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Ann English and student Jeremy Flowers	A dozen brilliant young Canadian chemists are reflecting on their first full summer of research with a mentor at a different university from their own. They were participants in the RISE summer exchange program, run by a network of chemists at 12 institutions across Canada. RISE stands for Reactive Intermediates Student Exchange Program. Successful applicants to the program are assigned to do research with a RISE member at one of the participating institutions, and a small travel allowance is provided. Universities with co-op programs normally recognize the RISE summer placement as the equivalent of a co-op work term. These students are excited by chemistry, and talented, too. They must have four full terms under their belt, an overall average of at least B+, and a demonstrable interest in chemical processes just to be considered. All this summer's participants also received grants from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council, NSERC. Kinetic and spectroscopic techniques The members of RISE are engaged in research that emphasizes the study of chemical or biochemical reaction mechanisms involving the use of kinetic and spectroscopic techniques, which allow unstable chemical species to be examined. As Concordia's member of RISE, Professor Ann English took University of Waterloo student Jeremy Flowers under her wing. One aspect of her research involves structure-function relationships in proteins, and Jeremy worked in this area, trying to unravel why proteins spontaneously adopt certain structures. "This was a very different experience for Jeremy, who considers himself more of a mathematician than a chemist," English said. He particularly enjoyed presenting his results, together with his 11 colleagues, at the fifth annual RISE symposium, which was held at Concordia on the weekend of August 26-27. No Concordia student took part in the program this summer, though they have in the past. The RISE program is supported by grants from St-Jean Photochemicals (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu), Merck Frosst, Boehringer Ingelheim, Xerox, AstraZenica, Fisher Scientific, the Shipley Company (Marlboro, Mass.), Concordia and the other participating universities, and the research grants program of NSERC. - BB