Every year, a new crop of students discoveres that I'm on facebook and starts to "friend me". In the past, my policy has always been to say that I'll friend you once you're about to graduate. I am wondering about relaxing this and either just accepting all of the friend requests or requesting only those from students who will never have me in class again (with a nice note to the rest saying that I'll respond after I'll never have you in class again).

 What are your policies about friending students (and why)?

This week, Department Chairs of all ACS Certified Departments will be sent a letter to inform them that they may now nominate students for the 2010 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry. Every chemistry department is eligible to give one of these awards by nominating their student at http://www.ionicviper.org/dicaward on or before June 30, 2010.

Help, I am under assault.  We are reviewing our curriculum in an effort to justify a new tenure-track line.  One of the courses that is getting serious attention (in a bad way) is my first inorganic course.  As far as a P-chem colleague is concerned, it is toast.  I do not want to go down to one inorganic course.  Any support of horror stories from people that have done this would certainly be appreciated.

 Either that or insider info on available positions in departments that value inorganic.

"Some of you may think the f elements are boring ... and to a certain extent they are boring ..." 

an f element chemist, discussing her research at our symposium in New Orleans

"I've always had this weird fascination to give a talk with a snake wrapped around my neck ..." 

a presenter at our symposium

"If the computer senses that you are as confused as it is, then it thinks that it has done its job."

a presenter at our symposium, brilliantly handling technical difficulties