ChemCon 2011 comes to UPEI

The 36th annual APICS-CIC Chemistry Conference (ChemCon 2011) begins Friday, May 20 at UPEI. It brings with it the best and brightest undergraduate chemistry students from across the Atlantic provinces.

This is the first time the conference has been held at the University of Prince Edward Island since 1999. ChemCon 2011 is the result of a year of hard work by two UPEI chemistry students, Nicole MacPhee, who graduated this spring, and Mitch Perry, a master of science student.

'The conference really is a great opportunity for undergraduates to present their research to a large, specialized audience,' said MacPhee. 'If students want to continue to graduate school, it really is a skill that needs to be practiced and mastered.'

The conference also has three keynote addresses by respected chemists from across the country. Dr. Laurel Schafer is a professor in the department of chemistry at the University of British Columbia; Dr. Nancy Mathis is a chemical engineer, co-founder of Mathis Instruments, and founding executive director of the Wallace McCain Institute at the University of New Brunswick; and Dr. Russ Kerr is UPEI's Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products.

'There is so much to be learned from our keynotes; it's just part of what makes ChemCon 2011 so valuable,' said Perry. 'There is also a career fair with representatives from companies who need skilled chemists.'

Dr. Jason Pearson, assistant professor of chemistry at UPEI, has been faculty advisor to the project.

'A year ago, when Nicole and Mitch began work on this conference, I figured by the week of the conference I'd be really excited, or terrified,' said Dr. Pearson with a smile. 'These two have worked extremely hard, and I'm happy to say I'm very excited. This is going to be a great conference, and it's because of their hard work.'

For more information, see the conference website.