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Vol.
25 No. 5
September-October 2003
From
the Editor
This
issue of CI reminds us that for all the technological
breakthroughs and futuristic tools we have at our disposal,
people matter most to the advancement of chemistry. And, as
a number of articles demonstrate, appreciating and recognizing
outstanding individuals in the chemistry community is essential
to our growth.
Take
a peak at the Wire section (in
print p.13) to read how IUPAC
President Pieter Steyn received the most prestigious award
given by the South African Chemical Institute. The award
is named for Hendrik van Eck who was given a merit medal in
1969. Naming an award after an eminent scientist is far from
original, but it helps amplify the human value of the recognition.
Continue to page 14, for a story
about three scientists from AfricaB. Abegaz, E. Dagne,
and J. Bradleywho have been presented with the Pierre
Crabbé Award by the International Organization
for Chemical Sciences in Development. Crabbé, the founder
of IOCD, was strongly committed to supporting developing countries.
Twenty years later, IOCD continues to honor its founder by
presenting an award bearing his namea clear statement
that people matter.
In
his message to the Chemical Society of Japan as it celebrated
125 years (in print
see page 15), IUPAC President Steyn reminded all that
"progress in chemistry, or any other science, requires interaction
among practitioners, and these interactions are of course
individual; groups do not interact, only their individual
members interact." Many renowned chemists, including some
Nobel Prize winners, were present for the occasion, as well
as the Emperor and Empress of Japan. At the event, six eminent
chemists were made honorary members of the society.
On
page 16, you can read about the symposium recently organized
for the celebration of Mostafa El-Sayed's
70th birthday. The success of such an event is no doubt a
sign that El-Sayed's influence is widespread and appreciated.
Old and young, from far and near, gathered to thank him for
his leadership.
Another
way to appreciate the influence of people is through interviews
or short biographies. A new series starts in this issue of
CI that will profile personalities or role models in
chemistry. This time, the authors Hargittai and Hargittai
chose to portray Nelson Leonard,
who was, until not long ago, actively involved in IUPAC.
Finally,
and in keeping with our focus on individuals, we thought it
would be timely to review the benefits of becoming
an IUPAC Affiliate. See page 9, and learn more about the
program.
Fabienne
Meyers
[email protected]
www.iupac.org/publications/ci
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