2010 Online Journal Article Stats

Scientific articles from AALAS' journals, Comparative Medicine and JAALAS, are hosted by IngentaConnect. Full text downloads for 2010 have increased by 228% over the 2009 downloads. Other usage statistics for 2010:

• 47,897 full-text downloads
• 181,862 abstract pages viewed
• 86,240 contents pages viewed

Most popular articles in 2010 (click on image to increase size):

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IT Programming Specialist Job Position at AALAS

AALAS has an opening for an IT Programming Specialist

Organizational Relationships

Reports directly to and receives primary direction from the Associate Executive Director. Provides superb information technology services for the public, AALAS employees and members.

Position Summary

Responsible for performing the physical, technical and administrative tasks involved in all aspects of programming and computer related functions for AALAS.

Education / Experience / Job Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field plus 2 years experience desired. Additional experience may substitute for degree.
• Proven proficiency with ASP.NET, VB.NET, C# and T-SQL.
• Familiarity with Crystal Reports, ASP.NET MVC, XML web services, jQuery a plus.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work professionally with teams and independently
• Must have excellent attention to detail, organizational and multi-tasking skills.
• Must have initiative, good judgment, be able to assume responsibility, work independently, without close supervision, and cooperatively with other employees and the public.
• Must be able to read, write and understand directions.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

• Use the membership database custom APIs to program and integrate ecommerce and other functionalities and features into websites and other online platforms managed by the association.
• Use customization tools to modify membership database based on staff requirements.
• Create and modify data universes for database Data Analyzer program.
• Assist, as directed, in ASP.net programming for the AALAS Learning Library and other online projects and platforms.
• Collaborate with staff to gather requirements to determine business needs.
• Provide support for, and assist staff responsible for, updating web content.
• Write, modify, and debug database reports and views as requested.
• Provide technical support to users of AALAS’ online products and services.
• Troubleshoot and solve programming-related issues with all AALAS websites and/or other online systems.
• Research, recommend--and upon approval--implement innovative IT solutions that provide cost effective solutions that keep AALAS current with technology trends, and that increase productivity, efficiency, and revenue.

Secondary Functions and Responsibilities

• Provide hardware/software troubleshooting backup support for staff.
• Work with the IT Specialist to maintain appropriate documentation of reports and other technical processes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

• AALAS is a non-smoking, office environment.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to handle, or feel; and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk; stand; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The employee must be able to analyze and interpret data.
• The employee must be able to perform lifting up to 40 pounds, bend or squat routinely, and occasionally work with arms above shoulder level; ability to lift, carry or otherwise move and position objects weighing up to 75 pounds.
• Limited travel

Employee Benefits

• Personal time off (PTO)
• Life, Health, Dental insurance
• Section 125 Cafeteria Plan
• Long Term Disability
• Retirement Plan
• Voluntary benefits

To apply, please email resume to Chris Lyons.

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Petition Deadline Is April 1 to Run for Trustee/Alternate

April 1, 2011 is the deadline to submit nominating petitions to run for open trustee and alternate trustee positions. After logging into the AALAS website, nominating petitions and instructions are found here.

To be added to the ballot, candidates must provide at least 25 valid AALAS national member signatures from within their district and meet the eligibility requirements. The requirements are to be an AALAS national member in good standing for the past five consecutive years; have served in branch leadership and/or on a district, regional, or national committee during the past five years; be able to make a three-year commitment to leadership; and reside in district of representation as designated by the voting contact address.

Open positions for the 2012-2014 terms are District 1 trustee, District 2 trustee, District 4 trustee and alternate trustee, District 6 trustee and alternate trustee, and District 7 trustee. All terms begin October 7, 2011, at the close of the 2011 National Meeting in San Diego.

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Verify Membership Information To Vote in Election

To vote in the 2011 election, no later than April 5, make sure your AALAS national membership is current and verify that we have your unique, personal email address no later than April 15. Please note that generic email addresses, such as "info@," are not valid for the election. A unique, personal email address is necessary to ensure the validity and security of online voting. You can check the email address we have on file by logging in to the AALAS website and clicking Edit Profile.

Your election email address is private and will not be used for other purposes unless you select it as your primary address and/or for directory use. If you do not have a personal email address that you want to share with us, you can create an email address through services like Gmail or Yahoo.

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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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