Organizers:
Lori Ferrins, Northeastern University, USA
Bailey Mourant, Burdock Group Consultants, USA
João Borges, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Invited speakers:
Luc Allemand, International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development 2022 (IYBSSD 2022) and Afriscitech.
Brenda Koekkoek, The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
Anindita Bhadra, Global Young Academy (GYA)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a direct call to action, encouraging governments and citizens around the world to actively preserve the planet and its inhabitants for the greater success of mankind. This symposium will include speakers from around the world and will focus on the impact that different organizations and individuals have on the betterment of society while working on the SDGs. It is critical to highlight that work towards the SDGs can take many forms and we hope that this symposium will inspire researchers with different backgrounds and from all over the world to consider how they too can contribute to this effort.

Organizers of this symposium represent members of the International Younger Chemists Network and they will use their international network to invite a diverse range of speakers to participate in this symposium

Organizers:
Cathleen Crudden, Queen’s University, Canada
Kit Chapman, United Kingdom

Award lecture:
Leah Martin-Visscher, King’s University, Canada – 2021 CIC Margaret-Ann Armour Award for Early Career Chemistry Education recipient

Invited speakers:
Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Bibiana Campos seijo, C&EN Magazine, USA
Devin Swiner, Merck, USA
Jess Wade, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Mark Workentin, Western University, Canada

Increasingly, the public is engaging with science through a wide range of environments. These can be community-based programs, festivals, libraries, or at home. Despite the importance of communicating chemistry, undergraduate and graduate schools often do not prepare scientists for public communication. Alan Leshner, executive publisher of journal Science, noted similarly, that “the centrality of science to modern life bestows an obligation on the scientific community to develop different and closer links with the general population”. The sessions will focus on a variety of aspects and will include the role of social media.

Organizers:
Brigitte Van Tiggelen, Science History Institute, Philadelphia, USA
Annette Lykknes, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Racher Mamlok-Naaman, Weizmann Institute, Israel
Geoffrey Rayner-Canham, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
Peter Mahaffy, The King’s University, Canada

History of science and technology is full of examples of discoveries, priority disputes related to such discoveries, and discussions on what aspects of a discovery qualify for credit. Discovery of elements come to mind, as of chemical theories and of industrial or analytical processes immediately. In textbooks and popular accounts, however, these discoveries are often presented as clear-cut or a triumphant eureka moment in the mind of a few if not one isolated genius. There is hardly any insight into the context in which the discovery took place, the time involved in developing new knowledge, and the contributions by a range of actors of different rank is often omitted. As a result, the representation of the scientific enterprise is impacted, in particular through the use of history of science in classroom and textbooks or the way the history of science is told to the general public.

This symposium considers the nature of scientific discovery in the chemical sciences and will gather case-studies that allow to explore the unfolding of discoveries, what stage was or is considered as “the” discovery, how they are reported and used, and what it reveals about how chemical sciences are represented. Since the discovery of new elements has usually been the focus of many sucg discussions, this symposium encourages submissions of presentations focusing on chemical theories and laws, families or series of compounds and reactants, industrial or analytical processes and reactions, and the like.

Cross-listed with Chemistry for Health.

Organizers:
Brigitte Van Tiggelen, Science History Institute, Philadelphia, USA
Christopher Rutty, University of Toronto, Canada
Elizabeth Neswald, Brock University, Canada

Invited Speaker:
Christopher Rutty, University of Toronto, Canada

Every human activity leaves traces behind, memory is the way both the actors and the public relate to these traces, but it needs history to process this memory and transform it into heritage which speaks to all audiences. To chemists, it provides a sense of belonging and situates them in a longer chain of scientific development, and to the general public, it is an opportunity to increase awareness for the chemical sciences and technologies beyond the usual suspicion and fears, and grasp the full nature of scientific endeavour.

The 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto provides an excellent opportunity to focus on a scientific achievement that radically changed the perception of diabetes and offered hope of a better life for patients thanks to the labour, ingenuity and collaboration of life sciences researchers, biochemists and industrial chemists. It took physicians Frederick Banting, J. J. R. Macleod, Charles Best, and biochemist James Collip to isolate and purify insulin, which was soon put in production by Connaught Laboratories under the leadership of John G. FitzGerald and then on a larger scale by the American pharmaceutical company Ely Lilly. While Banting and Macleod received the most coveted award in the academic world, the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1923, the industrial involvement was no less crucial nor the training of health practitioners and patients.

The symposium will thus gather papers that cover topics on both the history and the preservation of this discovery and its wider context. Papers dealing with the history of the discovery of insulin, the history of diabetes, the role of cross collaboration between different fields of expertise, patenting and producing, controlling quality and access for the patients, emergence of production in developing countries, are welcome. Also welcome are case studies of the preservation and the presentation of these momentous events through archival records, scientific heritage sites, exhibits and digital collections (such as Banting House, the permanent exhibit at the MaRS Centre, or the online exhibit The Discovery and Early Development of Insulin).

Cross-listed with Chemistry for Health.

Organizer:
Jeremy Melanson, National Research Council Canada
John Pezacki, University of Ottawa, Canada

Award lecture:
John Pezacki, University of Ottawa, Canada – 2021 CSC Bernard Belleau Award recipient

Invited speakers:
Jean-François Masson, Université de Montréal, Canada
Joelle Pelletier, Université de Montréal, Canada
Matthias Gotte, University of Alberta, Canada
Walid Houry, University of Toronto, Canada
Jim Huggett, National Measurement Laboratory, UK
John Trant, University of Windsor, Canada
Frederick West, University of Alberta, Canada
Devanand Pinto, National Research Council Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge to face our generation and will likely change our way of life for years to come. The response to the pandemic by the chemistry community has been nothing short of outstanding, with many research and industrial laboratories pivoting from their conventional roles to efforts directed at safeguarding society. While impossible to measure, these efforts will undoubtedly save lives over the course of the pandemic.

This symposium will highlight COVID-19 efforts in the international chemistry community. Topics will include but are not limited to diagnostic testing and standardization, hand sanitizer development, and materials development and testing of personal protective equipment (PPE). Methods for early outbreak detection, such as virus detection in municipal sewage systems, will also be relevant to this symposium. Finally, chemical aspects of COVID-19 therapeutics, vaccine candidates, and antibody testing will also be highlighted.