As I visit Panama for a different conference than EAS where over 30 separate countries are represented, and I wear headphones to hear a translation of some of the Spanish speakers, I am struck by just how pertinent the theme of EAS 2018, Analytical Solutions to the World’s Problems, is. Eastern Analytical uses English as the main conference language but the problems that are presented to the analytical community and discussed at EAS are world-wide and transcend the boundaries of legal borders and a chosen language. As scientists, we solve problems based on our interests, our funding and our employment. As citizens of the world, typically, our families, our health, our homes, our environment, our world, are broadly shared. Visiting the Panama Canal where a vast man-made lake contributes to the wonder of the locks letting massive ships travel across the middle of a continent, it is easy to see how decisions made by us, the world inhabitants, to solve one problem can cause other problems to appear. The indigenous animals in the jungles flooded by Lake Gatun, are now sequestered on the former hills of this flooded jungle, they survive and have adapted to this over 100-year-old invasion of their home with new roles as tourist attractions to visitors of the Panama region.
The EAS program this year offers a multitude of analytical solutions to the problems of our world, whether societally created, technology or industrially generated or just results of our extensive interests as scientists. Presentations on pharmaceutical, environmental, clinical, conservation, food, forensics, regulations, proteomics and public health are planned with experts in each of these fields offering state-of-the-art solutions.
We have started to make EAS into a sustainable green conference with some specific green initiatives this year. Dr. John Warner, founder of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry and our Keynote speaker will present on green chemistry technologies and lead off our green sustainable efforts. Our plenary lecture will be given by the EAS Fields awardee, Professor Linda P. McGown of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. McGown is the William Weightman Walker Chair of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. She is being recognized for her solutions to the fields of separation science, the analysis of DNA sequences and recognizing the importance of aptamers as potential pharmaceutical substances. We know the traffic can be tough in the morning coming to EAS, but perhaps you would like to take the early approach to arrive before the traffic starts, get an awesome parking spot and listen to a breakfast lecture from Dr. Mark Schure on the current state of 2D liquid chromatography. Along with these topically focused presentations, as in all great analytical meetings, highly advanced presentations about leading analytical technologies are included.
Please check out our list of Short Course offerings, we have provided some new titles that should pique your interest for either one or two days of continuing education.
I look forward to you joining us from November 12th to 14th in Princeton this year!!
Mary Ellen McNally
2018 EAS President
p.s. As special thanks for thinking green, if you travel in a group or with just one other colleague or friend to EAS 2018, we will have a special gift for everyone in the car.