BU#Chemical#Writing#Program#(BUCWP)#
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AY2015/2016#
Application*for*Writing*Assistant*(WA)*Position*
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All#applicants,#including#returning#WA’s,#are#required#to#fill#out#Section#1#of#the#application.##New#applicants#should#complete#all#
sections#of#this#application.##Completed#applications#(including#CV#and#writing#sample)#should#be#dropped#off#in#the#Chemistry#
Department#main#office#(SCI#299)#care#of#Dr.#Binyomin#Abrams.##Any#questions#can#be#emailed#directly#to#abramsb@bu.edu#
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Section#1:#Biographical#Information#(All#applicants)#
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Name:#_____________________________________________# Department:# ___________________#
####################Last##################################################First##########################################M.I.#
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Campus#Address:##____________________________________# Email:##_________________________#
#####################################Building##############Room#######################Campus#Ext.##
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Position:######Grad# #######PostOdoc#######PFF# ##Faculty#
Advisor:###_______________________##
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Graduate#students#only:###Year##______## ###Do#you#have#permission#of#your#advisor?## #Yes### ##No#
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######Support#during#AY14/15:#####Fall:## #TF### ##RA## #Uncertain### ###Spring:# #TF### ##RA## #Uncertain###
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Section#2:#Basic#Grammar/Writing#Skills#(New#applicants#only)#
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Read#the#following#sentences,#mark#the#errors#and#give#suggestions#on#how#to#revise#for#clarity#or#correctness.#
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Since#in#some#trials#there#were#difficulties#with#clamp,#it#was#not#realeased#immediately#after#
the#first#bubble#of#the#reaction,#therefore#some#gas#might#have#leaked#out#of#the#system,#thus,#
giving#a#lower#ratio#than#supposed#to.##
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With#the#accuracy#of#determining#Avogadro’s#number#hinging#upon#multiple#factors,#it#is#to#no#
wonder#that#advanced#researchers#have#shifted#away#from#measuring#NA#in#such#errorOridden#
exO#periments#and#towards#more#exact#methods#such#as#XOray#crystallography.#
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The# presence# of# dyes# in# nearly# all# commercialized# food# products# has# led# to# a# number# of#
studies#regarding#the#health#risks#associated#with#them.#
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BU#Chemical#Writing#Program#(BUCWP)#
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AY2015/2016#
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Section#3:#Commenting#on#student#work#(New#applicants#only)#
A#sample#Introduction#from#a#student’s#lab#report#is#provided#below.##Please#read#the#writing#sample#and#write#brief#
comments#(directed#to#the#student)#explaining#how#to#improve#the#quality#of#the#writing.#
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“For#our#human#body,#iron#is#an#important#part#in#the#human#diet#because#it#is#an#element#that#is#
responsible# for# the# hemoglobin# in# the# red# blood# cells# to# carry# oxygen.# # Many# biologically# important#
molecules#contain#iron.#These#are#essential#in#a#human's#diet.##One#example#of#a#biologically#important#
molecule#would#be#the#enzyme#catalase.#Iron#is#in#the#active#sire#of#the#enzyme.#An#example#of#iron#in#
food#would#be#cereal.#In#this#lab,# Cheerios#cereal#is#analyzed#for#its#iron#content#and#compared#to#the#
values#provided#by#the#manufacturer.#
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The# iron# content# was# determined# through# Atomic# Absorption# Spectroscopy.# In# the# AAS#
instrument,# the# solution# is# excited,# more# specifically# the# Fe# turns# into# gas,# and# then# it# emits# a#
wavelength#of#light#unique#to#the#atomic#energy#level#of#iron.#The#AAS#is#a#good#technique#to#measure#
the#iron#content#because#the#AAS#is#an#instrument#created#to#analyze#the#concentration#of#metals#in#a#
solution.#It#can#measure#the#concentration#in#very#high#precision#with#little#to#no#error#at#all.#The#AAS#is#
also# used# to# find# the# concentration# of# over# 70# different# metals# in# solution.# In# this# lab,# the# method# of#
standard# additions# is# also# used.# It# is# used# frequently# in# instrumental# analysis# to# determine# the#
concentration#of#an#unknown#sample#by#comparison#to#a#set#of#samples#of#known#concentration,#similar#
to#a#calibration#curve.#
In# the# lab,# eight# sample# solutions# were# created# to# measure# absorbance# values# with# a# variable#
amount#of#stock#solution#and#a#constant#amount#of#cereal#solution.#The#AAS#instrument#determined#the#
iron# content# by# using# the# standard# additions# methods# and# then# plotting# these# values# on# an# Excel#
spreadsheet.# The# value# obtained# by# the# AAS# and# the# Excel# plot# was# compared# to# the# manufacturer’s#
label.”*
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Section#4:#Supplementary#materials#(New#applicants#only)#
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All#new#applicants#should#also#attach#and#submit:#(1)#an#upOtoOdate#CV#and#(2)#one#or#two#samples#of#their#writing#
–#journal#articles#(preferred)#or#other#scientific#writing.#
BU#Chemical#Writing#Program#(BUCWP)#
#
AY2015/2016#
Additional*Information*
Eligibility#requirements#
#
O#Graduate#student,#postOdoc,#or#PFF#(in#Chemistry#or#related#science#discipline);#
O#Interest#in#mentoring#freshmen#science/chemistry#major#in#scientific#writing;#
O#Must#have#excellent#command#of#English#language#and#scientific#writing;#
O#Preference#given#to#those#who#are#willing#to#commit#to#both#semesters;#and#
O#Graduate#students#that#are#supported#by#RA’s#and#TF’s#should#only#apply#with#the#permission#of#
their#research#advisor.#
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Job#Description:#
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O#Writing#assistants#read#and#comment#student#writing#samples,#
O#meet#with#students#to#discuss#writing#and#needed#improvements,#
O#grade#submitted#writing,#
O#attend#staff#meetings#(approximately#6,#30Ominute#meetings#per#semester),#and#
O#maintain#digital#records#of#student#work.#
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Compensation:#
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O#WA's#are#paid#according#to#the#number#of#students#that#are#assigned#to#them.#
O#A#full#load#(7O8#students)#corresponds#to#approximately#$1000#per#semester#(40O45#hours#total).#
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Application#due#by#August#1st,#2015.#
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