Greetings from the Chair
Alexei Demchenko
Greetings Everyone!
Greetings everyone! My name is Alexei Demchenko, and I am excited to continue serving as the Chair of the ACS Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry (ACS CARB) in 2021.
Who are we?
The Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry (CARB) is an eclectic, comprehensive and global technical division of the ACS. We continually strive to be the premier society for carbohydrate chemists and chemists alike with efforts to continually increase membership. Our mission is to foster and promote the advancement of the field of carbohydrate chemistry and chemical glycobiology (or molecular glycoscience) with a heavy emphasis on highlighting the amazing scientists and people who drive it! We embrace the interdisciplinary nature of carbohydrates and strive to be encompassing and engaging in our efforts.
What does the CARB Division do?
- Organize and sponsor CARB programming at ACS National Meetings and Exposition, including special symposia, award symposia, and poster sessions. On occasion, we participate in joint symposia with other divisions, including recent and popular joint symposia with CELL. Please continue to submit abstracts for ACS CARB programming!
- Organize and sponsor symposia at international meetings dedicated to glycosciences, such as Gordon Research Conferences, International Carbohydrate Symposia, Pacifichem, etc.;
- Produce the biannual ACS CARB Newsletter that is distributed to members a month before the ACS National Meeting;biannual
- Support other ACS symposia relevant to carbohydrate chemistry and chemical glycobiology, including the ACS Division of Professional Relations, ACS Undergraduate Chemistry Students, ACS Regional Meetings, etc.;
- Support other non-ACS regional symposia relevant to carbohydrate chemistry and chemical glycobiology, such as the Midwest Carbohydrate and Glycobiology Symposium and the New England Glyco-Chemistry Meeting;
- Provide opportunities for undergraduate chemists, for example, travel awards and poster awards
- Organize and support award programs, including the Claude S. Hudson Award, the Melville L. Wolfrom Award, the Horace S. Isbell Award, the David Y. Gin New Investigator Award, and the Derek Horton Award in Industrial Carbohydrate Chemistry.
Why You Should Join the CARB Division.
- Network with possible collaborators at ACS National Meetings and Exposition
- Nominate someone or be nominated for a CARB sponsored award
- Access to the Members section of our website, for networking, chemistry discussions and latest news/events
- Advertisement for position openings or seeking new employment
- Receive CARB emails with news as well as reminders of important deadlines
- Receive the CARB Newsletter
New CARB activities in 2020.
- We have thoroughly revised, updated, and approved our divisional by-laws;
- Considering very short deadlines during the global pandemic, we prepared a very strong programming during the ACS Fall National Meeting. Special thanks go to our Program Chair Clay Bennett who coordinated this effort and to the symposium organizers;
- The ACS CARB was able to raise sufficient funds to fully support 2020 National ACS Meeting registration fee for all invited and contributed speakers;
- We have made a notable progress with equity and inclusion, both in the Executive Committee and in ACS CARB programming;
- ACS CARB has been strengthening our involvement with the U.S. Advisory Committee for the International Carbohydrate Symposia (USACICS) to strengthen our visibility in the areas of service to the community;
- Based on your votes, I have submitted an application for the division name change to Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry & Chemical Glycobiology (CARB);
- Dr. Steven Sucheck, CARB Chair-Elect, was awarded a grant for “Improving CARB Value and Processes via Webinars” by the ACS;
- In consultation with the Executive Committee, and in accordance with our divisional by-laws, I have appointed the following standing committees: External Programming (Fall and Spring), Membership, Nominating, and Publicity;
- Our External Programming Committees have established a close collaboration on the webinar series with Canadian GlycoNet by offering weekly virtual events from August 2020;
- Our External Programming Committees have been participating in the European Glycoscience Community Webinar Series offered by European CarboMet and RSC Carbohydrate group;
- Our External Programming Committees have organized the Young Investigator Symposium that was held earlier this month.
- ACS CARB-affiliated members along with international co-organizers have organized a full week of programming at Pacifichem 2021 (originally scheduled for 2020).
How to Get Involved
We are a volunteer organization and encourage you to get engaged.
-Attend or submit an abstract to present at CARB sessions at ACS National Meetings.
-Submit a symposium proposal for CARB session at an ACS National Meeting or an ACS Regional Meeting.
-Request financial support for conferences and symposia that you are planning to organize within or outside the ACS.
-Nominate someone for a CARB professional, student and postdoc, or publication award (See Awards & Fellowships on the CARB website).
-Volunteer to run for an elected position on the CARB Executive Committee.
-Help us with our social media presence.
-Ask me or any Executive Committee member to implement your idea(s) to continually shape CARB for the future.
For more information, contact any Executive Committee member.
I look forward to continuing serving you and our carbohydrate community. Please feel free to share this message with anybody who may benefit from the information provided herein or would be interested in joining the CARB Division.
Your annual dues ($12.50 for regular members, $7 for students) help us, as a non-profit organization run by volunteers, to support our mission and run the excellent programs described within.
***You do not have to be an ACS member to become a member and supporter of the CARB Division! In addition, full ACS members receive hundreds of dollars in discounts on ACS meeting registration.
