It has been just over 20 years since I was honored to serve CARB as its chair. Those were heady times, especially with the International Carbohydrate Symposium (ICS) in 1998 in San Diego. This was followed by a stint as Chair of CELL (Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division) in 2011 and 2012, also a good experience. Along the way I was awarded CELL’s highest award (the Anselme Payen) and was also named a Fellow of both CELL and ACS. This was a great way for the employed career of a semi-ACS junkie to end (retire). The end was not the end, however, with taking on the Chairmanship of the 2016 ICS in New Orleans, as well as becoming Editor-in-Chief of the journal Cellulose in 2012 and continuing until the present. All of these things have been beneficial for my current career as an unpaid “Special Government Employee” (Emeritus) status that provides me the best scientist's office in the Center but no help and no dedicated funds. The majority of the presentation will cover two main research activities: continuation of the quantum mechanics modeling of disaccharides, and attempts to better understand the character of cellulose fibers through X-ray diffraction. A third significant activity has been writing reviews and a couple of encyclopedia chapters. It would never have occurred to me that I would be making such a presentation during a celebration of CARB's 100th Anniversary, and I do not have any special advice for CARB other than for it to whole-heartedly support the U.S. Advisory Committee for International Carbohydrate Symposia, and to participate as fully and broadly as possible in the ICS that come along every two years. They have all been interesting and useful meetings and more folks would benefit from participation.

Life after CARB chairmanship

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.