Announcements 2018-2019 |
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| 14-Sep-19 | Jens Weitkamp (1942 - 2019) | |||||||||||||||
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Professor Dr.-Ing. Jens Weitkamp, the former director of the Institute of Chemical Technology of the University of Stuttgart passed away in Paris on August 25, 2019, the same town in which he was born on June 5, 1942. Jens Weitkamp studied chemistry at the Universities of Berlin and Karlsruhe. In 1971 he completed his doctoral studies under the supervision of Professor Dr. H. Pichler and his habilitation a few years later at the Engler-Bunte Institute of the University of Karlsruhe with Prof. Dr. K. Hedden. In 1986, Jens Weitkamp became Professor of Chemical Technology at the University of Oldenburg. In 1988 he took over a Full Professor position for Chemical Technology at the University of Stuttgart. High quality research on upgrading of crude oil and natural gas as well as petrochemistry has determined the scientific life of Jens Weitkamp and he has advanced these fields to a very large extent. Examples are refinery processes like cracking, hydrocracking, isomerisation, alkylation, reforming and demetallization as well as petrochemical reactions like alkylation of aromatics, transalkylation and epoxidation. Jens Weitkamp has advanced our understanding of zeolites and porous materials significantly. In his service to the International Zeolite Association, he served on the IZA council from 1994 till 2001 acting as the vice-president from 1994 to 1997 and the president from 1997 to 2001. He also served as the Chairman of the 10th International Zeolite Conference (IZC), held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1994. In 1993, Jens Weitkamp founded the scientific journal “Microporous Materials”, which he edited until the merger with “Zeolites” in 1997. From 1998 to 2003 he edited the new scientific journal “Microporous and Mesoporous Materials” as Editor-in-Chief, which became the leading journal within the field of zeolites and porous materials. Jens Weitkamp received a number of highly ranked recognitions among them are the Alwin-Mittasch-Prize of the DECHEMA (2010) and the Carl-Engler Medal (2002) of the German Society for Petroleum and Coal Science and Technology (DGMK). He became Corresponding Member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in 2003. The scientific community devoted to the research of zeolites, porous materials and heterogeneous catalysis shows great respect for the lifetime achievement of Jens Weitkamp and we regret the loss of this excellent scientist, teacher and human being. We will keep him in our memories. Our thoughts go to Sophie, his companion for the last ten years. |
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| 24-Aug-19 | Michael Stöcker received the Award of National Institute of Chemistry (Slovenia) | |||||||||||||||
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Dr. Michael Stöcker received the Award of National Institute of Chemistry (Ljubljana, Slovenia) for his contribution to the research in Slovenia during the last 25 years. The Award was given during a solemn prize ceremony with the presence of the Secretary of State for Science and Research - Slovenia (Dr. Jerney Strmayer), the Rector of the University of Ljubljana (Prof. Igor Papic), the Director of the National Institute of Chemistry - Slovenia (Prof. Gregor Anderluh), the President of the Scientific Council of the National Institute of Chemistry - Slovenia (Prof. Miran Gaberscek) as well as the German Vice-Ambassador to Slovenia (Hon Peter Lange). |
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| 31-Jul-19 | News from the IZC-19 in Perth | |||||||||||||||
| Seven new Council members were elected: | ||||||||||||||||
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Tina Düren (UK) Zhongmin Liu (China) Svetlana Mintova (France) Masaru Ogura (Japan) Yong Ki Park (Korea) Jeffrey Rimer (USA) Michael Stockenhuber (Australia) |
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| The new executive committee of the IZA council is: | ||||||||||||||||
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Martin Hartmann, President Zhongmin Liu, Vice-President Heloise Pastore, Secretary Jeffery Rimer, Treasurer |
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| International Zeolite Conference (IZC) | ||||||||||||||||
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At a Business Meeting, the IZA Board selected the venue for the 21st IZC in 2025: |
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| Dalian, China |
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The next IZC will be held in 2022 in Valencia, Spain. |
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| IZA Honorary Membeship Awards | ||||||||||||||||
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IZA Honorary Membeship Awards were given to: Christian Baerlocher of the ETH, Zurich, Switzerland for the renowned contribution to the structural chemistry of zeolites and for the devoted service to the design and maintenance of the Database of Zeolite Structure. Giuseppe Bellussi Eni SpA, Italy for the outstanding contribution to zeolite science and technology and for the great service as President of the IZA. Takashi Tatsumi of the Tokyo University of Technology, Tokyo, Japan for the outstanding contribution to zeolite synthesis and catalysis and for the dissemination of zeolite science. |
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| The new IZA Ambassador, the recepient of the 2019 IZA award is: | ||||||||||||||||
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Wilhelm Schwieger of the University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany for important contributions to zeolite science and technology resulting in commercial applications of zeolites. |
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| The first Young Researcher Award (YRA) of the Interanational Zeolite Association has been attributed to: | ||||||||||||||||
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Manuel Moliner of the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), Valencia, Spain for novel synthesis methods to obtain nanosized zeolites and to control active sites distribution in zeolite catalysts. The award is sponsored by ExxonMobil |
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| The 2019 Don Breck Award has been attributed to the team: | ||||||||||||||||
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Stephen K. Brand, Joel E. Schmidt, Michael W. Deem, Frits Daeyaer, Yanhang Ma, Osamu Terasaki, Marat Orazov, Mark E. Davis for the discovery of enantiomerically enriched STW zeolite.  The IZA president Valentin Valtchev (middle) with Manuel Moliner (left) recipient of the Yong researcher award and Mark Davis (right) recipient of the 2019 Don Breck Award. |
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| 20-Jun-19 | Alberto Alberti (1938 - 2019) | |||||||||||||||
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Alberto Alberti suddenly passed away on June 7th, 2019, two days from his 81st birthday. Alberto has been a major pillar of the community of natural zeolites and of crystallography of zeolites. Called by Glauco Gottardi to the Institute of Mineralogy of the University of Modena in 1966, he was an early developer of modern treatment of crystallographic data. He moved in 1986 to the University of Sassari and in 1989 to the University of Ferrara, where he started a successful school of crystallography. In the field of natural zeolites, his name is connected to the discovery and structural refinement of a number of new minerals, from barrerite to gottardiite, terranovaite and mutinaite. Throughout his career, he built bridges between the communities of natural and synthetic zeolites, showing the structural identity of many synthetic zeolites and their natural analogs. He brought fundamental contributions to the crystallochemistry of zeolites, shedding new light on the mechanisms of reconstructive phase transitions and of mobility of cations and acidic protons, improving the understanding of the properties of zeolites and aluminophosphates. His dedication to the zeolite community motivated his active participation to the instances of the International Zeolite Association, the International Mineralogical Association and the Associazione Italiana Zeoliti. The number of students who have been induced by his example to endeavour careers in research and teaching is the best witness of his capacity of transmitting his passionate love for science. The colleagues and students of Alberto will fondly remember his kindness, his human warmth and his commitment to help alleviating any human suffering. |
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| 7-Feb-19 | Harry Edwin Robson (1927 - 2019) | |||||||||||||||
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It is with great sadness that we must report that Dr. Robson, a former employee of Exxon and renowned expert in zeolite synthesis, passed away on January 18, 2019. Harry Edwin Robson was born on July 19, 1927 near Burlington, USA. He earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in Kansas University. He moved to Baton Rouge in 1957 to join the research lab at Esso (later Exxon), remaining there until his first retirement in 1986. He spent the next six years consulting in the chemical industry and teaching at LSU. He was a pioneer in the field of zeolite synthesis, and he was instrumental in the formation of the International Zeolite Association. With his colleagues, he compiled and edited three books on zeolite synthesis. The zeolite community and in particular the synthetic chemists will continue to enjoy his legacy for many years to come. |
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| 4-Feb-19 | Stefan Ernst (1960 - 2019) | |||||||||||||||
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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Professor Stefan Ernst. This is truly a loss for the worldwide community of chemical technology and zeolite science in particular. Stefan Ernst studied Chemical Engineering in Karlsruhe, obtained his Ph.D. in Oldenburg with Jens Weitkamp and finished his habilitation at the University of Stuttgart. Since 1997, he has been Professor of Chemical Technology at TU Kaiserslautern. Stefan Ernst is known as one of the pioneers of zeolite science in Germany. He has made outstanding contributions to the synthesis of zeolites and their application in industrial catalysis. A landmark example is the synthesis of phase-pure ZSM-20 in 1987. Moreover, he introduced the spaciousness index to characterize the effective pore width of bifunctional zeolites via a catalytic test reaction. Stefan published more than 150 papers in particular on zeolite-based ship in the bottle catalysts as well as hydrocarbon isomerization and cracking. He established ethylbenzene disproportionation as a standard reaction for the characterization of acid zeolites. Moreover, Stefan was closely connected with scientific organizations such as DECHEMA, the German Zeolite Association and the German Catalysis Society. He served on the board of the International Zeolite Association (IZA) und was chair of its catalysis commission. He organized and contributed to many national and international conferences in the fields of zeolites and petrochemistry. Whenever we met him, we could feel his passion for zeolites and catalysis. His large profound knowledge and friendly encouragement made him a well-respected advisor for students, co-workers, colleagues and industrial partners. We will certainly memorize his ability of networking and connecting people across regions, cultures, faculties and generations. His unselfishness, kindness, strong support and knowledgeable advice will surely be missed by the zeolite community. |
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| 19-Dec-18 | News from the IZA board: a Young Researcher Award established | |||||||||||||||
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The IZA has established a Young Researcher Award with the objective to recognize the young active researcher for outstanding contribution to the Science and Technology of zeolites and related nanoporous materials. The award, a plaque, will be given to an individual not a group, during the banquet of the International Zeolite Conference. The sponsorship, in the amount of $ 10000, is assumed by ExxonMobil and presented at each IZC conference. A representative of ExxonMobil will personally hand over the award and congratulate the winner. The first award Young Researcher Award will be given during the 19th IZC in Perth, Australia. More information can be found in the IZA protocole for the Young Researcher Award. |
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| 22-Nov-18 | Nominations for the 2019 Donald W. Breck Award invited | |||||||||||||||
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The Breck Award nomination committee invites nominations for the 2019 Donald W. Breck Award. This award is for the most significant contribution to Molecular Sieve Science and Technology made between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 and the winner will be announced on July 11, 2019 at the 19th IZC in Perth, Australia. The award may be given to an individual or to a group. The nomination should be accompanied by a list of references and a 2 page summary outlining in detail the novel findings and their scientific merit. It must be endorsed by five established zeolite scientists. Nominations should be sent by March 1, 2019 to the Chair of the Breck Award Committee: Dr. Stacey Zones Chevron Energy Technology Company E-mail: SIZO@chevron.com |
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| 1-Nov-18 | News from the MOF Commission | |||||||||||||||
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We are soliciting nominations for at least four new positions on the International Zeolite Association Commission on Metal-Organic Frameworks (https://www.iza-online.org/MOF/). A vote will be held amongst delegates at the MOF2018 conference, and the successful candidates announced at this meeting. If you are interested in this role, or know a colleague who may be interested, please email the Commission chair Russell Morris (rem1@st-andrews.ac.uk). Russell may also be contacted for further information about the process or the role. |
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| 6-Oct-18 | Proposals for the organization of the 21st International Zeolite Conference | |||||||||||||||
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The IZA Executive Council is soliciting proposals for organizing the 21st IZC to be held in 2025. A proposal should contain sufficient detail, including the specific proposed conference location, to permit a reasonable evaluation of its merits, and must contain the name of a person who agrees to become the Conference Organizer, if the IZA council would select the proposal. The time schedule for this process is shown schematically below. Selection of the venue for the 21st IZC:
A: Those who plan to submit a bid for the 21st IZC should send a letter of intent to the IZA President (valentin.valtchev@ensicaen.fr) or the IZA Secretary (lolly@iqm.unicamp.br) at least six months before the 19th IZC. It should contain the name of the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, the Members of the Organizing Committee and the envisaged venue and date for the 21st IZC. The Organizing Committee is expected to include well-established academics in the field of zeolite-type materials. Upon receipt of the letter of intent, the Secretary shall send the detailed questionnaire "Proposal for the Organization of the 21st IZC to be held in 2025" to the applicant. B: This questionnaire, properly filled in and signed, must be received by the President and Secretary at least four months before the 19th IZC. All bids received by this date are distributed to the IZA Council members. C: The Council will finalize the pre-selection two months before the 19th IZC. The IZA President will notify all those who submitted bid(s) of the outcome of the pre-selection and the date for the presentation to the IZA Council. This gives the successful applicants two months to prepare their presentations for the Business Meeting at the 19th IZC. At the IZA Council meeting, after the presentations of the pre-selected proposals, the IZA Council will vote for the selection of the final winner. The winner will be announced at the closing Business Meeting at the 19th IZC. |
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| 13-Apr-18 | Garcia Martinez receives the Kathyrin Hach Award (ACS entrepreneurship award) | |||||||||||||||
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The 2018 entrepreneurship ward of the American Chemical Society was attributed to Prof. Javier Garcia-Martinez (Rive Technology) for the commercialization of mesoporous zeolites. Congratulations from the IZA to our esteemed colleague! |
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| 9-Apr-18 | Jiři Čejka receives the Werner von Siemens Award | |||||||||||||||
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Prof. Jiři Čejka and his group received the prestigious Werner von Siemens Award (Czech Republic) for their work on the ADOR chemistry. Congratulations from the IZA to Jiři Čejka and his group!  |
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| 23-Dec-17 | News from the MOF Commission | |||||||||||||||
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The MOF commission of the IZA would like to solicit bids to host the 7th International MOF meeting, which is scheduled to take place in 2020. The deadline for bids will be October 1st, 2018 and the decision will be made during the 6th International MOF meeting to be held in December 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. Further information on what is required for a bid can be found by clicking here. The required documentation should be e-mailed to Russell Morris (rem1@st-andrews.ac.uk) by the above date. |
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| 17-Nov-17 | News from the Natural Zeolites Commission | |||||||||||||||
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A comprehensive report on the sedimentary zeolites of Cuba is posted on the Natural Zeolite Commission website. |
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