Thank you to all who were able to attend and participate in our first virtual Annual General Meeting. We are pleased to introduce our 2020/21 Board of Directors and Committees to lead us into a new year and proud to announce our Award and Scholarship recipients of 2020 below.

If you were unable to join us online on May 9th, the 2020 AGM Presentation is now available in the Members Only section of the website under ' Annual General Meeting > 2020 AGM' for your convenience.

I am pleased and honoured to serve as the president of the ACPA. ACPA has a clear vision, mission, and strategic plan. I embrace all the core values of the Association.

As a new immigrant to Canada twenty years ago, one of my biggest challenges was how to get recognized for my past education and work experience as a chemist. I applied for ACPA membership and was granted the P.Chem. title. ACPA saved my career as a chemist! I started to serve on the Board of Directors as the Treasurer from 2016-2020 and as the President-Elect for the 2019/2020 year. Currently, I serve on the Governance Committee and participate in the development of the Governance Manual.

Chemistry is my passion! I received my PhD in Chemistry from Nankai University (China), worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta and as a senior analyst at ALS Laboratories (Edmonton). Currently, I serve as the QA Systems Manager at EPCOR. In recent years, I started to participate in charity work as a professional chemist to help those in need in developing countries (e.g., Guatemala, Uganda, etc.).

We are facing unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has affected all aspects of our lives and jobs. It affects ACPA members as well. I hope all ACPA members and your families are staying healthy and safe. I look forward to working with the ACPA Board of Directors and its Committees to face the challenges ahead. We continue to serve you, our members, who work diligently to protect the interests of Albertans through your professional practice of chemistry.

The ACPA Undergraduate Scholarship in Chemistry ($1000) is awarded annually to a student who is registered in a full-time undergraduate chemistry program at a university in the province of Alberta.

2020 Recipient: Christian Potolicki

School: Concordia University of Edmonton

The ACPA has established the Arthur Bollo-Kamara Scholarship as a memorial tribute to Arthur Bollo-Kamara, Ph.D., P.Chem., and the work he conducted on behalf of chemists in this province. This $1000 scholarship is awarded annually to a student registered in a graduate chemistry program at a university in the province of Alberta.

2020 Recipient: Nicole Jankovic

School: University of Alberta

The ACPA Frank W. Bachelor Award for Service to the Chemical Profession was established in 2004. This award recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions to the chemical profession in Alberta. The recipient of the award receives a plaque and complimentary professional membership in the ACPA for life provided that the recipient continues to meet the requirements for Professional Chemist status.

2020 Recipient: Nils Petersen, P.Chem.

SCI-FUSION is typically a combination of two events, the Lethbridge Regional Science Fair and Science Olympics. The Regional Science Fair is open to students in grades 4 - 12 from southwest Alberta schools.

In 2016, the ACPA sponsored Alberta Chemist Award was introduced at the Lethbridge Regional Science Fair.

2020 Recipient: Matthew van Middlekoop

Project: 'Rusty Bottom'

School: Coaldale Christian School

Grade: 7

As a result of COVID-19, both the Edmonton Regional Science Fair and the Calgary Your Science Fair were cancelled for 2020 so the ACPA Rick Dillen Memorial Award (CCQTA) and Alberta Chemist Award were not presented this year.

After the cancellation of the Calgary Youth Science Fair for the first time in its 54-year history, 92 Calgary and area students uploaded their projects to Youth Science Canada’s Online STEM Fair. The Online Fair showcased 631 projects from across Canada online for the first time ever.

As you might have heard, the draft Alberta/Canada equivalency agreement regarding the release of methane from the oil and gas sector is open for public consultation. They would like to engage with different groups including professional associations to receive comments and feedback. Here is the link to the proposed agreement which is open for a 60 days comment period.

If you'd like further information, the proposed Order and accompanying Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement can be accessed at this link to the Canada Gazette, Part I.

The chemical composition of many things is much more complex than we suspect, and the same goes with words.

We typically think of words as pure, simple things made up of the sound (specific individual sounds put in sequence and said with a particular rhythmic pattern) and the sense (what the word denotes and how it’s used in a sentence). Some people are also aware that the sense includes not just denotation but connotation (just as a violin and a fiddle are the same instrument but occupy different status positions). But, oh, it’s all so much more complex than that.

In April, the Government of Alberta held a series of emergency meetings and asked all professions to develop Professional Service Continuity Plans. We were challenged: if many of the chemists in Alberta become ill, could we respond to an emergency situation and protect the people of Alberta. We invited you, our members to register the essential services you could provide as professional chemists. (You can still update your information in your ACPA account if you missed the opportunity).

This information is now available to the ACPA executive at times of emergency so that we can call for help as required to better serve the people of Alberta. The plan for emergency response by the ACPA is now available for you to read. Sign in under your ACPA account and look under the Member Menu. You will see the report listed under Annual General Meetings, 2020 AGM.

If you find yourself suddenly unemployed because of Covid-19 or because of the downturn in the Alberta oil patch, there are two ACPA benefits you should know about.

This short, one-day course will provide an introduction to the ethical framework that guides professional chemists in the conduct of their duties. The course focuses on solving practical issues that arise in professional practice. After a full morning of presentations by two instructors, Nils Petersen and Kathy Janzen, and several case studies examining issues that arise in everyday work situations, an examination based on a case study is given at the end of the day. Candidates that pass the exam will receive an Ethics certificate.

The ACPA has launched its Governance Committee. The Committee is cataloguing the Association’s overarching policies into a Governance Manual. The Manual will serve two key purposes both of which are aligned with the Association’s strategic plan:

The Student Liaison Committee is currently seeking members:

The Chemist's Ring is available for sale to any ACPA Professional Chemist who is a member in good standing. Completion of the Professional Ethics for Chemists and the Jurisprudence courses is a requirement to remain a member in good standing.

Note: Limited quantities of all sizes of titanium rings are currently in stock.

If you are a member of ACPA,  log in  to start learning or pick up where you left off. Free and discounted courses are available. If you are not a member,  join now  and gain access to member discounts along with a long list of other member benefits and opportunities!

The new ACPA Jursiprudence Course is an online course that can be completed in approximately three hours. To access the course, sign in to your ACPA online account and look for Jurisprudence course under the Member Menu. You will need to register for the course with a one time fee of $150 + GST. Thereafter, you can return to the course as often as you wish.

October 14-15, 2020

Stay tuned for more information!

Job postings are now FREE to post for both members and non-members! To share your employment opportunity, log in or create an account today.

Job postings are listed on the  Job Board page on the  ACPA website. Please check this web page regularly for new postings that may have tight application deadlines.

We are seeking an ambitious, energetic

scientist who is looking for part-time

hours to grow with us in a role we

anticipate will be full-time leader in our

organization. Students who are in the

latter end of their studies with the

right capabilities and can-do attitude

are welcome to apply. Note that the

rate of pay for this position is

reasonable for our current needs

however, we are looking for a scientist

with an entrepreneurial spirit that is

eager to get at the ground-level and

develop their career with us as our

business accelerates. We are not

necessarily looking for someone with a

ton of experience who knows all the

answers, but certainly someone who

has a network and has the drive to find

solutions.

For more information, or to submit a cover letter and resume please contact Mandie at [email protected] or 587-377-6333.

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