Feb 1 Deadline for VP-Elect Nominations

February 1 is the deadline to submit vice president-elect nominations. Candidate packets and instructions are available on the AALAS website in the leadership section. Candidates must meet the AALAS bylaws requirements and be able to fulfill the job responsibilities and travel commitments as outlined in Section 4-8:

• Be an AALAS national membership in good standing for the past 5 consecutive years.
• Have participated on either a national AALAS committee in the past 5 years, served as an officer or board member for an affiliate organization during the past 5 years, or served as chair on an AALAS national committee or on the AALAS BOT within the past 8 years.
• Be able to make a 4-year commitment to leadership.
• Vice president-elect is the first year of a four-year commitment, followed by vice president, president, and past president.

April 1, 2011, is the deadline to submit nominating petitions to run for open trustee and alternate trustee positions. Additional information and criteria to be eligible to run can be found here (you'll have to log into the AALAS website).

Make sure you can vote online in 2011 by ensuring that your AALAS national membership is current and that AALAS has a valid, unique email address for you. To be eligible to vote, your membership must be active by April 1. To check your status and renewal date, log in to the AALAS website or call the AALAS office at 901-754-8620.

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New Shipping Rates Take Effect February 1

Shipping charges are based on your total order amount and the country to which the order will be shipped. There is a minimum shipping charge when you order only free items, except for public outreach products (those with product numbers beginning with 08-). AALAS covers the shipping costs for public outreach materials when they are ordered with purchased items; you will still be responsible for shipping charges on the purchased items. For orders of public outreach materials only, shipping costs are supported by the AALAS Foundation. See the chart below for the new prices effective February 1.

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National Meeting Abstract and Topic Submission Site Open

On behalf of program chair Dr. Patricia Foley and AALAS president Bob Dysko the 2011 National Meeting Program Committee would like to encourage you to submit proposals for abstracts, seminars, special topic lectures, panel discussions, technical trade presentations, and workshops for the 2011 meeting in San Diego.

Submissions will again be handled online starting today, January 7. Those of you who submitted topics or abstracts in the past year received a system email with your password and username. New users must create an account.

Neurodegenerative diseases is this year's spotlight forum. Those with backgrounds and expertise in research, clinical care, management, and husbandry of animal models used to study these diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Lou Gehrig's Disease) are especially encouraged to submit.

Read the call for abstracts for complete requirements for submitting abstracts and proposing educational session topics. The deadline for topic submissions is March 15, 2011, while the deadline for abstract (posters and platforms) submissions is June 1.

Topic submissions should be designed specifically for one of the following formats: 2-hour, 45-minute seminar, 1.5-hour panel discussion, 1-hour special topic lecture, 4-hour workshop, or 20-minute technical trade presentation. If you choose to submit a topic, please note that you must include the title, brief description, and names and contact information for any suggested panelists, speakers, or leader. Once the submission undergoes review and acceptance, any substitution or addition of speakers must be approved by the Program Committee.

Abstract submissions will be considered for either a platform or poster presentation format. Platform presentations are typically 10-15 minutes in length and are grouped together by general category. If you choose to submit an abstract, please follow the guidelines and provide complete information. This will greatly assist the Program Committee in their review process and enable the correct assignment of your abstract to the appropriate program session.

Exhibitor Prospectus Online

The priority point application deadline of February 7 is only a few weeks away, so now is the time to begin thinking about exhibiting at the 2011 National Meeting. Browse the exhibitor prospectus to view diagrams of the hall, specs, prices, sponsorship opportunities, and application forms. The exhibit hall will again be open Tuesday through Thursday, October 4-6. For additional information about exhibiting at the AALAS National Meeting, please contact Christy Miller.

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AALAS 2010 National Meeting Video Recap

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Utah Wins Branch of the Year

The Branch Challenge Award was presented to the Utah Branch because it met all of the criteria for participation and had the largest percent increase of national AALAS members.

These Branches were also recognized for qualifying: Arizona Branch, Central Ohio Branch, Florida Branch, Iowa Branch, Louisiana Branch, Orange County Branch, Southern Wisconsin Branch,and Three Rivers Branch.

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Congratulations to AALAS National Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2010 AALAS national award winners! They were honored at the Opening General Session on October 10 in Atlanta during AALAS' National Meeting:

Charles A. Griffin Award

William J. White

$2,500 honorarium

Nathan R. Brewer Scientific Achievement Award

Jean Nemzek

$2,000 honorarium

Joseph J. Garvey Award

Don Bradford

$2,000 honorarium

George R. Collins Award

Eileen Morgan

$2,000 honorarium

Pravin N. Bhatt Young Investigators Award

Diana Scorpio

$1,000 honorarium

Technician of the Year

Nicole Libal

$1,500 honorarium

Technician Publication Award

Dominic Montani

$500 honorarium

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New Educational Support for Branches

By Dr. Ann Turner, Executive Director

During the AALAS National Meeting in Atlanta, the Board of Trustees announced the establishment of the Ben Cohen Branch Educational Fund. This program honors one of the founding fathers of AALAS, Dr. Ben Cohen, who was committed to enhancing the training and education of all those who work in the laboratory animal science field. It is fitting that this fund was established to support educational programs offered through the AALAS branches.

Branches may apply for up to $1,000 per year for regular programming, and up to $5,000 for supplemental funding for large or special events in addition to the regular funding. Examples of eligible expenses include speaker’s fees, travel, and expenses; workshop/wet lab expenses; and local AREA (student) program expenses.

To be eligible to apply for financial support, the branch must meet these criteria:

• have at least 10 members who are AALAS national members;
• provide to the AALAS national office a list of current officers within 30 days of the election;
• provide a current membership roster, including contact information for members, to the AALAS national office by May 1;
• provide a current copy of their constitution and bylaws; and
• provide evidence of IRS tax-exempt status or evidence of IRS tax filing.

Compliant branches may submit to the national office (by mail or email, addressed to me) a request for funding to support qualified educational programs offered by the branch. Applications must include a letter of support from at least one Trustee from the applying branch’s district. Applications for regular funding (up to $1,000) must be received by the national office at least 60 days prior to the event. Applications for supplemental funding (up to $5,000) must be received approximately 6 weeks prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting preceding the event. Funding cannot be awarded retroactive to the event or program.

For questions about the Ben Cohen Branch Educational fund, contact me at the national office at ann.turner@aalas.org.

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