AOCS Analytical Division
Newsletter February 2007

Greetings From the Chair
Jerry King

As the new chairperson for AOCS Analytical Division, I will follow the custom of my predecessors in composing a personal message to our members on the eve of the Annual AOCS Meeting, being held in Québec City, Canada from May 13 to 16, 2007. It gives me great pleasure to announce our new division officers who were elected and installed prior to the last annual meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri. Aside from my being elected for a term of two years, all other officers will serve in a similar tenure, and include Vice Chairperson Fred Eller, Secretary/Treasurer Rick Della Porta, Program Chair Andy Proctor, and Member at Large Gary List. As has also been the custom, our previous divisional chair for three years, Craig Byrdwell, will continue as the Immediate Past Chairperson to provide continuity to the divisional activities. However, we need all the support we can get from not only Analytical Division members, but all AOCS members, in maintaining a strong division and diverse intra-disciplinary programs at the Annual AOCS Meeting, and as potential successors in assuming divisional leadership roles.

First a few comments about the Analytical Division's program for the upcoming annual meeting. This program could not have resulted without the significant input of our divisional members and leadership. However, Andy Proctor in particular deserves kudos for facilitating the diverse program that resulted, and meticulously monitoring all aspects of the focused symposia and general oral and poster contributions. Fred Eller took over the electoral process for the Herbert Dutton Award as well as the student award winners, and will handle the award presentation at the divisional luncheon on Wednesday, May 16th during the annual meeting. As has been traditional, our elected Dutton Award winner, Dr. Yutaka Itabashi of the faculty of Fisheries Science at Hokkaido University in Japan, will present the Dutton Award lecture, entitled "HPLC Resolution of Stereo- and Regioisomeric Glycerolipids," at the Division's luncheon on Wednesday, May 16th, which begins at 12:00 p.m. Please purchase your luncheon tickets for this event as part of your AOCS registration, and plan to be present for Dr. Itabashi's lecture as well as the recognition of the student award winners, Cynthia Boudrault and Alicia Reza Lopez from the University of Toronto, Canada.

With regard to the Analytical Division's program for the annual meeting, the program features the combined efforts of both AOCS and the Japan Oil Chemists' Society (JOCS), as well as those of intra-divisional collaboration between the Analytical Division, the Processing Division, and the Industrial Oil Products Division. The two symposia, entitled "Trans Fatty Acids and Other Isomers" as well as "Omega-3 Oils," featuring ten and six presentations each, are the result of collaboration with the JOCS, and are scheduled to be held on Monday morning, May 14th, and Tuesday afternoon, May 15th. On Monday afternoon, May 14th, a session on "Triacylglycerol Molecular Species Analysis" will be held, featuring five invited papers. A "Biodiesel" analysis and characterization session containing eight papers, co-sponsored with the Industrial Oil Products Division, is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, May 15th. Similarly, a collaborative effort between the Processing and Analytical Divisions will be held on Wednesday morning, May 16th featuring seven presentations on "Novel Process Control and Analytical Methods." Our division's "General Analytical" session will conclude the analytical program with eight oral presentations on Wednesday afternoon, May 16th. An additional eight presentations will highlight the division's poster session throughout the annual meeting in Quebec City. This diverse divisional program could not have resulted without the efforts of the topical session organizers, as well as our colleagues in the Processing and Industrial Oil Products Divisions, and I wish to thank them all sincerely for their fine efforts.

I would like to extend an invitation to both our divisional membership, as well those who are attending the annual meeting, to participate and provide input into the governance and future programming of the division's activities by attending the Division Board Meeting being held between 1:00 and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, May 13th, or the Roundtable Discussion on Tuesday, May 15th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. This is an excellent chance to make your views known to the division's officers and to volunteer to help plan divisional activities for the next annual meeting as well as your service on behalf of the division. One of the issues that will be discussed is a draft agenda of the new divisional by-laws, a topic that was discussed at length during the last annual meeting. We hope to formalize the by-laws and seek division ratification of this document in the very near future.

The above divisional meetings offer an excellent chance to offer to participate in the division's activities as well as to explore the possibility of becoming a future officer of the Analytical Division. For these reasons, as well as the fine technical program noted above, it is my hope to see all of you shortly in Québec City on behalf of the Analytical Division of AOCS.

Sincerely,
Jerry W. King
Analytical Division Chairperson

Annual Meeting Information Available Online

You can view the complete technical program online, including oral presentations and poster presentations.

Updates and other conference information can be found at the official Annual Meeting webpage.

Be sure to register by April 13, 2007, to receive the early registration fees. Click here for registration information.

You are also encouraged to visit the Analytical Division website.

Unique Items Up For Bid at 12th Annual Silent Auction

For more than a decade, the AOCS Student Common Interest Group, in conjunction with the AOCS Foundation, has hosted a Silent Auction during the AOCS Annual Meeting and Expo, with the proceeds from the auction being used for student programs such as Honored Student, fellowships, and awards. This year is no different. The 12th Annual Silent Auction will open for bidding during the Opening Mixer on Sunday night, May 13, 2007 in the Expo Hall of the Québec City Convention Centre.

Each year, a wide variety of items including handmade crafts, art, logo items, and electronics are donated for the auction, and the competition to get the winning bid is very exciting.

For the first time in auction history, this year's auction also includes donated processing and analytical services courtesy of ACH Foods, Inc. They have agreed to donate one free day of Pilot Plant Services (edible oil projects only) valued at over $1,800, and up to $500 of free analytical testing of edible oil samples. These two services will be auctioned separately.

Be sure to stop by the auction (located in the Exhibit Hall) and place your bids. It's a great opportunity to support our students. Our strength lies in our foundation - be a part of it. The items up for bid this year will be posted online at http://www.aocs.org/found/auction.asp.

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