COMMITTEE REPORT

    The 2007 Shirley B. Radding Award accepted nominations without regard to geographic location of the nominee. This was the eighth year that the Award was open to all nominees. As customary, the four criteria for the Award remained:

• Member of the American Chemical Society for more than twenty (20) years.

• Demonstrated dedicated and unselfish service to ACS members over a sustained period of time.

• Provided leadership through elected and appointed ACS positions at local, regional and national levels.

• Made significant contributions to industrial, applied or academic chemistry.

Previous Award Recipients are:

    1994 Shirley B. Radding

    1995 R. Agnes Ann Green (deceased)

    1996 John F. "Jack" Riley

    1997 Howard M. Peters

    1998 Alan C. Nixon (deceased)

    1999 Valerie J. Kuck

    2000 Halley A. Merrell

    2001 Norman A. LeBel (deceased)

    2002 Paul H. L. Walter

    2003 Jean'ne M. Shreeve

    2004 Maureen G. Chan

    2005 Dr. Glenn Fuller

    2006 Dr. Janan M. Hayes

    Merle I. Eiss is the 2007 Shirley B. Radding Award recipient.  Presentation of this fourteenth Radding Award was made at the Santa Clara Valley Section picnic on July 14, 2007, in Palo Alto, CA.

    Merle’s chemical career extends over thirty-seven years as an industrial chemist at McCormick & Co., Hunt Valley, MD, the world’s largest spice company.  Her areas of interest and work included analytical chemistry, food and agriculture chemistry, Quality Assurance, development of food cleanliness and handling processes.  She is currently involved in international trade and international regulatory approvals for various seasonings, spices and flavors as well as working with the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture.

    As a consultant and Lecturer to the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization, International Trade Centre, and the International Atomic Energy Agency she has provided short courses on Quality Assurance of spices, herbs, and other crops, and food irradiation technology.  Areas of interest include developing countries in Asia and Latin America. 

    As technical Director of the American Spice Trade Association she has served as a technical expert on spices and herbs, including chemistry and microbiology and laboratory audits.

    Her service in ACS National and Local Offices includes:  Committee on Nominations and Elections; Council Policy Committee; Vice-chair, Committee on Committees; Secretary, Committee on International Activities; Board of Trustees, Group Insurance Plans for ACS Members; Committee on Constitution and Bylaws; Committee on Copyrights; Chair, Women Chemists Committee; CHEMTECH Advisory Board.

    She is presently serving as a Maryland Section Councilor since 1984; and Abstracts and Publications Chair, Division of Chemical Information.

    Her degree in Chemistry is from Purdue University.

Presentation of the Award

    In keeping with the plans of the Committee as adopted by the Executive Committee, Dr. Hayes was asked when and where she would like the presentation of his award to be made.

    Fortunately, she responded affirmatively to the invitation to attend the Santa Clara Valley Section Annual Awards Picnic on July 14, 2007. This required Merle to leave her home in Baltimore Maryland early Saturday (the day of the picnic) and return from the Bay Area late on Sunday. Her attendance was greatly appreciated by all who greeted her. The Section was also fortunate to have among the other guests at the picnic, Shirley Radding who witnessed the presentation.
                                                                                                                       --Peter Rusch
                                                                                                                          Radding Award Committee Chair

Peter Rusch and Merle Eiss
at the award ceremony at the picnic

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