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PRESIDENT'S
LETTER
Plant
Biology 2004: A Wonderful Success!
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Mary
Lou Guerinot
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The locale of our
annual meeting this year—Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort &
Convention Center—afforded an opportunity for an old Mouseketeer
fan like me to don mouse ears before welcoming some 1,400 participants
to five days of outstanding scientific presentations and workshops. The
Program Committee’s hard work paid off, with Plant Biology 2004 showcasing
some of the best work going on in plant science today. There were also
a number of “firsts” at this year’s meeting, including
a Cherokee storyteller who related the origin of maize during the “10,000
Years of Maize” mini-symposium and “Sunday Night at the Movies,”
which featured ASPB member Jane Shen-Miller in a documentary on Lotus
called “Eternal Seeds: The Sacred Lotus.” Program suggestions
are always welcome—it’s your meeting!
As we related in the
July/August edition of the ASPB News, Susan Rosenberry, who had
spearheaded the organizational aspects of our annual meeting for many
years, left the ASPB staff in April. I especially want to thank all the
ASPB staff—and Edgar Spalding, our Program Committee chair—who
stepped up to ensure that Plant Biology 2004 went off without a hitch,
even without Susan’s guidance. Needless to say, our new associate
director for meetings, marketing, and membership, Jean Rosenberg, had
her hands full, coming on board only three weeks before we headed to Florida.
Despite this trial by fire, Jean and her ASPB colleagues emerged from
the meeting as cheerful as ever and ready to start planning Plant Biology
2005.
During its two days
of meetings in Florida, the ASPB Executive Committee approved the Society’s
budget for 2005. This budget supports a number of ongoing Good Works projects,
including sending an ASPB booth to the National Science Teachers Association
(NSTA) convention in Dallas. Those ASPB members who live within driving
distance of Dallas might consider volunteering to spend some time at the
booth during the March 31–April 3 convention; it’s a great way
to get involved in ASPB’s ongoing educational activities. This year,
ASPB attended the NSTA meeting in Atlanta and handed out over 1,000 sets
of the “Principles of Plant Biology” bookmarks. No wonder the
Executive Committee also needed to approve the printing of more bookmarks!
As for the bottom line, the ASPB budget is balanced for 2005, and we have
a small safety net should unexpected expenses crop up over the course
of the year.
In addition to evaluating
budget requests, the Executive Committee also approved ASPB’s application
to participate in a course on laboratory management being put together
by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
I am happy to report that our application was favorably reviewed. As a
result, Mary Tierney, outgoing chair of the Women in Plant Biology Committee,
and Crispin Taylor, our executive director, will represent ASPB at a planning
session to be held in late September and during the course itself next
June. ASPB will then design and offer our own version of the course in
conjunction with our annual meeting in 2007. The objective of this course
will be to provide in-depth training of skills and approaches necessary
for success in grant writing, grant and budget management, personnel management,
and project management for university junior faculty. We will also strive
to cover topics pertinent to faculty who carry out research at primarily
undergraduate institutions.
At the Board of Trustees
meeting in June, a decision was made to develop a long-range plan for
maintenance and upkeep of the Gude Plant Science Center, aka “headquarters.”
This wonderful early-20th-century house and the surrounding property were
given to the Society by the Adolph E. Gude, Jr., family. Visitors to headquarters
will soon start to notice some long-overdue improvements, such as having
the external woodwork painted, the trees properly trimmed, and the fence
fixed up.
Our call for proposals
for the Education Foundation drew more than 20 excellent grants for consideration.
Three projects were chosen for funding, and they are detailed on page
6 of this issue. Progress reports on each project will be published in
upcoming issues of the newsletter.
More Education Foundation
news: I am very happy to announce that Jim Siedow has agreed to chair
the Education Foundation board. Jim’s first priority will be to put
together an expanded board of dedicated volunteers to help forge a nationally
recognized identity for the Foundation. The Foundation’s mission,
put most simply, is to promote a broad understanding of the importance
of plant science through educational activities. Jim encourages people
to get in touch with him directly with any ideas related to the Foundation.
You can reach him at Jim.Siedow@duke.edu.
Mary Lou Guerinot
guerinot@dartmouth.edu
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