In 2013, Carlo Santoro received the F.M. Beckett Summer Fellowship from ECS. Through that fellowship, he connected with Dr. Plamen Atanassov at the University of New Mexico to study enzymes and their integration into microbial systems.

Now, Dr. Santoro is working alongside Dr. Atanassov and some of the world’s best microbiologists to develop bio-catalytic materials that will simultaneously decontaminate wastewater and generate energy in a microbial biofuel cell.

Carlo’s story parallels the experiences many of us have had in our own careers. Whether it was a summer fellowship or an important networking event, many of us have benefited from opportunities that impacted not only our academic careers, but our future prospects as well.

“I spent a summer at the University of New Mexico learning and integrating enzymes into a microbial system to make a hybrid system. It was interesting; it was a way to learn new things, a way to interact with people in different fields, to learn more. It was a very, very great experience.”
-Carlo Santoro
2013 summer fellowship recipient

At ECS, we recognize that today’s emerging scientists are the next generation of leaders in our field. They will continue to make discoveries and shape our science long into the future. But they need our support now to get there.

(more…)

Dr. Chamberlain giving a lecture to the students and faculty at the IIT student chapter’s first event.

The Illinois Institute of Technology is one of ECS’s newest student chapters, and they held their first event on November 23, 2015. They received an excellent attendance rate of nearly one hundred students in addition to IIT faculty members and faculty from other near by institutions.  This event included the director of the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS), Dr. Jeffrey Chamberlain, who is also the deputy director of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR). Dr. Chamberlain hosted a lecture that included information and a detailed analysis on the innovation of battery technologies.

Following the lecture, a Q&A session was held, which gave the students and faculty in attendance the opportunity to address questions produced from Dr. Chamberlain’s lecture. These questions included the topics of environmental issues, the life cycle of lithium ion batteries, development of lithium-air batteries and even government policy and funding. The formal lecture and Q&A session was followed with refreshments and continued discussion. The IIT student chapter is extremely grateful to Dr. Chamberlain for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to come and interact with the chapter at their first event.

Congratulations, IIT Student Chapter on a very successful kick-off event!

We are currently accepting nominations for the prestigious honor of Fellow of The Electrochemical Society. This award was established in 1989 for advanced individual technological contributions in the field of electrochemical and solid-state science and technology and for active membership and involvement in the affairs of The Electrochemical Society. The award consists of a scroll, lapel pin and eternal bragging rights.

Now is the time to look around the room at your colleagues, recall that Division Member who you shared a meal with at our last bi-annual meeting or the committee member who you work with to further the ECS mission and question whether s/he is a Fellow. You may be very surprised at who has achieved this recognition and who has not. View the full list of ECS Fellows and take a moment to nominate the 2016 class.

Read the rules and submit a nomination form today.

Application Deadline: February 1, 2016.

(more…)

With already half of the academic year complete, it is time to think about summer opportunities to further your career!

Hadi Khani (left), an ECS Summer Fellowship 2015 recipient and his advisor, Dr. David Wipf.

The Electrochemical Society has been offering summer fellowships since early 1928. These awards were established to assist students during the summer months, June through September, in the pursuit of work in a field of interest to ECS. In order to qualify for these fellowships, one must be enrolled in a college or university in addition to being a member of ECS.  Here is the complete list of candidate qualifications and award rules.

Up to 4 recipients will be selected for 2016 and will receive up to $5,000!

If you meet the requirements, apply for an ECS Summer Fellowship today! The deadline is January 15, 2016.

Success story
In 2013, Carlo Santoro received the F.M. Beckett Summer Fellowship from ECS. Through that fellowship, he connected with Dr. Plamen Atanassov at the University of New Mexico to study enzymes and their integration into microbial systems.

“I spent a summer at the University of New Mexico learning and integrating enzymes into a microbial system to make a hybrid system. It was interesting; it was a way to learn new things, a way to interact with people in different fields, to learn more. It was a very, very great experience.”—Carlo Santoro, 2013 summer fellowship recipient

Now, Dr. Santoro is working alongside Dr. Atanassov and some of the world’s best microbiologists to develop bio-catalytic materials that will simultaneously decontaminate wastewater and generate energy in a microbial biofuel cell.

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Colin Garfield Fink Summer Fellowship to see if you qualify!

Guest post by Qinghuang Lin.

As some of you have known, CSTIC Executive Committee Member, Prof. Ru Huang of Peking University, has been elected to the 2015 class of Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Huang has been a member of the CSTIC Exective Committee and Chair of CSTIC Symposium I: Design and Device Engineering since 2009. She has been instrumental in shaping the agenda and leading CSTIC Symposium I over the years.

Election to the Chinese Academy of Sciences represents the highest level of national honor for Chinese scientists.

Take a look at some of Huang’s published research.

Perhaps you have heard that the abstract submission for the 229th ECS Meeting in San Diego, CA is this Friday, December 11?

Well, what are you waiting for!

Submit your abstract today!

Please make sure to get your abstract in as soon as possible so you can present your latest work to thousands of your colleagues from across the globe.

In order to make things easier for you, we will keep the submission system open through the day of Monday, December 14 EST.

See you in San Diego!

Top row (l to r): Mark Sivak, Samantha Brain, Zachary Widel Middle row: Jeromy Rech, Dr. Jason Keleher, Richard Wiencek Third row: Julianne Truffa, Lisa Janes, Jacob Murray Bottom row: Amy Mlynarski

From outreach to knowledge acquisition, the newly established Lewis University student chapter is paving a path to instill a new-found enthusiasm in electrochemical science and technology.

“We will be able to help foster a sense of excitement for electrochemistry and begin to inspire others, in the same way that we were inspired,” says Jeromy Rech, chair of the Lewis University student chapter.

The inspiration behind starting the student chapter began in the late spring of this year, when a group of students from Lewis University’s Keleher Research Group presented at the 227th ECS Meeting in Chicago, IL. Upon meeting other ECS student members that initiated student chapters of their own, Rech and his group knew that forming a chapter at Lewis University was in the cards.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to begin to network and cultivate an academic relationship with other students who share similar passions,” Rech says.

Once the chapter was approved at the 228th ECS Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, the group immediately put the ball in motion. From volunteering as judges in an annual science fair to hosting the capstone presentations for chemistry majors, the chapter is on track with its goals of outreach and knowledge acquisition.

(more…)

There are just eight days left to submit your abstracts for the 229th ECS Meeting! Make sure to submit by December 11, 2015.

Submit today!

Topic Close-up #5
SYMPOSIUM I05: Heterogeneous Functional Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage.

FOCUSED ON the science that controls emergent properties in heterogeneous functional materials as a foundation for design of functional material devices with performance not bounded by constituent properties.

PROVIDING a unique venue for both contributed and invited speakers to present the latest advances in novel modeling approaches, advanced 3-D imaging and characterization techniques, novel material synthesis and manufacturing methods to create highly ordered material structure, and applications of heterogeneous functional materials in devices for energy conversion and storage. This symposium especially encourages and welcomes contributed presentations.

(more…)

The Corrosion Division is currently accepting nominations for the following two awards:

Corrosion Division Morris Cohen Graduate Student Award: established in 1991 to recognize and reward outstanding graduate research in the field of corrosion science and/or engineering. The award consists of a framed scroll and $1,000 prize. The award, for outstanding Masters or PhD work, is open to graduate students who have successfully completed all the requirements for their degrees as testified to by the student’s advisor, within a period of two years prior to the nomination submission deadline. Read the rules and submit a nomination form today!

Herbert H. Uhlig Award: established in 1972 to recognize excellence in corrosion research and outstanding technical contributions to the field of corrosion science and technology. The Award consists of $1500 and a framed scroll. The recipient is eligible for travel reimbursement in order to attend the Society meeting at which the Award is presented. Read the rules and submit a nomination form today!

About H. H. Uhlig
Professor Herbert H. Uhlig was head of the Corrosion Laboratory, teacher, and graduate advisor at MIT for over thirty years. He authored hundreds of publications on the subjects of passivity, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue, and the oxidation of metals. Through the application of basic first principles to his research on corrosion phenomena, he is widely recognized as being one of the leaders responsible for establishing the field of corrosion science on a firm fundamental basis. Uhlig was an active ECS member and served as President from 1955-1956.

Application Deadline: December 15, 2015

Don’t miss your chance to submit your abstract to the upcoming ECS biannual meeting in San Diego. The deadline is December 11!

Submit your abstract!

The 229th ECS meeting, being held May 29 – June 3 at the Hilton Bayfront and the San Diego Convention Center, is already gearing up to be an important and energizing get-together. This location, right in the heart of downtown San Diego, is the perfect setting to really immerse yourself in all that San Diego has to offer from world class dining, élite shopping, and a plethora of outdoor activities.

Of course, first you’ll have to tear yourself away from any of the 50+ technical symposia we will be running, including:

• Grand Challenges in Energy Conversion and Storage,
• Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing,
• The Brain and Electrochemistry,
• More-than-Moore 3,
• Medical and Point-of-Care Sensors,
• Future and Present Advanced Lithium Batteries and Beyond – a Symposium in Honor of Prof. Bruno Scrosati.

…just to name a few

Make sure to join us and present your research alongside of the leading experts in the fields of electrochemistry and solid state science. Check the Call for Papers and see what we have in store for you!

There’s less than two weeks left to submit your abstract.

Submit today!