Message from the Chair

Charles H. Page

I wish to invite everyone to an exciting and intellectually rewarding meeting - the SICB Annual Meeting in Denver, Jan. 6-10, 1999. DNB will cosponsor a symposium titled "Animal Consciousness: Historical, Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives" with the Division of Animal Behavior and sponsor a neurobiology poster session. The interdisciplinary focus of the sessions at the meeting is what sets them apart from other meetings in the neurosciences. Once again we will recognize excellence in student research with an award of $100 for the Best Student Presentation in neurobiology. I hope that many of you and your students are planning to attend and present your work.

We were fortunate in being able to assemble an outstanding slate of candidates for our recent election of 1999 DNB officers. On behalf of the Nominating Committee, I would like to thank all of the candidates for their willingness to stand for election and congratulate our newly elected 1999 officers: Stacia Moffett, chair; Robin Cooper, secretary; and Rich Satterlie, program officer.

While the focus of the annual DNB business meeting will be on planning for continued growth and development, it will also provide an excellent opportunity for meeting our new officers. Important topics for discussion will include the two symposia "Nitric Oxide in Invertebrates" and "Control of Locomotion" being prepared for the 2000 SICB Annual Meeting in Atlanta, and identifying topics for DNB sponsored symposia at the 2001 meeting in Chicago. For those who will not be able to be at the Denver meeting, we invite you to send us your ideas for promoting growth of DNB. Suggestions for symposia are especially welcome.

Also at the DNB business meeting, we will consider proposed changes in DNB bylaws (attached below) that will increase the terms of office for the chair, secretary and program officer from one to two years, and establish a schedule for holding the election for chair, and those for secretary and program officer in alternate years. Approval of these changes will strengthen the continuity of DNB leadership.

It has been a privilege and pleasure to serve as DNB chair during the last two years. In our four years as an SICB division, we have come a long way towards our goal of providing a significant forum for neurobiologists within SICB. Since this is my last message as DNB chair, I would like to thank those most responsible for the successful development of DNB: our outgoing secretary, Kiisa Nishikawa and our re-elected program officer, Rich Satterlie. I am looking forward to seeing you in Denver.

Proposed Changes in DNB Bylaws