News & Notices
Minutes of 126th Meeting of Executive Committee
24-25 April 1999, Tokyo, Japan
11. FELLOWS AND AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS
Dr. Jost reviewed the status of these two programs. Prof. Jortner
noted the positive response he had personally received to the
Fellows program. The Committee approved the continuation of the
distribution of Chemistry International to Fellows indefinitely.
The Committee recommended that the Bureau and Council be asked
to continue the Affiliate Membership Program indefinitely.
12. IUPAC WEB SITE AND OTHER PUBLICITY ABOUT
THE UNION
Dr. Jost demonstrated the IUPAC web site for the Committee and
described the changes that had been made in the site over the
past year. These included the introduction of improved navigation
aids, the mounting of the complete contents of the IUPAC Handbook
online, an improved directory of members, and the complete set
of current projects of Divisions and Standing Committees.
12.1 IUPAC ANNUAL PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Dr. Jost noted the publication on the web of the
annual report to ICSU. Prof. Jortner commented that this report
was a good summary of the Union's activities and was a valuable
tool in communicating the work of the Union both to members and
outside organizations.
13. STATUS REPORT ON IUPAC SECRETARIAT
Dr. Jost reviewed the activities of the Secretariat in 1998. The
staff is now three, Mrs. Linda Tapp, Administrative Assistant,
Dr. Fabienne Meyers, Electronic Publishing Specialist, and Dr.
Alan Senzel, Publications Manager, hired in February 1999. Dr.
Senzel has assumed responsibility for the management of the Union's
print publications, Pure and Applied Chemistry, Chemistry International,
and books. Dr. Meyers, in addition to her responsibility for the
IUPAC web site, will also be responsible for the administrative
aspects of the new project approval system. The major accomplishments
of the year include the expansion and improvement of the IUPAC
web site and the improvement of the processing of claim forms
by switching from Merrill Lynch to the Wachovia Bank for bank
transfers and foreign currency checks.
14. PUBLICATIONS
14.1 STATUS REPORT CHEMISTRY INTERNATIONAL
Dr. Jost reviewed the change in publication process
of Chemistry International. This is now edited by a contract copy
editor and printed by Cadmus Journal Services. The latter firm
also handles mailing and distribution. The new arrangement is
working well. CI will be back on a normal printing schedule with
the July issue. That is, the July issue and subsequent issues
will be printed in the month before the date of the issue. The
costs have been in line with those projected when the change was
proposed, resulting in a small decrease in the cost of producing
CI.
14.2 STATUS REPORT PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
Publication of PAC continues to run behind the
issue date. The December issue was printed in April. The January
and February issues will be combined into a single issue, due
to the length of the special issue, A review of oil spill countermeasures
technologies and response methods. This will be printed and distributed
in June. [It was learned after the EC meeting that, after editing,
the material for the special issue would not require a double
issue. The issue dates noted here should, therefore, be moved
back by one month.] The March issue will be printed and distributed
in June and the April issue is planned for printing in June and
distribution in July.
14.3 PUBLISHING CONTRACT - RESPONSE TO RFP
Dr. Jost reviewed the response to the requests
for Proposal sent to nine publishers. Five proposals were received,
including one from Blackwell. Dr. Jost then reviewed his paper
on the self-publishing option. The main advantage of this option
is the independence and flexibility as compared to using an official
publisher. The discussion emphasized the importance of the Union
being able to disseminate the information from its work as widely
as possible. It was felt that this was of the greatest importance
to the future of IUPAC. The financial analysis indicated that
this option would also be preferable.
The Executive Committee accepted the policy of
self-publishing PAC and directed the Executive Director to implement
this decision in consultation with the Committee on Printed and
Electronic Publications. Books will continue to be published using
an official publisher for the IUPAC compendia. The Executive Director
was asked to contact the publishers who received the RFP to request
proposals covering only book publishing.
14.4 PAC SPECIAL ISSUE: NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC ENVIRONMENTAL
OESTROGENS
The publication of the special issue, Natural
and Anthropogenic Environmental Oestrogens, was a major event
for IUPAC in 1998. Response to the special issue has been good,
with a number of individual and group sales being made. Income
from these sales has already recovered the Union's cost of having
extra copies printed. IUTOX has asked that a number of copies
be sent to participants in workshops on environmental oestrogens
as well as to members of the International Program on Chemical
Safety, a UN sponsored group. The Committee felt that the Committee
on Chemistry and Industry should continue to work to publicize
the special issue. The Secretariat will make the contents of the
special issue available on-line in HTML/PDF format.
14.5 SPECIAL TOPICS EDITOR FOR PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
Dr. Jost noted that Prof. James Bull of the University
of Capetown, South Africa, had been appointed as Special Topics
Editor of PAC at the end of 1998. Prof. Bull has been in contact
with the Division Presidents to solicit ideas for future special
issues. One idea is now being worked on, "Green Chemistry". Prof.
Fischli suggested that Chemistry and Food, with the cooperation
of the International Union of Food Sciences, and Genetically Modified
Plants as Food Sources, might also be possible topics for special
issues.
14.6 FORUM EDITOR FOR CHEMISTRY INTERNATIONAL
Prof. Jortner noted that he had, as yet, had no
success in finding a suitable candidate for this position. Dr.
Jost commented that, in the absence of a Forum Editor, he had
arranged for the publication of special articles on chemistry
in Poland, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. An article on
chemistry in Brazil will be published in the July 1999 issue.
He had also arranged for an article on science policy for developing
countries by Prof. J. Goldemberg to be reprinted from Science
magazine.
14.7 SUPPLEMENT TO "HISTORY OF IUPAC"
Dr. Becker briefly reviewed the background on
this project and noted that it had been decided to delay publication
until after the 1999 General Assembly at the earliest. This would
allow inclusion of the significant decisions to be taken at the
General Assembly, as well as including the 80th anniversary year
of the Union.
15. CONFERENCES ON NEW DIRECTIONS IN CHEMISTRY
Prof. Jortner briefly reviewed the background of this conference
series. The first conference, a Workshop on Advanced Materials,
WAM-1, organized by Prof. M. El-Sayed, will take place this June
in Hong Kong. Organizers for the next two conferences in this
series are being sought.
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