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.
This amendment to DNB bylaws, proposed by C. Page, K. Nishikawa and R. Satterlie,
will be discussed and voted upon at the Denver DNB Business Meeting, January 1999.