York student Ibraheem Nuaaman made sure the host university captured at least one prize – a first in environmental chemistry – at the 34th Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference (SOUSCC) hosted by York’s Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science & Engineering, on March 18.
Left: Professor Rob McLaren (left) of York’s Department of Chemistry presents Ibraheem Nuaaman with his prize
With 14 universities represented, 113 scheduled student oral presentations and 175 participants, the event was the largest undergraduate chemistry conference ever held in Canada. There were six parallel sessions on different fields of 
chemistry including analytical & environmental, biochemistry, inorganic, organic & materials/polymer, organic synthesis, and physical & theoretical chemistry. The sessions were chaired by 12 York Chemical Society students and graduate students. There were also judges in each session that had the difficult task of deciding on oral presentation awards.
Right: Student delegates mingle in the Computer Science & Engineering Building between sessions
The day was capped with an evening banquet at Michelangelo’s. The highlight of the evening was the highly energized and entertaining lecture given by Scott Fielder, professor in the Department of Chemistry. More information on prize winners is available on the SOUSCC conference Web site.