Division of Ecology & Evolution (DEE): 2001 Fall Newsletter
In this newsletter:
Message from the Chair Cathy McFadden, Secretary Linda Walters and Program Officer Brian Helmuth
We are looking forward to the 2002 SICB Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, from January 2-6. The list of symposia is very exciting and DEE is the primary sponsor for two: "Physiological ecology of rocky intertidal organisms: from molecules to ecosystems," and "Integrative approaches to biogeography: patterns and processes on land and in the sea." A tentative schedule of symposia is already posted on the SICB 2002 Meeting website (www.sicb.org/meetings/2002/) along with detailed background information on some of the symposia and participating speakers. Also, please note that SICB's Public Affairs Committee is organizing another Evolution Town Meeting to be held during the Anaheim meeting. This informative and thought-provoking event was very well attended at last year's meeting in Chicago and we encourage all DEE members to attend and participate in this year's version. We also remind you to please attend the DEE Business meeting in Anaheim. The business meeting is open to all members including students, and is your chance to tell us what you currently do and don't like about DEE or SICB.
Proposals for symposia at the 2003 Toronto meeting are already being considered, and we encourage everyone to start thinking about ideas for the 2004 meeting. DEE serves as a home for a diverse array of ecologists and evolutionary biologists, and we are hopeful that this is reflected in our diverse symposia. One of our goals over the past several years has been to increase the participation of plant ecologists/evolutionary biologists in SICB, and ideas for symposia that support this goal are particularly welcome. Symposium ideas should be sent to DEE Program Officer Brian Helmuth, helmuth@biol.sc.edu.
This fall we will be electing two division officers, Chair-Elect and Secretary. Nominees for Chair-Elect are Mary Alice Coffroth and Florence Thomas. Nominees for Secretary are Suzanne Worcester and Michael Temkin. Brief biographies and goals statements from each candidate are included here. You should be receiving ballots soon (via email and/or the postal service), and we implore you to please cast your vote by the stated deadline. Voter turnout for the last DEE election was extremely low - please help us avoid such embarrassment this time around and cast your votes! The new officers will be introduced at the Division meeting in Anaheim.
This year we expect to be judging a record number of students competing for the DEE best student presentation (poster and oral presentation) awards. Students: please sign up for this year's competition! Faculty and post-docs: We need your help! If you would like to help judge presentations for DEE, please contact Linda Walters (Secretary) at: 407-823-2148 or ljwalter@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu. Being a judge is a very good way to support the Division and the Society, it looks wonderful on the service portion of your annual evaluation and curriculum vitae, and it doesn't take up too much time. Last year, each judge was responsible for 3-5 talks. Thank you in advance!
Finally, we note with great sadness the untimely passing of longtime DEE member Larry McEdward. At the time of his death Larry was serving as Program Officer for DIZ, but he had also been an active participant and valuable contributor to DEE for many years. Our division will miss him greatly, and we look forward to sharing fond memories of Larry with all of you at this year's meeting. See you in Anaheim!
DEE Candidates for ElectionCandidates for Chair-Elect
Mary Alice Coffroth
Current Position: Associate Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo
Education: B.S., Biology, College of William and Mary in Virginia, 1976; M.S., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 1981, Ph.D., Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 1988
Professional Experience: Postdoctoral research, SUNY at Buffalo, 1988-89; NSF Biotechnology postdoctoral fellow, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, 1990-92; Research Associate Professor, Biology, S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo, 1992-Present; Assistant Professor, Biology, S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo, 1997-2001; Associate Professor, Biology, S.U.N.Y at Buffalo, 2001-Present; Research Associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 1997-Present.
SICB Activities: Member Society Nominations Committee, 1997; Best student paper competition judge, 1997, 1998, 2001.Other Memberships: International Society for Reef Studies, The Oceanography Society, Society for the Study of Evolution, Western Society of Naturalists, AAAS
Research Interests: Population structure of marine invertebrates; population dynamics and ontogeny of marine symbioses
Goals Statement: The Society provides an excellent venue for interactions across many subdisciplines and is especially good at providing opportunities for graduate student participation and integration into the Society (socials, luncheons, Best paper award, etc). It will be important to continue to recruit new members and encourage graduate student participation. I would like to see the Society continue to make the meetings accessible (financially) to both graduate students and researchers from small colleges. My specific goals for DEE would be to continue to guide DEE in the direction that recent leadership has taken, namely to encourage the involvement of other ecological and evolutionary groups to increase the participation of ecologists and evolutionary biologists in the society. To this end I would seek to establish an ongoing relationship with either ESA or SSE to have a winter meeting in conjunction with SICB. I would also support and encourage interdisciplinary symposia that work to bring together members from the various subdisciplines.
Flo Thomas
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Education: B.A., Biology, University of Washington 1985; M.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University 1987, Ph.D. Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley 1992.
Professional Experience: Post- doctoral researcher, University of Hawaii, 1992-1996; Assistant Professor/ Senior Marine Scientist, Dauphin Island Sea Lab; Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of South Florida, 1999-present.
SICB Activities: Workshop coordinator: Increasing minority involvement in the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2000. Member since 1985; Best student paper award committee DIB, DEE; Session Chair DIB, DEE.
Other Memberships: American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Sigma Xi, International Coral Reef Society.
Research Interests: The research in my laboratory focuses on two major areas relating physical processes to ecology and evolution (1) the effects of water flow on chemical transport in natural systems and (2) reproductive ecology and evolution in marine invertebrates. In addition to these research endeavors, my lab is actively involved in educational outreach.
Goals Statement: Biology in general has become increasingly multi-disciplinary. By providing a forum for symposia and workshops, SICB can be a focal point for interdisciplinary exchange and take action to encourage connections between disparate fields that have had little interaction. Additionally, SICB should encourage and actively pursue programs that will increase the diversity of people represented within the society by conducting workshops, symposia, and student centered recruitment programs.
Candidates for Division Secretary
Michael H. Temkin
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biology, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Education: B.S., Biology, American University, 1981; M.S., Biology, American University, 1983; Ph.D., Biology, University of Southern California, 1991.
Professional Positions: Postdoctoral scholar in Molecular Biology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, 1990-1993; Visiting Assisting Professor, Biology, St. Lawrence University, 1993-1995; Principal Scientist, Zebra Mussel Larvae Surveys at Robert Moses Power Dam, Northern Ecological Associates, Inc., Canton, NY, 1993-1994; Research Associate, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 1995-1996; Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Marine Station at Link Port, Ft. Pierce, 1996-1997; Visiting Assistant Professor, Biology, St. Lawrence University, 1997-1998; Assistant Professor, Biology, St. Lawrence University, 1998-present.
SICB Activities: Joined SICB/ASZ in 1988; Best Student Paper Award, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, 1989; Co-organizer of Russel L. Zimmer Retirement Symposium, 2002 SICB Meeting in Anaheim
Other Memberships: American Microscopical Society, International Bryozoology Association, Association of Laboratory Education
Research Interests: Development, ecology, and evolution of marine and freshwater invertebrates, fertilization biology and ecology of bryozoans, population genetics and molecular evolution of freshwater mussels.
Goals Statement: Since first joining SICB, I have recognized the importance of the society as a forum for both the presentation and discussion of research within and between disciplines and professional development. More recently, as someone who teaches evolution at a small liberal arts and sciences university, I have valued the role SICB is playing in maintaining evolution as an essential component of science education. As secretary, I would like to see DEE continue to maintain and strengthen the qualities that have been important to me as a SICB member by working to support the participation of graduate students, post-docs, and researchers from small universities and colleges, sponsor more symposia across disciplinary areas to examine topics in novel ways, and promote the teaching of ecology and evolution across the curricula of K-12, undergraduate, and graduate programs. By achieving these goals, I believe DEE can continue to broaden its membership and keep the division strong.
Suzanne Worcester
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Earth Systems Science and Policy Institute, California State University Monterey Bay
Education: B.S., Biology, University of Utah, 1987; Ph.D., Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, 1994.
Professional Positions: Asst. Professor, Earth Systems Science and Policy Institute, Cal. State Univ. Monterey Bay, 1996 to present; Post-doctoral research, Univ. of California Santa Cruz, 1994 to 1996.
SICB Activities: Member since ~1988 (no offices held)
Other Memberships: Ecological Society of America, Western Society of Naturalists, Sigma Xi, American Society for Limnologists and Oceanographers
Research Interests: Ecological biomechanics of coastal organisms; biology and ecology of vernal pool crustaceans; and research in effective methods of teaching biology to diverse students.
Goals Statement: I feel that training the next generation of biologists is a very important job where SICB plays an important part. The Best Student Paper competition is one such educational role and as DEE Secretary I will be involved in organizing this event. My goal will be to help all students who participate to learn more about how to give professional talks in biology. By reaching a hand out to these new biologists I hope to increase the ranks of the Society's membership as well.
Link to officer list on DEE page