This summer the IONiC VIPEr folks are going to be running a 5-day NSF-funded workshop on “Bioinorganic Applications of Coordination Chemistry” at Northwestern University.   We will bring in approximately 20 faculty from across the country to collaboratively develop new teaching materials for the VIPEr website based on expert talks and papers from leaders in the field:  Anne Jones from Arizona State, Janet Morrow from SUNY Buffalo, and the two Toms (Tom Meade and Tom O’Halloran) from Northwestern University.   Some key topics will include: redox active imaging agents, metal ion transport, and enzyme modeling.    We pay for the hotel, workshop costs, and some meals.  You just have to get there and pay for some of your meals.  What do you get?  Camaraderie with a great group of inorganic chemistry faculty, several learning objects published to the VIPEr website to show your administration, and optional follow up activities to keep you professionally engaged after the conference.  

Last year’s participants in our VIPEr Solid State Workshop at Penn State contributed over 30 new learning objects to VIPEr, learned how to engage more fully with the VIPEr community, and were brought up to speed on the newest developments in solid state chemistry.  Participant evaluations spoke of working hard, networking, contributing to a group effort, learning a lot, and having significant interactions with the research “rock stars.”    

This summer we look forward to continuing our professional development workshops and hope that you can join us there!   Learn more at our website and apply through the cCWCS site.