What is the GSSPC?

The Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC) is a group of graduate students responsible for the tasks associated with the planning of a symposium for an American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting; this includes, but is not limited to, topic selection, fundraising, speaker recruitment and logistical arrangements. The GSSPC is also charged with ensuring the continuation of the GSSPC by recruiting and mentoring a successive group of graduate students.

The GSSPC was created in spring 2005 to formalize an existing group of University of Illinois graduate students planning a symposium for the spring 2006 (231st) ACS National Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. These students were recruited by Dr. Cathy Middlecamp, then Program Chair for the Division of Chemical Education (CHED), in a continuing effort by CHED to involve graduate students in the ACS, in general, and at national meetings, in particular.

Want more info?  Download the Charter.

Want to apply to be the next GSSPC?  

Applications are now being accepted for the selection of the GSSPC for the 238th ACS National Meeting in Washington DC in the fall of 2009.  Application deadline is April 1st, 2008.  Contact Justin Fair for more information.

Past GSSPC's have put on the following symposia:

231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA (Spring 2006). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Dorothy Miller, Timothy Vaden, Marja Engel, Sandra Lee, Alexis Thompson, Courtney Tucker."Balancing the Equation: Finding a Personal - Professional Equilibrium." Website.

233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL (Spring, 2007). The Ohio State University: Nicole Dickson, Soumya Mitra, Steve Rieth, Michelle Roettger, Peng Tao. "Exploring and Exploiting Nature with Biomimetics." Website

234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA (Fall, 2007). Purdue Univeresity: Amanda Lee, Steve C. Habicht, Sen Li, M. Aruni De Silva, Shucha Zhang and Melanie Wyche . "Finding Your Catalyst: Lower the Barrier from the Graduate School to Industry ."  Website

235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA (Spring, 2008). University of California, Los Angeles: Kirsten Griffins, Robert Kojima, Sarah Angelos, Bo Wang, Chris Kolodziej, Khin Chin, and Kaushik Patel. "Nanopower - Creating Energy for the Future."  Website

236th ACS National Meeting, Philidelphia, PA (Fall, 2008).  University of Connecticut:  Justin D. Fair, Ashley Bartelson, Besnik Bajrami, Christine Cardillo, Michelle L. Dean, Krishnan Sadagopan, and Namish Sardesai. "Transitioning into Green Chemistry."  Website

237th ACS National Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (Spring 2009).  George Washington University:  Eric Fallows, Badri Shyam, Nichaols Deifel, Jennifer Herdman, Nausheena, Baig, and Karah Knope.  Website