Dr. Graham Bodwell admits not everyone gets excited about a conference devoted entirely to a subject that can be “bland” for some people but he just can't hide his enthusiasm. Dr. Bodwell - a professor in Memorial University's Department of Chemistry - is still riding a high after hosting the 11th series of the International Symposium on Novel Aromatic Compounds - held in St. John's in late August. The event brought together roughly 140 delegates and scientists from more than 25 countries around the world including Japan, Germany, the United States, France and across Canada. Dr. Bodwell was responsible for organizing and co-ordinating the conference.

“It was an amazing symposium with lots of discussion and networking,” he said. “It was a very specific conference with rather esoteric topics.”

“Aromaticity is a phenomenon or property associated with molecules that possess certain structural and electronic properties,” he added. “Such compounds are called aromatic compounds. The term has nothing to do with smell. It is a holdover from the 1800s. It was a specialist conference on fundamental science; these fundamental bear on areas of application such as materials science, nanotechnology and molecular electronics.”

The conference's roots date back to 1970, when the first series was held in Japan to mark the 65th birthday and retirement of Professor Tetsuo Nozoe, a world-renowned figure in the field of aromatic compounds. Since then events have been held once every three or four years in North America, Europe or Asia.

Dr. Bodwell said this year's symposium was an opportunity to lay the seeds for possible collaborations with other scientists around the world. “The ideas and the interchange are so important at events like this,” he said. “I already have a couple of new collaborations lined up and a couple of new directions for chemistry for research projects.”

Hosting such a prestigious event wasn't supposed to happen so soon for Newfoundland and Labrador, though. The last symposium, held in 2001, was in San Diego and this year's event was initially slated for Holland.

“But the fellow who agreed to host it could not,” said Dr. Bodwell. “It was announced that it had fallen through and that the series was in danger of folding. I had told people I would like to host it some time. That was supposed to be in 2010 when it was North America's turn again, but I guess I got my wish a little early. It literally fell onto my plate last summer.”

Despite some last minute scrambling and a “hectic summer,” Dr. Bodwell doesn't regret agreeing to chair the symposium. “This conference - despite the fact it's quite broad and that some people may not have a clue what we are talking about - is very vital. It has opened up several new areas for researchers. The seeds are there for new projects and to build on old collaborations. I think things turned out great.”