Category: 2013

Tour of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear power has been instrumental in driving urban and economic growth over the past 50 years, and nuclear power plants remain marvels of modern engineering. The California Los Padres Section of the American Society is happy to invite you to a rare glimpse inside the operation of our nuclear power plant, the Diablo Canyon facility in San Luis Obispo.

The tour of this facility is scheduled on Friday the 6th of September at 9 AM. Because tour groups are limited to 20 visitors, we cannot accommodate as many members as we would like. Furthermore, strict control of access to the facility requires that every visitor be vetted prior to admission. If you wish to join us on this tour, please read the Diablo Canyon Visitor Information guide carefully, then  use this secure form to make a reservation for this event by August 15, 2013. You will be notified via email if you are included in the group. Spaces on the tour will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The tour will last approximately four hours, and a light lunch will be provided by the facility.

If you prefer to provide the required information by telephone, please call Professor Gregory Scott at (805)756-2617. You may leave the required information as a voice mail.

Diablo Canyon security requires that CALPACS relay all the information in the RSVP form to them at least 5 business days before entry.

Date & Time: Friday September 6, 2013, 9 AM Place: 6588 Ontario Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 (Google Map) Cost: Free. RSVP required

The California Los Padres Section of the American Chemical society cordially invites you to attend a special lecture on Saturday April 13, 2013. Dr. James Unch of Promega Biosciences will discuss the development of the NanoLuc^TM system. This system represents a significant advancement in the application bioluminescence–from organisms that give off light like the jellyfish or the firefly–as a diagnostic tool in monitoring cellular metabolism. This achievement was recognized as one of the “Top 10 Innovations 2012” by The Scientist magazine. Join us for this exciting lecture on the process by which ever more specific cellular processes are illuminated, literally. Click here for the full abstract of the presentation.

A light lunch will be served. This event is free. Please use the form below to reserve your space.

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013
Time: Lunch at 12:30 PM, lecture at 1:00 PM
Place: Westmont College, Winter Hall, Room 210. Click here for a pdf map.

Join us in Santa Barbara at Anacapa Vintners to greet local chemists, to taste local wine and to partake in winemaker Seth Kunin’s encyclopedic and entertaining lectures on the making and the selling of wine. Anacapa Vintners are focused on the diversity of Santa Barbara and highlight the best varietals from all of the AVAs and microclimates, from Merlot to Pinot Noir.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Your RSVP is requested. Please use the form below or our contact form to RSVP.

Host:  Seth Kunin
Date:  Wedensday, April 3, 2013
Time: 6:30 PM
Location:  Anacapa Vintners, 116 E Yananoli Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101(Google Map)
Cost: $10 payaple at the door.

The Government Affairs Committee of the California Los Padres Section of the American Chemical Society, in conjunction with the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Student Chapter of the ACS, cordially invite you to an important seminar about the role of science in politics and governing.

Speaker:  Professor Rod Schoonover, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Title:
“Science in the Diplomatic and National Security Spheres”

Date:
Thursday, March 14, 2013

Time:
7-9 PM

Location:
California Polytechnic State University, University Union, Room UU-220.

Parking is $5. You can purchase a parking permit at one of the kiosks near the main parking structure. For parking and room location see map:  Pi Day Talk UU220 MAP. An interactive map is also available from the CalPoly web site.

Cost:
This seminar is free and open to the public. RSVP is requested via our contact form.

Science and technology are transforming the world at an ever faster pace. Consequently, competent, informed scientific council is vital to task of governing. This is the role to which Professor Rod Schoonover is dedicating his career. Dr. Schoonover has recently returned from a three-year appointment with the United States Department of State where he worked on global issues pertaining to science, diplomacy, and national security.  He will discuss the responsibilities he shouldered under Hillary Clinton in the State Department.  A question and answer session with the speaker will follow the lecture.

At the end of the academic year, Dr. Schoonover will be leaving the Central Coast permanently to continue his work at the interface of science and public policy. This is an extremely rare opportunity to get a firsthand account of the important role that science plays in politics and government. All who are interested in this intriguing topic are encouraged to attend.

Snacks–including pies in observance of pi (3.14) day–and refreshments will be served.

Dr. Rod Wolfcall Schoonover is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He received BS degrees in Physics and Chemistry from the University of Kansas, a BS in Graphic Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute, and a PhD in Chemical Physics from the University of Michigan. In 2009 he joined the United States Department of State as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Diplomacy Fellow, working on the intersection of national security and environmental and science and technology issues. His international experience includes programs and consultancies in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Schoonover is a three-time recipient of the Superior Honor Award, the State Department’s highest civilian award, as well as the National Intelligence Council Medal of Distinction.