Philadelphia Meeting Highlights

摘要

It was a challenge for the century - to pack 100 years worth of celebrating into just six days - but the Society's Centennial meeting did it, and provided a host of new memories for the Society's next history book. The meeting included three plenary lectures, a record number of technical sessions, talks by two Nobel Laureates, a surprise visit by none other than Dr. Benjamin Franklin, visiting representatives of 21 "sister" societies from around the world, and a pull-out-the-stops closing celebration party for over 800 people. The Philadelphia Inquirer (Friday, May 17, 2002, p. B13) covered the meeting, with the catchy headline, "Electrochemists Are Facing a Battery of New Challenges." Writer Faye Flam said, "The electrochemists are back." She meant back in town (Philadelphia), of course, but taken in any other context, it's clear that the electrochemists had never gone away, as was in evidence through the number and scope of papers presented. There were 1,576 papers presented in 53 sessions and nearly 2,000 attendees - not bad for meeting in a location other than Hawaii or Pairs. Comments were heard in the hallways about the enormous breadth of the technical program at this particular meeting, in addition to the many special activities going on simultaneously. This rather overwhelming situation was likened to an elaborate buffet table where one could not quite decide where to start and what to partake. There are not many meetings (at least on a routine basis) where more than one Nobel Laureate is giving multiple lectures.