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SICB


SICB Fall 2004 Newsletter
News & Announcements








Meeting Announcements



Call for Contributed Papers Symposium on "Biophysical and Biomechanical Adaptation and Bioinspired Engineering"

A small international conference on this subject is being organized to take place at Caltech (Pasadena, CA) from March 28 - March 30, 2005. Detailed information concerning the conference is available at http://www.its.caltech.edu/~iupscit. This meeting will be a satellite symposium associated with the 34th International Congress of Physiological Sciences, which will take place in San Diego beginning the day after the symposium ends.

Interested people wishing to participate in the meeting are invited to submit, via the website, abstracts of posters describing research relevant to one or more of the four themes of the meeting: Locomotion and Motility, Muscle, Internal Flows, and Materials. The website facility for abstract submission will be in operation from October 1 - December 31, 2004.

Efforts are in process to obtain funding to assist more junior people (graduate students, postdocs, junior faculty) and people from overseas with expenses associated with the conference. See the website for specifics.

Please address questions not adequately answered on the website to: Malcolm Gordon [msgordon@ucla.edu] for scientific content and Martha Salcedo [msalcedo@caltech.edu] for logistical and administrative matters.



Second International Meeting on Physiology and Pharmacology of Temperature Regulation

(Phoenix, Arizona, March 3-6, 2006)
The website for the meeting has gone live. Go to http://www.FeverLab.net for important information concerning this event and to pre-register for the meeting. Please also encourage your associates to pre-register.

The meeting will include several plenary symposia, and we now seek symposium proposals for consideration. The symposium proposal form is available on the meeting's website. The submission deadline is November 15, 2004.



AmphibiaTree Workshop

AmphibiaTree, a research initiative sponsored by NSF's Assembling the Tree of Life (AToL) program, will host a workshop in early December 2004 that includes sessions on "Morphological Analysis in Amphibian Phylogeny" and "Advanced Techniques in Phylogenetic Analysis." For more information, see http://amphibiatree.org/aw/atree/participate.html.




In Memoriam



Ingrith Deyrup-Olsen, Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Washington

Born in 1919 in Englewood New Jersey, Professor Deyrup-Olsen was trained as a Zoologist at Barnard College where she received her AB (Summa cum laude) in 1940. Four years later, she earned her doctorate in Physiology from Columbia University in 1944 where she continued as an Instructor at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 1947 she joined the faculty at Barnard College where she pursued a research career on the biochemical and hormonal controls of kidney function while teaching physiology. Her outstanding scientific contributions were recognized by a Fulbright Fellowship in Denmark, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Many years later she received the highest honor from her alma mater, the 1992 Barnard Medal of Distinction.

In 1964 Professor Deyrup-Olsen joined the faculty at the University of Washington's Department of Zoology where she continued her research on transport physiology, authoring more than 50 articles on a wide range of subjects, including recent work in the last ten years on physiology and chemistry of mucus secretion. Using slugs as a model system, she discovered the unique biochemical and cellular mechanisms by which cells can regulate the production of this protective and important functional barrier. Her work touches on diverse biological processes from slug movement to cystic fibrosis Dr. Deyrup-Olsen became the role model for all subsequent faculty in Biology, having been a shining example of one who successfully combined a cutting edge research program with a world-class teaching career. The founder of the University of Washington's Master of Science for Biology Teachers Program, Dr. Olsen was impassioned about inspiring young people, not just for Biology but for learning. In recognition of this, she received the University of Washington's Distinguished Teaching award in 1988. Later, she created the Sigurd Olsen Endowed Scholarship, named after her late husband. Her passion for combining research and teaching extetned well beyond her laboratory, the classroom, and even the programs at the University of Wasington. She was a national leader of the "Science as a Way of Knowing" program through the American Society of Zoologists, she was the Biology representative for the National Science Foundation's program to update competencey of secondary school teachers, and, with a grant from the Washington Higher Education Program, founded the University of Washington's Summer Institute for Biology Teachers.

Because of her passion for science, for learning, and for young people all around her, the Department of Biology created two awards that recognizes future leaders in Biology: the Ingrith Deyrup-Olsen Teaching Award, given to an outstanding graduate student teaching assistant, and the Ingrith Deyrup-Olsen Scholarship for an undergraduate planning a career in Biology teaching.

Dr. Deyrup-Olsen was an inspiration to all of the faculty. She fostered learning, research and respect for all. Two quotes characterize Dr. Deyrup-Olsen more than anything else:

"Any career in which are you are committed and excited by your work - it's a wonderful way to get through life"

"Isn't it just marvelous!"



Dr. Robert W. Pennak

Robert W. Pennak of 2513 East 104th Avenue, Apt 1201, Thornton, Colorado died on June 23, 2004. He was 92. Dr. Pennak, a retired Professor of Biology at the University of Colorado, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 13 June 1912. In 1935 he married Alberta V. Pope of Janesville, Wisconsin. The couple lived in Boulder from 1938 to 1987. In 1938, upon finishing his Ph.D. degree at the university of Wisconsin, he joined the Biology faculty at the University of Colorado. Although he officially retired in 1974, he was permitted to keep his office and laboratory on the campus, and essentially every day until his recent illness, he kept busy with his research, field work, extensive correspondence, consultation contracts, and editorial work. During his many years with the University he served as Biology Department chairman for six years, as acting Graduate Dean for six months, and as Secretary of the Graduate Faculty for four years. He also served on innumerable University committees.

Dr. Pennak is know world-wide for his teaching and biological research on lakes and streams. He organized and taught the world's first university course in stream biology. He published about 150 articles in U.S. and foreign professional journals. His two books, "Fresh-water Invertebrates of the United States" and "Collegiate Dictionary of Zoology," are widely used as text-references. The former has been generally acclaimed as a classic and has gone through more than 30 printings. He was active in 13 professional national and international societies and served as president of five of them. His name is to be found in many American and foreign biographical directories. At various times he served as editorial consultant or on the editorial board of 17 different professional journals. In 1950, at the age of 38, he gave the University of Colorado Annual Research Lecture, and in 1972 he was designated an Outstanding Educator of America. For seven years he was a member and Chairman of the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Committee in Biology in Washington, D.C. Professor Pennak presented more then 90 research papers at learned societies, and more than 70 campuses invited him to give guest seminars for biology groups. He directed the work of 30 M.A. students and 17 Ph.D. students.

During his retirement years, Professor Pennak's services were widely in demand as a stream and lake consultant, including assignments for more than 30 corporations, public agencies, land developers, fisheries agencies, mining operations, conservation agencies, and foreign governments.

Survivors include his wife, Alberta; a son, Richard Pennak, of California; and a daughter, Cathy Pennak, of Denver. Also surviving are two grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren living in Denver.

Cremation promptly followed Dr. Pennak's death. It was his wish that there be no memorial service.