Duke's Chemistry Course For Executives Being Streamlined

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University's 28th annual Chemistry for Executives seminar program, a yearly crash course for busy business leaders to learn the basics of chemistry, will be streamlined this year to reflect time-management concerns of rising executives.

The original course has been shortened from eight days with two weekends to seven days with one weekend, said program director Richard Palmer, who is also a Duke professor of chemistry. Under the new schedule for this year's program, which begins June 8, attendees can return home Friday night to spend the weekend with their families before returning to their offices the following Monday morning.

Chemistry for Executives was developed and is taught by senior Duke chemistry faculty as well as other scientists from industry and academia so that decision-makers can feel more comfortable about making business judgments based on technical matters. It is organized not only to make the most use of executive's time, but also to make their "boot camp" experience as comfortable and pleasant as possible. While their course work is rigorous, the executives are housed in a four-star hotel that features a four-star restaurant and 18-hole golf course.

All lectures take place at Duke's Paul M.Gross Chemistry Laboratory, within walking distance from their accommodations. Each evening, one-on-one tutorials with Duke chemistry graduate students are available back at the hotel, giving participants the opportunity to review lecture material and have lingering questions answered.

Program participants in the past have included executives, marketing and sales directors, financial managers, venture capitalists and investment bankers, patent attorneys, government officials and human resource directors.

The program's cost, which includes instructions, hotel accommodations and all meals, is $7,000 before March 20 and $7,200 afterwards. The course provides supplementary income for the faculty and graduate students involved. Any surplus from the course is used in support of the research of course faculty.

For registration, call (919) 660-1519 or fax (919) 660-1605. The e-mail address is cfe@chem.duke.edu and the website address is http://www.chem.duke.edu/cfe/.