Division of Comparative Endocrinology (DCE): 1999 Fall Newsletter
This Newsletter by Section
Message from the Chair
Bob Dores
I attended the strategic planning meeting that took place in Chicago this past July, and I felt that the session went very well. Many thanks to the DCE members who responded to my survey; your comments were very helpful. One of the themes that was reinforced at the meeting was the importance of the divisional system in SICB. I believe that there will be initiatives that will emerge from the strategic planning processing that will improve the DCE program. Please check the SICB Web page for updates on the strategic planning process, and send any comments that you may have to either me or Dave Norris (chair-elect).
Message from the Program Officer
Sunny Boyd
The program for the SICB Annual Meeting in Atlanta, January 4-8, 2000, is a very broad-based one that should be interesting to DCE members. There are 11 symposia, and DCE is sponsoring or co-sponsoring two of these. The first is "Recent Progress in Crustacean Endocrinology: A Symposium in Honor of Milton Fingerman," organized by Penny Hopkins and David Borst. This is the first symposium in 16 years devoted solely to crustacean endocrinology, and it marks the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Fingerman's scientific career. Second, the symposium "Osmoregulation: An Integrated Approach" is co-sponsored by the Division of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry and DCE. In addition, more than 50 abstracts for contributed papers have been received from DCE members. This is the first year that regular contributed papers will be organized based on topics (rather than divisional affiliations), and this is sure to enliven the program!
The Chicago meeting in 2001 is being organized now. DCE is sponsoring the symposium "Stress: Is it More Than a Disease? A Comparative Look at Stress and Adaptation." This symposium, organized by Jim Carr and Cliff Summers, is slated to last for two full days and includes an impressive list of invited speakers. Contributed papers on stress are also encouraged. There is still plenty of time to organize a mini-symposium for the Chicago meeting as well. Please contact me (boyd.1@nd.edu) if you have any ideas.
Message from the Secretary
Nathan Collie
The results of the Spring 1999 election should have reached you by e-mail directly from Bob Dores. I was particularly encouraged by the election results because voting was up, despite the new balloting procedure (e.g., retrieving the ballot from the SICB Web site and mailing a hard copy). Michael Moore was elected as the chair-elect, and Bob Denver as the secretary-elect. Michael Moore begins his term as chair-elect on January 1, 2000. Bob Denver's term as secretary-elect (a new position) will be short-lived, since he takes over the secretary position from me also on January 1. In addition, Dave Norris takes over as chair from Bob Dores. If this seems somewhat confusing, you are not alone. Now that all three elected officers have both full and officer-elect positions, there is no longer any need to stagger elections to ensure experienced officers are always on board with freshmen. We may want to consider coordinating all elections simultaneously to make voting convenient, to reduce the number of nominating committees and to avoid confusion on election timing. Join us at the Business Meeting in Atlanta for further discussion.
I wish to mention two late-breaking reminders for upcoming meetings. First, the 30th Annual Western Regional Conference on Comparative Endocrinology will be held at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon on March 24-25, 2000. Please contact the chair of the organizing committee Marty Fitzpatrick (fitzpama@ucs.orst.edu) for information. Also the 4th International Conference on Fish Endocrinology will be held on July 31-August 3, 2000, in Seattle, Washington. Please contact Walt Dickhoff (dickhoff@fish.washington.edu) for more information and to ensure that you remain on the mailing list.
I would like to end my final newsletter offering by thanking my current fellow officers, Bob Dores, Sunny Boyd and former program officer Mark Sheridan for making my job as secretary a pleasurable and valuable experience.
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