From the Associate Director
For a former longtime Californian like me, acclimating to the winter in Ithaca with so much snow and very low temperatures is certainly quite a change. Luckily the warm atmosphere at CHESS and the exciting science we are pursuing, make up for the cold and snowy winter weather!

In this newsletter we are featuring again two science highlights on CHESS research. An international research team from France, Brazil, Peru and the USA used X-ray fluorescence microscopy at CHESS to image elemental distributions of strontium, calcium, and selenium in Amazonian catfish bones to  track the catfish migration pattern . In another experiment, a Cornell team used a  small-angle X-ray scattering to understand how assemblies of “hairy nanoparticles” react to heat treatment.

Users with current proposals, (i.e. proposals submitted within the last two years) are encouraged to submit beam time requests (BTRs) by March 2nd to  apply for beam time during the April to June run.

The  women in science at CHESS  took a brief break from their activities recently to appreciate the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science  and to document how far we have come, but also how much more there is to do until the diversity of the scientific community reflects the diversity of society.

Outreach and science education have always been an important part of the CHESS mission. This Newsletter we highlight the  Cornell Institute for Science Educators (CISE) Lending Library program  lead by the amazing Florianna Blanton and supported by CHESS.

Please save the date for the  CHESS Users’ Meeting on June 9/10, 2020 . This year our theme is “Focus on the future”. We will try an updated format with a shorter plenary session and several 1-2 day workshops exploring future scientific directions at CHESS. More information will be provided soon!

Elke Arenholz
Associate Director, CHESS
Unmasking Continental Natal Homing in Goliath Catfish From the Upper Amazon
Laying the groundwork for conservation efforts in the context of hydro-power development in the Amazon Basin.   
Thermally Activated Equilibration of Self-Suspended Hairy Nanoparticles:
Soft glassy materials such as colloidal suspensions are of interest both from a scientific perspective and from a practical viewpoint for their wide applications.
This year's meeting will be on
June 9 & 10.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Every year on February 11th, the UN  International Day of Women and Girls in Science   recognizes the critical role women and girls play in science and technology.   
Expanding Teacher Resources Across the US :
The Lending Library, among other resources at CHESS, is a staple in the world of outreach.  

Issue No. 69 2020.2.17