We are the largest producer of Graduate Chemists and the only producer of Chemistry Technicians at very low cost in Sri Lanka

College of Chemical SciencesCollege of Chemical SciencesCollege of Chemical SciencesCollege of Chemical SciencesCollege of Chemical SciencesCollege of Chemical Sciences

Vol . 13 No. 5 September - November 2014

CCS News Letter CCS News Letter

A Government approved Charity, Founded 1971: Incorporated by Act of Parliament No: 15 of 1972 ,Successor to the Chemical Society of Ceylon, Founded 1941

Late Applications being accepted for thGraduateship (37 intake) and

Diploma in Laboratory Technology st(DLTC) (41 intake) Programmes

Late applications are invited from those having three GCE (A/L)

passes in recognized scientific disciplines (including Chemistry) or

equivalent (such as a Diploma in Chemistry), or awaiting results.

Admission to the Graduateship programme is also possible for

those having a pass in the DLTC programme conducted by our

Institute. Prospective BSc Graduates from recognized universities

can also apply directly for admission to the last two years of the

Graduateship programme while they are in the third year of a BSc

Programme of a recognised University. Those with GCE (O/L)

qualifications OR only one A/L pass in Chemistry can apply for the

two year DLTC programme scheduled to commence in January

2015. Application forms and further details are now available at

the Institute office and on our website www.ichemc.edu.lk. First

two years of both programmes can now be followed either at week

ends or week days.

Eleventh Convocation at Eagles Lakeside thBanquet & Convention Centre on Feb 19

The eleventh CCS convocation will be held on February th19 , 2015 (Thursday) at 9.30 am at the Eagles Lakeside

Banquet & Convention Centre at Kawdana Road,

Attidiya. Law Academic, Emeritus Professor Savithri

Goonasekera, former Vice Chancellor of University of

Colombo will be the Chief Guest for this occasion andnddeliver the Convocation Address. The 32 batch of Graduate Chemists

thand 40 batch of Diploma in Laboratory Technology Diplomates will

receive their awards and certificates at this Convocation which will be

followed by lunch.

Dr. M Mahendran presently in Toronto, Canada (Consultant in the field

of membrane development for water and waste water treatment and

formerly Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of

Colombo) who was very closely associated with the Graduateship

Programme at its very inception as an Examiner and Lecturer would be

the Guest of Honour at the Convocation.

Another Graduate Chemist as CCS

AcademicDr. Sameera Ranmal Gunatilake, Grad.

Chem., PhD (Mississippi State

University, USA), has been appointed

as a Full Time Academic with effectstfrom 1 January on a contract basis. Graduating from our Institute

in 2008, Ranmal obtained his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from

Mississippi State University, USA in 2014 under Prof. Todd E.

Mlsna's supervision. His research was mainly focused on

development of novel methods for the analysis of residue

estrogenic compounds in environmental aqueous matrices using

liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Inside PagesCCS News (in brief) 2Guest Editorial by

Prof. Eugene de Silva 3 International News 3CCS Examination Results 4 IChemC News (in brief) 4

Inauguration of our Programmes

thThe Graduateship Programme (37

intake) will be inaugurated by CCS

Graduate Chemist,

M s . R e n u k a

Jayasundara, Head

of the Analytical

Instruments (PVT)

LT D a t E l v i g a l ardMawatha, Colombo on Saturday 3

January 2015. The College Lunch will

be held immediately afterwards.stThe DLTC Programme (41 intake) will

be inaugurated by DLTC Diplomate

Mr Upali Jayasundara, Shell Petroleum, Asian Region Quality thAssurance Consultant on Friday 9 January 2015.

Seventh Inaugural Professorial Oration The seventh Professorial Oration titled “β-Lactams and

Lactamases" by Prof. Srianthi A. Deraniyagala will be delivered on thThursday 5 February at 4.15 pm at Adamantane House.

Breaking News: Graduateship All Rounder Prizes - 2014Dr. R O B Wijesekera Felicitation Fund Award for the Best Mr. T B Alahakoon

Professor Noel G Baptist Memorial Award for the Second best (equal) Mr. S A K James

Chamikara Wijesinghe Award for the Second Best (equal) Ms. N U Dharmaratne

Certificates of Honorable Mention Ms. J A Vanlangenberg, Mr. M A T N Karunarathne

Prof Savithri Goonasekera

Ms. Renuka Jayasundara

True Education is not just filling a basket but lighting a fire

College of Chemical Sciences (CCS) News in briefFormal Welcome to the New Dean &

Farewell to the Former DeanrdA function was held on 03 October to formally welcome

stProfessor M D P de Costa as Dean/CCS from 1 October and to

bid farewell to Professor S Sotheeswaran who relinquished ththis post on 30 September prior to his forthcoming departure

abroad on leave in December 2014.

Annual Blood Donation Campaign The Annual Blood Donation Campaign organized by the College students

thwas held on 29 October at Adamantane House where blood was

donated by over 58 persons.

Felicitation dinner by the passed out batchthA felicitation dinner was given by the passed out batch on 28 September

at the College premises. Special tokens of appreciation were given to the stlecturers by the students of the 31 batch.

CCS Students Association 2014/2015President : - Mr. Miyuru Madusanka

Vice President : - Ms. Anjana Wijesekara

Secretary : - Ms. Shainey Mahaliyana

Senior Treasurer : - Dr. Infas Mohamed

Junior Treasurer : - Mr. Veranjan Cooray

Junior President : - Mr. Thilina Gamagedara

Junior Secretary : - Ms. Ameesha Fernando

Level Coordinators:

Level 4:- Mr. Hasitha Samarasinghe, Ms. Chamansha Halloluwa

Level 3:- Mr. Vidura Wijesekara,Ms. Thiwanka Amarasinghe

Level 2:- Mr. Cristo Binara, Mr. Ranganath Yasasri, Ms. Ovini Amarasinghe,

Ms. Jayani Kaushalya

DLTC: - Year 2 - Mr. Damitha Fernando, Mr. Sadeeka Fernando

year 1 - Ms. D M D Hansani, Ms. Lakshani Rathnayake, Mr. P M Uditha

New Appointments....Misses D M K C Dissanayake, N U Dharmaratne, J A

Vanlangenberg, P P D Jayapala, K M Perera and Messrs M A T N

Karunaratne and C D R Pathirana have been appointed as Trainee stTeaching Assistants with effective from November 1 2014.

Honorary Rector attends FACS Ex Co meeting in Istanbul, Turkey

Professor J N Oleap Fernando, Honorary Rector/CCS, who was

elected as a FACS Ex Co member representing South and West thAsia at the 17 General Assembly of the Federation of Asian

Chemical Societies (FACS) held in Singapore in August 2013, thattended the 66 Ex Co meeting that was held in Istanbul,

stTurkey on 31 August 2014. For the first time in the history of

our Institute travel expenses were borne by the Institute in

terms of a recent IChemC policy decision to bear such

expenses of our representatives and delegates who proceed

for international meetings and conferences. The local

expenses in Istanbul were as usual borne by the Conference

organisers from the Turkish Chemical Society. The Ex Co

meeting was held in conjunction with the Fifth biennial

meeting of the European Society for Chemical and Molecular

Sciences which is the European parallel to FACS. At a special

Bosphorus Session of the two societies held on 2nd

September, Professor Fernando presented a paper titled "The

Unique Empowerment of Sri Lankans through the

Graduateship and Technician Programmes in Chemistry in an

unconventional manner to enable not only school leavers but

also adults, the employed, late developers, late realisers etc to

realise their goals and aspirations", in which he emphasized

the productive efforts of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon to

provide tertiary educational opportunities to meet Sri Lankan

needs and demands. Several positive comments were made

regards the programme by other FACS Ex-Co members who

were present at the previous FACS Ex-Co meeting and

Chemical Education Conference held in Colombo in April 2014

during which they were present at our tenth Convocation.

DonationsProfessor & Mrs. J N Oleap Fernando have donated an

additional amount of Rs. 25,000 for the North American

Alumni Commemorative Prize for the History of Chemistry &

History of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon.

Mr. T Kandasamy has donated Rs. 60,000 for the “President

1979 Award for the best performance for Industrial Safety,

Health and Environmental Technology” and Rs. 60,000 for the

“Lakshmi Award for the best performance for Chemistry of

Gem Material and Synthetic Gem Materials”.

What hurts more is not the sword of the enemy but the silence of the friend - Martin Luther King

Seminar on “Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment Techniques”

This seminar organized by Dr. R Parthipan & Dr. R Kandiah will be held on th16 December at Adamantane House. The resource persons will be Profs.

J N O Fernando, M D P de Costa, Drs. S Weerakoon, G Bandarage, (Ms) M

Kandiah & (Ms) V M Thadhani and Mr. M R M Haniffa. Contact for further

details vidyani.dil@gmail.com.

Mr. Miyuru Madusanka

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To differentiate the important from the urgent is a

necessity in life, and thus the reason that I hang the poem

known as “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann in my office. This

poem was written in 1927, yet the lessons taught through this

piece of literary art remain true today. To walk placidly among

chaos, haste, and adversity, enables one to rationally gain

perspective of all problems in life. Along these lines, a life free

of problems is generally a much happier life than one overrun

by issues. A life without happiness is analogous to a shell

without a seed. Accordingly, in our pursuits of happiness, we

are regularly prepared to tolerate, suffer, persevere, and

patiently prod along a perpetual pathway in the hopes that we

will find our ultimate happiness. Alas, a majority of the time,

our pursuits are futile and lead us to life with little to no

happiness at all. As chemists, we can confidently recognize and

understand the chemicals that contribute to the feeling of

happiness. The four chemicals in our brain that contribute to

this happiness can be noted simply as “DOSE”: (D)opamine

(O)xytocin (S)erotonin (E)ndorphins. However, our pursuits of

happiness will continue to be limited by the actions that we

take daily until there comes a time when we can stimulate the

exact points in our brain to release these chemicals, or find a

way to synthesize these chemicals and inject them into our

blood stream. Therefore, it may be necessary to delve briefly

into physics, another major science, and take into

consideration that actions have an equal and opposite

reaction. In our own lives, it is the power and volume of our

own actions that will impact our happiness equally. As alumni

of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon, we embarked on a journey

to happiness and upon completion receiving the qualification

from the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon, in our attempt to walk

placidly amongst noise and haste; unfortunately, many have failed to

distinguish the important from the urgent. Although we have done many

great deeds by establishing ourselves within universities and industries,

our Graduateship in Chemistry qualification still needs wider recognition

in the world. Hence, the best way to bring about such recognition is

through the provision of opportunities for the younger graduates of our

Institute. Recently, my association and work with universities in the

United States (US) led me to contact the World Educational Services

(WES.org) and made it possible for WES to recognize the Institute of

Chemistry qualification as an equivalent to a US Bachelor's degree in

Chemistry. Now, any student who wishes to apply for a post-graduate

qualification from a US university or is seeking employment in the US, can

easily apply to WES, pay the due fee, and receive the evaluation certificate

that will clear any doubts in the minds of the US academic community.

This evaluation certificate from WES guarantees recognition by any US

university and employer. I am also personally looking forward to initiating

a joint Graduateship in Chemistry and a US Master's through my Virginia

Research Institute, USA, which will further elevate the recognition of the

Institute of Chemistry Ceylon at a global level. My work brings me

personal happiness. As prominently noted in “Desiderata,” we are each

children of the universe and we each have a right to be here. Our

happiness and our future may seem unclear, yet the universe is unfolding

as it should. Thus, we must take a firm stance to support our alma mater

and, regardless of the issues we face, the disdain or loud noises we hear

from our opposition, or even the bitterness we notice amongst those who

compare their achievements to our qualifications, we must move forward

one day at a time without remaining complacent. And so, we may not

entirely notice it today, but our future is bright and we can pave a

successful path for our future graduates through our actions today. Let us

come together as alumni and encourage the pursuit of happiness and the

continuous improvement of the Institute of Chemistry as one.

(Prof. Eugene de Silva's latest book on, “Cases on Research-Based Teaching Methods in Science Education” published by IGI Global, is now available as a reference book for academic institutes and government educational departments. Prof. de Silva is the winner of various national and international awards, including the “Above and Beyond” and “Innovative Teaching” awards. His educational model, “START” is currently being implemented in the US and foreign educational settings. Prof. De Silva was the receipient of one of the three Ruby Anniversary (DLTC) Awards made at our last Convocation in April to DLTC diplomates who have richly contributed to the educational programmes of IChemC/CCS in an exemplary and noteworthy manner.)

International News - The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014

Eric Betzig Stefan W. HellWilliam E. Moerner

The greatest risk in life is not to take a risk!-3-

Institute of Chemistry Ceylon / College of Chemical SciencesAdamantane House, Professor M U S Sultanbawa Mawatha, 341/22, off Kotte Road, Welikada, Rajagiriya

Phone: 011- 4015230, 2861231, 2861653 Fax extension: 217 email: ichemc@sltnet.lk web: www.ichemc.edu.lk Supplementary Campus, 341/2, Kotte Road, Welikada, Rajagiriya Phone 011 - 2053148

LEVEL 2 AWARDS LISTFirst Prize & W.F. Peiris Memorial Trust Scholarship – Ms. U K M Bopitiya

Second Prize & Profr W. Pearlyn D. Perera Scholarship – Ms. A A S V Fernando

Third Prize & Prof G. C. N. Jayasuriya Scholarship – Ms. K H D Perera

Fourth Prize & Family Leelarathna Scholarship – Mr. P B G Danushka

SUBJECT PRIZES FOR BEST PERFORMANCES AT LEVEL 2Prof J N Oleap Fernando Prize for Physical Chemistry - Ms. A A S V Fernando

Prof S P Deraniyagala Prize for Inorganic Chemistry - Ms. K D S S Perera &

Ms. U K M Bopitiya

Prof Siromi Samarasinghe Prize for Organic Chemistry - Ms. K D S S Perera

Yogarani Mahesan & Family Prize for Analytical Chy - Mr. D N N De Silva

Professor Jayantha Welihinda Prize For Biochemistry - Mr. D N N De Silva

Henry Ashmore Pieris Memorial Prize for Introduction

to Management, Economics & Finance - Ms. A A S V Fernando

Graduateship Examinations in Chemistry, 2014

Ms. U K M Bopitiya Ms. A A S V Fernando Ms. K H D Perera

Institute of Chemistry Ceylon (IChemC) News in brief

News of MembersProfessor Chandana P Udawatte, Professor in Chemistry has been

appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri

Lanka from May 2014. Since the current University Act came into

operation in 1978, this is the very first time that an academic

from a Department of Chemistry has secured an appointment as

Vice Chancellor in spite of the fact that names of about 15 such

Chemistry academics had been forwarded to the UGC from seven

universities over the past 37 years.

Professor K R R Mahanama has been elected as Dean/Faculty of

Sciences and Professor Ramanee Wijesekera has been appointed as

Head/Chemistry at the University of Colombo. Dr. Vinitha M Thadhani attended the FirstInternational Conference

in Coastal Biology, China from 25 - 30 September, where she

presented a paper titled "Lichens as treasure chest of biologically

active compounds".

thCall for Annual Awards by 28 FebMembers of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon are invited to apply

thfor the following awards, before 28 February 2015. Please see the

Institute web site (www.ichemc.edu.lk) for more details.

DR. C L DE SILVA GOLD MEDAL AWARD INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY SILVER MEDALS Devanathan Memorial Award Chandrasena Memorial Award Ramakrishna Memorial Award INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY BRONZE MEDALS

Kandiah Award for Basic Chemistry Kandiah Award for Applied Chemistry Kandiah Memorial Graduateship Award (for Graduate Chemists)

Professor M. U. S. Sultanbawa Award for Research.

Call for Papers for Annual Sessions 2015Members of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon are invited to submit

abstracts to be considered for presentation at the Annual Sessions to

be held in June 2015. All abstracts and extended abstracts must be stsubmitted on or before 31 January 2015.

Seminar on “Product development and innovations in Food & Medicinal Plants”

ndThis seminar was held on 2 October 2014. The resource persons

were Prof. Tuley de Silva, Drs. Ilmi Hewajulige, Shanthi Wilson, (Ms)

Odan Perera, (Mrs) GAP Chandrasekara & H A J Gunathilake and Mr

Ranjith Perera. Around 70 participants took part in this seminar which

was coordinated by Dr. L. S. R. Arambewela.

Call for Nominations for Institute of Chemistry thGold Medal 2015 by 28 February (Under Revised Rules)

This Gold Medal was the very first of such awards to be donated to the

Institute and was made possible through a generous donation made

by Mascons Ltd in memory of their founder Mr A Subramanium in

1978/79. The award is made to a mid-career Chemist in recognition of

honorary services to the Institute. Nominees should be less than 55

years of age and should have been Corporate members for at least 10 styears by 1 June 2015. They should have made significant

contributions towards the activities of the Institute through yeoman

services in an honorary capacity. These activities could include holding

office, membership in committees, coordination of events such as

workshops, social events etc.

Nominations should be made by any Corporate Member of the

Institute and should include the consent of the nominee and details of

the contributions made.

Dean’s List of High Achievers, 2014Level 1 (2013) & Level 2 (2014) in order of merit

1. Ms. U K M Bopitiya2. Ms. A A S V Fernando3. Ms. K H D Perera4. Ms. Ms. N Gunawardhana5. Mr. P B G Dhanushka6. Ms. H R Atapattu7. Ms. K D S S Perera8. Ms. K A M C Kodituwakku9. Ms. M S De A Goonatilleke

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