Focusing on cooperation within the State, the Chemical Sciences Consortium is conducting a three year project oriented towards enhancement of the chemical science faculties at the Regional Universities of Mississippi. Because of their strength in the Chemical Sciences, both in terms of educational and research activities, the University of Southern Mississippi has been asked by the Consortium to function as the lead University in this project. Two one week Chemical Science Conferences are being conducted each of the three years of the project under the supervision of the Consortium's Coordination Committee. Each of the six week long conferences has been organized by co-chairs who are recognized experts within the topical area of that conference. Each conference emphasizes a nationally important new topic in the chemical sciences. Several of the topics transverse the traditional boundaries of chemistry. Each of the programs will feature several nationally renowned invited speakers who will deliver lectures on vital new aspects concerning that conference's topic. These lectures also will be open to general audiences. The remaining activities of each program, i.e. demonstrations, topical discussions, laboratory experiments, etc., will be available only to the participants. At least 30% of each conference is being devoted to hands-on laboratory, using the specialized equipment available at the host institution. The project also features a unique on-site visit by each of the conference co- chairs to each of the participants universities to aid their faculty in implementing inclusion of the new information into their curricula and "return" visits by the participants and selected students to the host university to use equipment not available on the participant's campus. The host institution and The Institutions of Higher Learning of Mississippi are contributing one-third of the cost of the project.
